2007 IPA Senior National Championships Wrap-Up
as Submitted by Ellen Chaillet to PLUSA

YORK BARBELL HOSTS THE 2007 IPA NAational POWERLIFTING

AND BENCH PRESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

 Athletes from across the country hopeful to push up some big numbers converged at York Barbell Company in York, PA November 17-18, 2007. York Barbell is quickly becoming known as the home of the IPA through its support of powerlifting and the IPA. Many thanks from the IPA and the lifters for York Barbell’s continued generosity in allowing our lifters to compete on its legendary platform. In fact, some of this year’s lifters earned the right to be added to the list of legendary performances seen at York Barbell.

Thank you to all of our sponsors for helping support powerlifting and the athletes. Gatorade provided drinks for all the athletes, Westside Barbell, C.A. Weber, and Reliable Equipment for put up $1,000 each toward the Biggest Three Lifts Challenge, Byer’s Tires pitched in $250 for the best female lifter, and Outback Steakhouse kept us well fed.

FULL POWER RESULTS
Saturday started with a memorable collection of tremendously strong women lifters. In the women’s teen division, both girls were record breakers with Sarah Welcheck breaking two of her own records with a 240 lb. squat and a 230 lb. deadlift; at all of 109 lbs. and 14 years-of-age! Just when you thought 14-year-old Anna McCloskey (181 lb. class) couldn’t be more impressive, she smashed all the records with a 535 lb. squat, 235 lb. bench, and a 430 lb. dead lift, totaling a 1200 lb. IPA record which earned her the Women’s Teen Best Lifter Award.

The Amateur and Professional women were no less impressive. Rheta West joined us for the first time and stole the Amateur Women’s Best Lifter Award with a 405 lb. squat, 235 lb. bench, 360 deadlift, totaling 1000 lbs. Rheta’s numbers broke all the 148 lb. Women’s Submaster records.

Among the Professional Women, our Ukrainian friend Taisia Kuznetsova took two Best Lifter Awards home for the Women’s Open Full Power and the Bench Only meets, plus a bonus $250 for the best overall woman lifter based on coefficient. Taisia weighed-in at a mere 103.1 lbs. and mopped up the competition with jaw- dropping lifts. She broke the squat record with a 385 lb. squat, a 220 lb. bench, broke another record with a 340 lb. deadlift, rounding out her day with a record 1000 lb. total; nearly 9.7 times her body weight. IPA favorite, Elaine Grimwood (105 lb. class) joined us after a hiatus since 2005. Elaine took a little time off from the weights to run some long distance races. A quick 12-week training cycle had Elaine back in tip-top shape squatting 330, benching 180, and dead lifting 300. Cheryl Clodfelter lifting in the 198 lb. class pulled an IPA record breaking 510 lb. dead lift, congrats! Lynne Boshoven, lifting in the 165 lb. Women’s Master 50-54 division proved herself an IPA record breaker with three records - 500 lb. squat, a 465 lb. deadlift and a 1225 lb. total.

Amateur Men’s Divisions
In the Amateur Men’s Teen division, Sebby Buccheri (181 lb., 14-15 age) went home with the gold and a Best Lifter award with a 475 squat, 275 lb. bench, 440 lb. dead lift for an 1190 lb. total. The Amateur Men’s Junior division was dominated by Michael Welcheck whose 725 lb. squat was a record in both the Men’s Open and Junior divisions. Michael’s stellar lifting earned him the Amateur Men’s Lightweight Best Lifter Award. You’re awesome, Michael!

There was stiff competition leaving Adrian Griffin and James Adam tied for first in the Amateur Men’s Open 198 lb. class. First place went to Adrian Griffin by less than one pound bodyweight at 196.4 to Adam James’ 197.3. Both lifters totaled 1755. Chris Del Preore owned the Amateur Men’s 220 lb. class with an IPA record- breaking 1950 lb. total. Chris’ exceptional performance won him the coveted Amateur Men’s Heavyweight Best Lifter Award.

In the Amateur Submaster Division, Eric Winter broke the existing IPA record with a 770 lb. squat in the 242 lb. weight class winning him first place in his division. Our Master lifters were no less impressive. IPA’s loyal follower and all-around nice guy, Sam Glover, Sr. won the Amateur Men’s Master Best Lifter award with a 460 lb. squat, 365 lb. bench, and a 400 lb. deadlift at age 64. James Shaughnessy lifted and broke records in both the Master (40-44) and the Police Divisions. James’ fourth attempt squat of 725 lbs. and 1730 lb. fourth attempt total broke the record in both divisions, while his 485 lb. bench smashed the existing Police Division record. Ted Forbes gave us a performance worth noting in the 275 lb. Police Division with an IPA record- breaking 900 lb. squat and a 2110 lb. total.

In the Elite Amateur Division, Brian Crowe broke his own bench record with 505 lbs.; and Brian’s records are hard to break!

Professional Men’s Divisions
David Kirschen posted the biggest coefficient number winning the Professional Men’s Lightweight Best Lifter Award. While David’s numbers broke no records, they clearly earned him the lead with a 750 lb. squat, 530 lb. bench, 580 lb. dead lift, for a winning 1860 lb. total in the Open Men’s 181 lb. weight class. Ricardo Ingravera edged out Brett Rapp by a mere 5 lbs. on the total with Ricardo finishing with 1665 lbs. in the 198 lb. Open class. Rapp squatted an impressive 835 lbs. Jason Mink won the 220 lb. Open class by 65 lbs leading James Howell who finished with a 1700 lb. total.

In the 242 lb. class, big squatter Jason Cox squeezed out a 45 lb. lead over Jim Laird winning with a 2200 lb. total. Jason wowed the crowd with his trademark BIG SQUAT of 1050 lbs. Big Jim Hoskinson won both his 308 lb. divisions (Master 40-44 and Open) with a 2485 lb. total winning him the Professional Men’s Master Best Lifter Award. Jim’s 2485 lb. total and 1085 lb. squat are new IPA Records in both the Men’s Open and Master (40-44) divisions. Clearly the guy who won the show, again, was Donnie Thompson. Donnie’s performance was nothing less than spectacular with an 1140 lb. squat, trying 1175 lbs. on a third attempt. Donnie followed-up with an 830 lb. bench, missing 870 on a third attempt, finishing with an 805 lb. dead lift. The crowd erupted when Donnie took an 840 pull to his knees, which had he been successful would have broken the existing All-time Record. Donnie won all the cash for the biggest of all three lifts . . . and won the Professional Men’s Heavyweight Best Lifter Award. Congratulations!

In the Professional Men’s Open Raw 275 lb. Division, Luke Edwards re-wrote the records with a 700 lb. squat and an 1850 lb. total. Scott Rowe was another multiple IPA record-breaker in the Professional Men’s Submaster 220 lb. division with a huge 905 lb. squat, a 610 lb. bench and an 1850 lb. total.

BENCH ONLY RESULTS
Amateur Men’s Divisions
Mark Holdren, competing in the Men’s Teen (18-19) 198 lb. division smashed a record with a 435 lb. bench winning him the Men’s Teen Best Lifter Award. Sarah McCaslin at 105 lbs. and 16 years-of-age benched a new record 150 lbs. in the Women’s Teen Division and took home the Teen Best Lifter Award. Robin Kilts (123 lb. class) came to York to bench, and bench she did with a 215 lb. bench press winning the Amateur Women’s Best Lifter Award. Taisia Kuznetsova squarely earned her second best lifter award with a 220 lb. bench in the 105 lb. Professional Women’s Open Division. Meghann Butler lifting in the 132 lb. class, won first place with her record-breaking 175 lb. bench press in the Amateur Women’s Open Raw Division.

Steven Dussault, broke both the 198 lb. Men’s Open and Men’s Master (45-49) bench record with a big 565 lb. bench winning his divisions and the Amateur Men’s Master Best Lifter Award. Ronald Yard (275 lb. class) never disappoints benching a mammoth 805 lbs. in the Elite Amateur Division. In the 275 lb. Men’s Master (45-49) Raw Division, Lawrence Short re-wrote the record book with a 435 lb. bench press. Also lifting in the Best Lifter Award.

Professional Men’s Divisions
The man of the hour, and the biggest record-breaker of the entire meet was Joe Ceklovsky who at a body weight of 148.4 benched 560 lbs., breaking the All-Time Record by 30 lbs. on his opening attempt! I guess it’s no surprise that Joe took home the Professional Men’s Open Best Lifter Award. Notable benches were seen from all the Men’s Open lifters weight classes 220 – SHW with benches ranging from 500 by Bill Cox to 725 lbs. by Zane McCaslin.

There were a couple of new IPA records set among the Men’s Masters’ divisions. Randy Robinson, lifting in the 242 lb., 40-44 age group, benched a record 625 lbs. winning him the Professional Men’s Master Best Lifter Award! Bob Bellerby benched a huge 500 lbs. as a 275 pounder in the 60-64 age group. Bob says 500 lbs. earns him the title as the first to accomplish this milestone at the age of 62 years.

Many thanks are extended to all of the lifters who support the IPA and our events. Without the help of all our volunteers and the lifters these tremendous events wouldn’t take place. Thanks to our scorekeepers and announcer, Michelle and Glen Bahn, our all-around guy Bill Schlag who can make anything work, Tracey Reever and Maureen Schlag for taking care of the main entrance and helping to set-up, Gene and Ame Rychlak who provide some of the excellent equipment on the platform and in the warm-up area, Ethel for keeping our bellies full, Ame Rychlak for tirelessly updating the website, to those who helped set-up and spotters/loaders: Al Haun, Derrick Byer, Vinnie Cooke, Richard Safreed, Bill, Paul Martin, Smoke, Stacey Bond, Andy, Kyle Reever, Nick. To all our judges: Gene Rychlak, Sharon Batiste, Tom Levering, Mark Dimiduk, and Bob Grimwood. THANKS TO YOU ALL!!!