Report from Garry Glenn

Posted by L B Baker on 10/26/2009, 10:58 am
74.237.4.250

Bogart, Ga. - There was plenty of relief and quite a bit of vindication going around at the America’s Cup Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships in Bogart Saturday. For Georgia Irondawgs team captain and head trainer Mike Kidd, the team championship reflected the team effort put forth by everyone from the teens to the masters members of the squad; and for Gainesville’s Tim Moon, his winning effort in the Master’s Men’s 45-49 year old, 110 kilogram (242.506 pounds) bench-only equipped class almost made up for his missing out on the weight at the World Championships last month in St. Avold, France when he finished 3rd. “Good job, Georgia Irondawgs, good job,” Kidd exulted as he hoisted one end of the team award: a brand new Texas power bar. For his part, Moon had been chasing the 600 pound barrier for months and with his lift of 272.5 kg (600.7535 lbs.), he finally broke it. “Man, it’s like a monkey off my back,” Moon said. “I’m really relieved to get it (in a meet). I do it in practice quite often. I finally got it in a competition which is a whole lot more stress and strain.” Moon’s efforts also got him the association’s world record for his age and weight class; and the meet’s Best Lifter Award in the equipped, bench-only category. It was also the heaviest bench press of the day, regardless of class. Moon will lift at the United States Powerlifting Federation’s association’s World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada next month. The Irondawgs also picked up another Best Lifter Award in the bench press category when Dahlonega’s Eric Head won the un-equipped Raw division in the Junior (20-23 year old) 56 kg. (123.4576 lbs.) Class. He bumped the raw world record in the class to 152.5 kg (336.2015 lbs.) on a 4th lift. Next weekend, Head will compete in the equipped division in the World Association of Bench Pressers and Dead-lifters (WABDL) Championships in Reno, Nevada. At this particular meet, all national record raw lifts were entered into the books as world records as well; and a number of the Irondawgs took advantage of that, including first-time lifters Rene Holguin of Clermont and Jance Footit of Gainesville. Holguin won gold in the 82.5 kg. (181.8795 lbs.) Raw Junior Class; while Footit took the title in the Raw 100 kg. (220.046 lbs.) Open Class. Holguin totaled 555 kg. (1,223.553 lbs.) in the three lifts: squat, bench, and deadlift; while Footit went 535 kg. (1,179.461 lbs.); setting records on the way. “It feels good-awesome,” Holguin said, noting he had fun while competing. “I think I did a little better than I thought I was gonna do. It’s the main thing: come in here and have fun; and put up some good weight.” Holguin also praised the work of Kidd in getting him ready for the meet. Footit added his praise of Kidd while noting, “It’s definitely exciting to train for something and come out here and give it your all. It’s good to have an outlet like this where you put forth all your energy; and it’s good to receive an award for that effort.” Adding to their national and world records were veteran bench-pressers Jan Howah of Gainesville and R. Garry Glenn of Oakwood. Howah successfully pressed 185 kg. (407.851 lbs.) to win the Raw Open and Master’s Men’s 55-59 100 kg. class; while Glenn won and set the record in the Master’s Men’s Raw 55-59, 90 kg. (198.414 lbs.) class with his 3rd lift at 152.5 kg. (336.2015 lbs.). Howah decided not to take a 3rd lift after tweaking his shoulder on a missed lift on his second attempt. “It’s nice to get another world mark,” said Glenn who finished 2nd in the Worlds in St. Avold in the 90 kg. equipped class last month; and who owns the world equipped record at 82.5 kg. “It’s good to be in on the ground floor of these raw records and give the other lifters something to shoot at. I’m also proud to be part of the team that’s already won State and National titles this year. It was a good day.” Glenn elected to take a 4th lift at 155 kg. (341.713 lbs.); but was unsuccessful. Also winning in the Bench-only class was Anthony Abercrombie of Murrayville who took the gold and established records in the Open and Sub-Masters (35-39 year old) class with a lift of 170 kg. (374.782 lbs.). Other Irondawgs taking Full Power titles and setting various world records included Trevor Reiff of Jefferson in the 16-17 year old 82.5 kg. class with a total of 440 kg. (970.024 lbs.); Cory Jordan of Maysville in the 90 kg. Junior Class with a total of (1,251.1105 lbs.); Jacob Townsend of Gainesville in the Junior 100 kg. class with a total of (1,267.645 lbs.); and Chris Lower of Jefferson in the 18-19 year old, 125 kg. (275.575 lbs.) class, with a total of 707.5 kg. (1,559.7545). Lower, in fact, was less than .2 points from getting the Best Lifter award in the Full Power division. Irondawg Matt Rawlins of Jefferson was 2nd in the 110 kg. Open Class with a total of 565 kg. (1,245.599 lbs.). For more results, log on to www.irondawg.com, and follow the links to the American Powerlifting Committe (APC).