Lifters finish fifth in co-ed standings at state powerlifting event
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March 27, 2024
Heavy lift • Gavin Whiting prepares to perform a squat during Saturday's Class D State Powerlifting Meet in Harvard.
Strength in numbers • Connor Thomson competes in the squat competition in the 148-pound division, Saturday, at the Class D State Powerlifting Championships in Harvard. He earned the bronze medal.
Jorden Cox competes in deadlift at Saturday's Class D State Powerlifting Championships in Harvard. He set three personal bests.
Clair Krysl finishes a successful bench press at Saturday's Class D State Powerlifting Championships in Harvard.
(l-r): Jorden Cox, Connor Thomson, Gavin Whiting, Clair Krysl and (not pictured): Matt Umphress won medals for the Bobcats at the Class D State Powerlifting Championships in Harvard.
The 2024 Class D High School State Powerlifting Championships were held at Harvard High School, Saturday, March 23. The meet featured 135 lifters representing 12 of the top Class D powerlifting schools in the state.
"This year's meet was even larger than last year and the largest Class D state powerlifting meet since 2005," said Jeff Shabram.
Class D schools represented were Blue Hill, Boyd County, Bruning-Davenport-Shickley, Centura, Doniphan-Trumbull, Fullerton, Harvard, Niobrara/Verdigre, Red Cloud, Riverside, Silver Lake and Summerland.
Five Summerland lifters competed in the championships. "The small, but mighty," Summerland Bobcat team finished fifth overall in the co-ed division, according to Shabram.
N/V topped the boys' division, followed by Centura and Riverside.
In the girls' division, N/V claimed the top spot, followed by Boyd County and Harvard.
N/V won the co-ed category. Boyd County finished second and Harvard, third.
All five Summerland lifters set personal bests while earning individual state medals.
Silver medalists included Matt Umphress, 165-pound class. He totaled 1,050 pounds.Gavin Whiting competed in the 275-pound class and earned a silver medal. He lifted 1,135 pounds.
Connor Thomson, competing in the 148-pound class, and Clair Krysl, lifting in the 148-pound division, earned bronze medals.
This year's competition also had a junior high portion. Jorden Cox set all new personal bests and was a medalist in the 165-pound class.
Two Bobcat records were broken Saturday. Matt Umphress broke the strength index record (total pounds lifted divided by body weight) again with 6.60. Gavin Whiting broke his own squat record with 410 pounds and is now only six pounds behind the total weight lifted record set by Jacob Behnk in 2021.
The season isn't over quite yet. The final meet of the school year will be the Orchard AAU powerlifting Meet, next Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, at the Orchard Community Center gym.
The Orchard meet is a two-day event this year as a national AAU meet. Because this is a sanctioned AAU event, the talents of both the high school and middle school Summerland girl and boy lifters will be on display, along with many other lifters from across the Midwest, including numerous adult professional lifters.
"This meet has grown into the largest sanctioned meet in the state," Shabram said. "Over the past 16 years we have seen numerous state, American, and world records set ... hopefully we can have another amazing performance this year. There will be more than 200 registered lifters, so the Orchard gym will be rocking next Friday and Saturday."
Lifting begins at 1 p.m. on Friday and at 9 a.m., Saturday.
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