By Zach Waltz
Sports Assignment Editor
The Richter Center hosted a power-lifting competition last Saturday, which allowed participants to test their strength against each other in a competitive fashion.
The competition consisted of four students, three males and one female, in different weight classes. Each lifter did a one-repetition maximum in the squat, bench press and dead lift.
The power-lifting competition was junior Kyle Crawford’s idea in collaboration with his Craw-Fit training program he has been running in the Richter. Craw-Fit was started by Crawford as a way for him to make workout plans for other students and assist them in the gym. Sophomore Nate Parker said the competition was started so students who frequently lift would have a goal to train for.
“The idea was to create an initiative for more people to both get themselves to the gym and to push their self to be better while they were there,” Parker said.
Parker had the highest total out of the four lifters with 1175 pounds total. He squatted 475 pounds, bench pressed 275 pounds and dead lifted 425 pounds, the highest in each respective lift out of all the competitors.
Other competitors included Crawford, freshman Matt Goettler and freshman Kelsey Reusch.
Goettler posted the second-highest total with 970. He squatted 315, benched 250 and dead lifted 405. Crawford had the lowest total of the three men with 875. He squatted 315, benched 225 and dead lifted 335.
Reusch was the only female competitor, but she posted a total of 380 pounds. She squatted 115, bench pressed 80 and dead lifted 185.
Since the competition had been in works for the whole year, participants had enough time to prepare for the event.
Parker said he began his training for the competition during the first semester, but it wasn’t hard for him to stick to a weight-lifting regiment and strict diet.
“I started power lifting at the beginning of this school year when Kyle promoted the idea of the competition to me, but I have been lifting for sports-related training since about eighth grade,” Parker said.
This is the first year that a power-lifting competition has been held in the Richter Center. Parker said he hopes to continue the tradition and make it an annual competition.
“I think it would be awesome if a competition like this became an annual event,” Parker said.
After organizing and executing the competition this year with Crawford, Parker said it will be easier to attract more participants as they will be able to run it more smoothly.
“This year was definitely a learning experience as to how it should be run and promoted, and I think by fine-tuning the process year after year the competition will become more popular.”
As for lifting the highest total in the event, Parker said he was glad his countless hours in the weight room this year went towards something.
“It is exciting and humbling,” Parker said. “It’s nice being able to look at all of the hard work and dedication I have put in at the gym and in my diet to see how far I have come as a lifter and having an accomplishment like this to prove it was all worth it.”
