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Mountain Home powerlifters dominate at state meet
Seven members from the Mountain Home Barbell Powerlifting Team continued to shatter state records while earning division titles during The Idaho Raw Powerlifting Classic held recently in Boise.
The Mountain Home competitors were among several teams participating in the "raw division" meet.
Events like this limits each lifter to using a belt, wrist wraps and neoprene knee sleeves. They are not allowed to use special bench shirts, knee wraps or other equipment to improve their performance.
Three women from the Mountain Home team walked away with honors at the tournament.
Misty Elom took third in the women's masters (over age 40) division. She hit a personal best with a three-lift total of 600 pounds.
Gena Doyle, the state's 2015 champion, took second in the women's masters division with a 285-pound squat, a 125-pound bench press and 315-pound deadlift.
Vanessa Berger won the women's open raw 158-pound division with a three-lift total of 835 pounds. Berger had a 310-pound squat, a 165-pound bench press and a 360-pound deadlift, all of which set new state records. She was also voted as the best female lifter during the meet.
On the men's side of the team, Nicholas Esposito took first place in the men's 182-pound class, hitting four personal records with a three-lift total of 1,425 pounds. That included a 505-pound squat, a 350-pound bench press and 570-pound deadlift.
Meanwhile, Austin Romine took second place in the men's 163-pound division, hitting four personal bests with a 400-pound squat, 260-pound bench press and a 455-pound deadlift for a three-lift total of 1115 pounds.
Also competing in their third powerlifting meet were two teen lifters, Tyson Coles and Brandon Beach. Both will start their senior year at Mountain Home High School in August.
Coles took first place in the teen 182-pound class with a 335-pound squat, a 225-pound bench press and a 445-pound deadlift.
Beach had the best day on the team, going nine for nine and setting four Idaho high school state records for teens ages 16 and 17 in the 205-pound weight class. He finished the day with a 375-pound squat, a 260-pound bench press and a 500-pound deadlift for a three-lift total of 1135 pounds.
"Our teen lifters did a very good job this meet," said Wesley Beach, who serves as the team's head coach. "I couldn't be happier with them. They both knew what they had to do, they were both very focused and destroyed all their past PRs (personal records).
The teens put in a lot of time training each day prior to the state meet.
"Under our system, we were able to see some very big gains in their lifts, some were up to 100 pounds in the last year of training," Beach said. "I believe they both have a great future in this sport."
All seven team members qualified to represent Idaho during the USA Powerlifting Raw National Championships, scheduled for this fall.
"I am extremely proud of this team," Beach said. "They have all put in months of hard work and dedication to reach their goals, and you have to respect that.
Following a week off after the tournament, the coach knew his team would be back at in training for their next meet in August.
"I know they can lift more (and) they know they can lift more," the Beach said. "That is why they will continue to be some of the strongest men and women in Mountain Home, in Idaho and in some cases, the United States. They are always training to take their lifting to the next level."
Over the past five years, the Mountain Home team has produced 15 state champions, three national shampions while presently holding 80 state records.
"Clearly, if you are looking to get stronger here in Mountain Home, whether it is to compete in Powerlifting, to improve your strength for another sport or simply for personal reasons, this is the club to join." Beach said.
The Mountain Home Barbell Powerlifting club meets every Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the high school weight room. The club is free to everyone ages 15 and up.
For more information, contact Beach at the Mountain Home Barbell Facebook page.
USA Powerlifting is the nation's leading powerlifting organization and a member of the International Powerlifting Federation. The governing body of powerlifting internationally, the IPF includes of member federations from 83 countries on six continents.
Distinct from weightlifting where weight is lifted above the head, powerlifting features three lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. Powerlifting competitions can include one, two or all three of these lifting disciplines.
Athletes are categorized by sex, age and body weight. Each competitor is allowed three attempts at each lift with the best lift in each discipline added to their total.
The competitor with the highest total is the winner. In cases where two or more lifters achieve the same total, the person with the lightest body weight wins.
In the United States, USA Powerlifting has representative chairs in 44 states. Each state chair is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of USA Powerlifting's local competitions, state championships and state records.
"These drug-free, amateur athletes are powerful role models in the world of competitive sports," association representatives said. "Their dedication, hard work and winning attitudes are a testament to the purity of competition for the love of their sport. In a world where steroids and other performance enhancing drugs have become the norm, USA Powerlifting stands apart."
More information on USA Powerlifting is available online at www.usapowerlifting. com.