National Team News, News

Powerlifting’s Future: Sub-Junior and Junior World Championships in Romania

Posted on by Julia Williams

The future of powerlifting will be on full display at the Sub-Junior and Junior World Championships in Cluj Napoca Romania, where Powerlifting America is sending a team of 59 athletes in what promises to be one of the most exciting championships of the year. The competition features 654 of the world’s best Sub-Juniors and Juniors from 55 countries, competing in both Equipped and Classic (Raw) divisions. Equipped runs August 24-27 and Classic runs August 27 – September 3.

The American team has many athletes returning from last year’s World Championships in Turkey as well as new faces making their debut on the world’s stage. Starting with the Junior Equipped Women, Bella Vargas is a clear standout. Bella is the reigning 57kg University National Champion and she’s nominated in first place with a 487.5kg total, a whopping 120kg clear of her closest competitor. She recently sat down with the Powerlifting America Podcast, listen to her interview here. Also keep an eye out for rising stars Jasmine Barlow (43kg), Lola Cheramie (52kg), Aeryn Anderson (69kg) and Haileigh Lupo (76kg), who have only aged into the Juniors this year, making them the youngest lifters in their age group. All four of these women have international experience, with Jasmine competing in the Open World Championships last year in Denmark, Lola and Haileigh winning the Sub-Junior World Championships last year in Turkey, and Aeryn winning the North American Championships last year in Panama.

Among the Sub-Juniors, Natalie Estrada (43kg), Katherine Cargill (69kg) and Mackenzie Wells (84kg) sit atop their divisions by 17.5kg, 32.5kg, and 25kg respectively. Vanessa Chavira (76kg) is nominated second in the 76kg class, but only 10kg shy of the top spot. Daige Love and Mikayla Forsythe are nominated in 2nd and 3rd in the +84kg division in what is shaping up to be an American duel in the midst of an exciting 4 woman battle with two lifters from Chinese Taipei.

On the Men’s side, the Equipped Juniors are anchored by the 105kg “monster” Chase Lawton entering with an 815kg total, Chandler Loescher (120kg) with 792.5kg total, and Luke Mellon (+120kg) with 832.5kg. Chase and Chandler are among the youngest in their division, having aged into the Juniors only this year after winning the Sub-Junior World Championships last year in Turkey. Luke is nominated in second and will look to defend that position from Philippe Parage, son of the IPF President Gaston Parage in what should be a fun battle.

In the Sub-Juniors, Jonathan Becerril (53kg) sits atop the nominations with a 30kg lead, along with Cael McDaniel (120kg) who has a 52.5kg lead. Ariyo Sanyaolu (105kg) is set to make a splash, posting up an impressive 727.5kg performance back in March at High School Nationals which has him nominated in second and within striking distance of gold if he has a good day. Kellen Meyers (+120kg) might have the most exciting battle for first place in this group, nominated only 10kg behind the leader. Both Kellen and Ariyo have had a lot of time to add to their totals which should make their matchups even closer than the nominations would suggest. Lastly, Nicolas Calidonia (59kg) could be the sleeper pick of the entire competition and finish in first despite being nominated last in sixth place. Calidonia underperformed at High School Nationals due to a tough weight cut and has since moved up a class while adding kilos to all of his lifts.

Moving into the Classic competition, the Junior Men have some heavy hitters with Kyle Nowak (66kg) and Anthony McNaughton (105kg) both nominated in first. Kyle is 20kg clear of 2nd at 662.5kg and will almost certainly break the Open World Record deadlift and possibly the Junior World Record total. Anthony is 27.5kg ahead in his division, nominated with an 875kg total, and looking for redemption from his performance at Worlds last year. Anthony totaled 900kg in a local meet earlier this year and is capable of going well into the 900s with a total that would be competitive in the Open division where he’ll be competing next year.

Bodie LaCoe (59kg) is nominated 3rd at 562.5kg a solid 30kg ahead of 4th place, but may also be eyeing his older brother Dalton’s total from a week ago at the NAPF Regional Championships, which was good for 4 gold medals. With no one threatening him for second, he’s free to try and best his brother in one of the most fun sibling rivalries in the sport right now.

In the 93kg division two Americans are in the hunt for gold in one of the most competitive weight classes in the entire championships. Shane Nutt is nominated 2nd at 818kg while his newfound rival Peyton Johnson is nominated 5th at 812.5. This duel promises to be all the more exciting as they have to battle 6 other podium contenders. The fates of 83kg Connor Heim and Alex Sydor are equally uncertain. Connor is nominated 6th at 743kg, 22kg shy of the first, while Alex is nominated 11th at 722kg with an artificially low total due to illness at Nationals this year. Their division, which features 28 competitors, contains 17 men at 700kg or better and promises to be an absolute dogfight that will come down to the slimmest of margins. Lastly, Paul Harayo (120kg) is nominated in 7th, but only 15.5kg from making the podium. Paul’s training has been on fire and he looks more than up for the challenge.

The Sub-Junior Men have strong contenders starting with Daniel Harris (66kg) nominated 2nd in his division by just 5kg at 527.5kg. Jack Reynolds and Nicolas Gaines are nominated 1-2 in the 74kg class at 612kg and 611.5kg respectively, set to write the next chapter of their rivalry that sparked at Nationals in June. Joseph Tyler (83kg) and Trevor Klein (120kg) are both nominated in 3rd at 663.5kg and 692.5kg respectively, setting some thrilling podium battles. Lastly, James Kellerman (105kg) is a potential dark-horse nominated in 4th with a 672.5kg total achieved way back in March to win High School Nationals. Since then he’s won the Sub-Junior Bench Press World Championships in South Africa and has had plenty of time to add kilos to his total.

On the Women’s side, the Juniors will face some tough competition at these World Championships. One of the the most anticipated duels will be in the 63kg class between Daisy Arreola Garcia and Joy Rindfleisch. These two will face off once again after going head to head at Nationals that came down to final attempts. Daisy is nominated in 7th at 445.5kg while Joy sits in 9th at 433.5. Daisy has chosen the strategic path of keeping her training hidden, making her progress harder to gauge, while Joy, the youngest Junior in the field, has been posting near weekly PRs on social media, showing that a bench World Record and a podium finish could be within reach. Carolyn Connor (69kg) is another American favorite that has been hitting substantial PRs in training. She’ll also be fighting for a podium spot, nominated in 4th at 470.5kg. Powerlifting America’s two best prospects for the podium, however, are Jessica Kinney (76kg) nominated in 2nd at 525.5kg and Antara Jackson (84kg) sitting in 3rd at 480kg.

The Sub-Juniors feature several rising stars. Jessica Haggerty (52kg) and Eleni Guerrera (57kg) are both nominated in 2nd at 327.5kg and 375kg, trailing by only 5kg and 4kg respectively. Haggerty will need a big subtotal to force her opponents to load something out of reach on deadlift while Eleni, who has looked unstoppable in training, will most likely be in a position to pull for the win and deadlift World Record. Eleni recently joined the Powerlifting America Podcast, listen to her interview here.

The +84kg Classic Sub-Juniors mimic the Equipped with two Americans, Chealsea Enemor and Luella Bowden battling for podium spots against Chinese Taipei. This time, however, the Americans are nominated 1 and 2 with Chealsea at 540kg and Luella at 530kg. But these nominations are misleading, as Luella Bowden was able to add 52.5kg to her total very recently at the NAPF Regional Championships where she broke the Junior and Sub-Junior squat World Record. Bowden nearly took the bench record as well, narrowly missing 122.5kg on her third.  Enemor has been steadily improving as well, with a historically stronger bench and deadlift than Bowden, which means that both women will have to go 9/9 without leaving any kilos on the table if they want to win gold. Chealsea was on the Powerlifting America Podcast recently, listen to her interview here.

Finally, it would be wrong not to mention 16 year old superstar Sub-Junior Eva Polini (63kg) who is competing in both Equipped and Classic. Eva is the youngest lifter on the Powerlifting America team, but has international experience after competing at Sub-Junior Worlds last year in Turkey. She’s nominated in 6th in Equipped and 5th in Classic, only 2.5kg away from making the podium in Classic.

Powerlifting America will have a media team in Romania doing press conferences, interviews, behind the scenes coverage and more. Subscribe on YouTube and follow on Instagram @powerlifting_america so you don’t miss anything.

Check out the latest episode of Monday Night Live for more analysis on the Sub-Junior and Junior World Championships.

Click here for the full competition schedule and live broadcast links.

Equipped Women

Juniors

Jasmine Barlow, 43kg, Nominated Total 212.5kg

Lola Cheramie, 52kg, Nominated Total 312.5kg

Bella Vargas, 57kg, Nominated Total 487.5kg

Karen Nguyen, 57kg, Nominated Total 335kg

Kasee Sketoe, 69kg, Nominated Total 437.5kg

Aeryn Anderson, 69kg, Nominated Total 360kg

Haileigh Lupo, 76kg, Nominated Total 422.5kg

Equipped Women 

Sub-Juniors

Natalie Estrada, 43kg, Nominated Total 265kg

Jayla Johnson, 47kg, Nominated Total 312.5kg

Gracie Cassidy, 57kg, Nominated Total 352.5kg

Eva Polini, 63kg, Nominated Total 385kg

Katherine Cargill, 69kg, Nominated Total 452.5

Vanessa Chavira, 76kg, Nominated Total 410kg

MacKenzie Wells, 84kg, Nominated Total 435kg

Daige Love, +84kg, Nominated Total 510kg

Mikayla Forsythe, +84kg, Nominated Total 490kg

Equipped Men

Juniors

Landon Diepenbrock, 66kg, Nominated Total 557.5kg

Jacob Pennington, 74kg, Nominated Total 620kg

Chase Lawton, 105kg, Nominated Total 815kg

Bailey McKenzie, 105kg, Nominated Total 640kg

Chandler Loescher, 120kg, Nominated Total 792.5kg

Luke Mellon, +120kg, Nominated Total 832.5kg

Equipped Men

Sub-Juniors

Jonathan Bacerril, 53kg, Nominated Total 465kg

John Sylvera, 59kg, Nominated Total 460kg

Nicolas Calidonia, 59kg, Nominated Total 440kg

Lawson Lilo, 74kg, Nominated Total 620kg

Levi Cowart, 93kg, Nominated Total 645kg

Ariyo Sanyaolu, 105kg, Nominated Total 727.5kg

Cael McDaniel, 120kg, Nominated Total 717.5kg

Kellen Meyers, +120kg, Nominated Total 720kg

Classic Women

Juniors

Kelsey Scannevin, 57kg, Nominated Total 365kg

Daisy Arreola Garcia, 63kg, Nominated Total 445.5kg

Joy Rindfleisch, 63kg, Nominated Total 433.5kg

Carolyn Connor, 69kg, Nominated Total 470.5kg

Jessica Kinney, 76kg, Nominated Total 525.5kg

Antara Jackson, 84kg, Nominated Total 480kg

Classic Women

Sub-Juniors

Trinity Klinger, 43kg, Nominated Total 182.5kg

Jessica Haggerty, 52kg, Nominated Total 327.5kg

Eleni Guerrera, 57kg, Nominated Total 375kg

Eva Polini, 63kg, Nominated Total 340kg

Amelia Gercken, 76kg, Nominated Total 332.5kg

Mikayla Vonangen, 84kg, Nominated Total 365kg

Olshanksky Rachel 84kg, Nominated Total 350kg

Chealsea Enamor, +84kg, Nominated Total 540kg

Luella Bowden, +84kg, Nominated Total 530kg

Classic Men

Juniors

Bodie LaCoe, 59kg, Nominated Total 562.5kg

Kyle Nowak, 66kg, Nominated Total 662.5kg

Connor Heim, 83kg, Nominated Total 743kg

Alex Sydor, 83kg, Nominated Total 722.5kg 

Shane Nutt, 93kg, Nominated Total 818kg

Payton Johnson, 93kg, Nominated Total 812kg

Anthony McNaughton, 105kg, Nominated Total 875kg

Paul Romar Harayo, 120kg, Nominated Total 845kg

Classic Men 

Sub-Juniors

Gavin Maag, 53kg, Nominated Total 367.5kg

Derrick Le, 53kg, Nominated Total 362.5kg

Daniel Harris, 66kg, Nominated Total 572.5kg

Jack Reynolds, 74kg, Nominated Total 612.5kg

Nicholas Gaines, 74kg, Nominated Total 611.5kg

Joseph Tyler, 83kg, Nominated Total 663.5kg

James Kellerman, 105kg, Nominated Total 672.5kg

Trevor Klein, 120kg, Nominated Total 692.5kg

Written by Julia Williams

Research by Mike Gold

Julia Williams is a powerlifting athlete, coach, referee, and producer on the media team at Powerlifting America.

Follow Julia on Instagram.

Mike Gold is a powerlifting athlete, coach, podcast host and contributor on the media team at Powerlifting America.

Follow Mike on Instagram.

National Team News, News

Powerlifting America Brings Record-Breaking Team to the North American Championships

Posted on by Amy Hutchison

Powerlifting America is raising the standard at the 2023 North American Regional Powerlifting Championships starting August 8th. This year’s team boasts 104 lifters across all age divisions, raw and equipped, including 17 former World Champions. This will be the biggest North American Championships ever, with 286 athletes from 14 countries.

The standard of competition has been rising every year at the NAPF. Since the North American Championships are an international competition sanctioned under the IPF, both North American Records and World Records will be fair game. With such a stacked National Team, it will be exciting to see how many World Records are broken.

All eyes will be on the return of Ray Williams in the +120kg class, one of the greatest superstars the sport has ever seen. Training appears to be going well for Ray, judging by the little footage posted on his social media. He might be poised to put on a show in the Cayman Islands, push his squat World Record, and make a case for wild card consideration for Sheffield 24. He will have legendary game day coach Sioux-z Hartwig Gary by his side.

Jonathan Garcia is another US athlete who might be attempting a squat World Record. Jonathan is the 2022 66kg Classic Open World’s silver medalist. He will be looking to make a statement in the 66kg class, which was much more competitive at the World Championships this year. 

One of the most anticipated clashes of the competition will be a rematch from the 2023 Powerlifting America Classic Open Nationals between reigning 120kg National Champion Tristan Nazelrod and the legendary Mike Tuchscherer. Both will also have to deal with strong competition from Canada (Bryce Krawczyk) and Belize (Kaylon Cadle-Godoy), with all four lifters nominated within 20kg of each other.

In the Women’s Classic Open division, perhaps the most exciting matchup is in the 76kg class between American star Claire Zai, who is moving up from the 69kg class, and the defending North American Champions Sami DePass (2022 76kg NAPF Champion) from Jamaica, and Christine Castro (2022 69kg NAPF Champion) from Canada. Claire was recently on Monday Night Live, where she gave a few hints at where her lifts might be just a week out from the competition.

We expect to see dominant performances from 63kg Julia Williams and +84kg Sub-Junior phenom Luella Bowden. Luella is lifting in the Open division but will turn around and compete at the Sub-Junior World Championships only two weeks later in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Luella has the potential to break several World Records depending on whether she decides to go all out or not.

These North American Championships will also see the international platform return of the legendary Sioux-z Hartwig-Gary. She will most likely add even more accolades to her already unparalleled resume, but this time in the 57kg M2 class.

Reigning World Champion Layne Norton (93kg M1) will be in a three-way battle with fellow American Michael Garozzo and Mexico’s Gabriel Garcia, both of whom pushed Layne to the wire in head-to-head clashes in the past 12 months. Sparks will definitely fly with all three of these world class athletes on the same platform.

For solo performances amongst the Masters, look out for Melissa Copeland (+84kg M1) and Alexa Sperske (69kg M1) who are both nominated in first place by a considerable margin, giving them the freedom to have huge performances. M4 John LaFlamme will be making his international debut for Powerlifting America in the 83kg class after successfully pulling a record shattering 230.5kg (508lbs) deadlift at Powerlifting America Nationals in Scottsdale. Dora Justice (57kg M3), Carlos Lewis (74kg M3) and Dale Garlitz (74kg M4) will also be looking to break World Records.

The Powerlifting America team also includes 2022 Masters World Champions Lily Jackson (M2 +84kg), Vicki Brackett (M3 +84kg), Sam Felts (M4 59kg), Gale Williams (M4 69kg) from the classic division, and Steve Mann (M1 120+kg) from the equipped division.

Powerlifting America will have a media team on the ground. Subscribe on YouTube and follow on Instagram @powerlifting_america so you don’t miss anything.

Click here for the full NAPF competition schedule

Team Stats: 

104 Competitors
10 World Record Holders
14 World Records
17 Former World Champions
27 Podium Finishers at World Championships

Classic Men
Open

Dalton LaCoe, 59kg, Nominated Total 587.5kg
Jonathan Garcia, 66kg, Nominated Total 682.5kg
Mario Leos, 66kg, Nominated Total 540kg
Nicholas Farison, 74kg, Nominated Total 665kg
Tristan Nazelrod, 120kg, Nominated Total 907.5kg
Mike Tuscherer, 120 kg, Nominated Total 887.5kg
Ray Williams, +120, Nominated Total 1000kg
Jonathan Avril, +120kg, Nominated Total 907.5kg

Classic Men
Sub-Juniors

Tylor Reed Fuenger, 59kg, Nominated Total 467.5kg
James Castillo, 59 kg, Nominated Total 455kg
Nabeel Rifai, 74 kg, Nominated Total 552.5kg
Keegan Bucci, 83kg, Nominated Total 602.5kg
Broc Nye, 93kg, Nominated Total 595kg
David Syrotchen, 93kg, Nominated Total 577.5kg
Cole Schirg, 105kg, Nominated Total 635kg
Brayden Coy, 105kg, Nominated Total 615kg

Classic Men
Juniors

Nolan Coglianese, 74kg, Nominated Total 515kg
Dafydd Herico, 83kg, Nominated Total 645kg
Evan Gonsorcik, 83kg, Nominated Total 605kg
Philip Truong, 93kg, Nominated Total 732.5kg
Cameron “Tank” Lunsford, 93kg, Nominated Total 712.5kg
Nicholas Schzure, 105kg, Nominated Total 707.5kg
Trey Forrest, +120kg, Nominated Total 730kg

Classic Men
Masters I

Huaiyu Tan, 66kg, Nominated Total 492.5kg
Jonathan “Mike” Losa, 83kg, Nominated Total 695.5kg
Todd Straub, 83kg, Nominated Total 677.5kg
Layne Norton, 93kg, Nominated Total 757.5kg
Michael Garrozzo, 93kg, Nominated Total 755kg
Kenneth Cameron, 120kg, Nominated Total 760kg
Michael Jean, Sr., +120kg, Nominated Total 727.5kg

Classic Men
Masters II

Brian Mott, 74kg, Nominated Total 340kg
Ed Ruland, 93kg, Nominated Total 642.5kg
Richard Acosta, 120kg, Nominated Total 522.5kg
Keith Carlascio, 120kg, Nominated Total 502.5kg

Classic Men
Masters III

George Kern, 66kg, Nominated Total 377.5kg
Carlos Lewis, 74kg, Nominated Total 545.5kg

Classic Men
Masters IV

Sam Felts, 59kg, Nominated Total 332.5kg
Dale Garlitz, 74kg, Nominated Total 447.5kg
John LaFlamme, 83kg, Nominated Total 526.5kg
Michael Dollard, 105kg, Nominated Total 375kg
Mack Hodges, 120kg, Nominated Total 455kg

Classic Women
Open

Kaye Johnson, 57kg, Nominated Total 390kg
Julia Williams, 63kg, Nominated Total 455kg
Claire Zai, 76kg, Nominated Total 507.5kg
Michelle Robbins, 84kg, Nominated Total 522.5kg
Aliza Tessler, 84kg, Nominated Total 485kg
Luella Bowden, +84kg, Nominated Total 530kg
Marisa Ruland, +84kg, Nominated Total 490kg

Classic Women
Sub-Juniors

Emma Klime, 52kg, Nominated Total 247.5kg
Kenedee Rowen, 63kg, Nominated Total 347.5kg
Ava Lacasse, 69kg, Nominated Total 302.5kg
Sarah Rogers, 76kg, Nominated Total 302.5kg
Shanti Khalsa, 84kg, Nominated Total 350kg
Kaylee Mann, +84kg, Nominated Total 375kg

Classic Women
Juniors

Lily Falcone, 47kg, Nominated Total 270kg
Ayana Rivera, 47kg, Nominated Total 242.5kg
Blair Dunn, 57kg, Nominated Total 337.5kg
August Reeves, 69kg, Nominated Total 295kg
Jessica Phares, 76kg, Nominated Total 327.5kg
Sara Roden, 76kg, Nominated Total 322.5kg

Classic Women
Masters 1

Kelly Tonini, 57kg, Nominated Total 322.5kg
Nimisha Mitha, 63kg, Nominated Total 230kg
Alexa Sperske, 69kg, Nominated Total 420kg
Dana Manning, 69kg, Nominated Total 297.5kg
Clair Crawford, 76kg, Nominated Total 297.5kg
Rachael Diehl, 84kg, Nominated Total 345kg
Melissa Copeland, +84kg, Nominated Total 560kg
Rebecca Rutkoski, +84kg, Nominated Total 397.5kg

Classic Women
Masters 2

Melissa Forbis, 52kg, Nominated Total 272.5kg
Sioux-z Hartwig-Gary, 57kg, Nominated Total 305kg
Michelle Carlascio, 63kg, Nominated Total 237.5kg
Claudia Nagata, 69kg, Nominated Total 75kg
Joah Iannotta, 76kg, Nominated Total 444.5kg
Cindy Line, 76kg, Nominated Total 387.5kg
Lilyan Jackson, +84kg, Nominated Total 482.5kg

Classic Women
Masters 3

Dora Justice, 57kg, Nominated Total 267.5kg
Lorraine Efron, 57kg, Nominated Total 230kg
Vicki Brackett, +84kg, Nominated Total 363kg

Classic Women
Masters 4

Gale Williams, 69kg, Nominated Total 288.5kg

Equipped Men
Open

Nelson Martinez, 105kg, Nominated Total 880kg
Pete Nees, 105kg, Nominated Total 802.5kg
Mark Leebrick, 120, Nominated Total 802.5kg
Eddie Mends, 120kg, Nominated Total 617.5kg

Equipped Men
Sub-Juniors

Bryce Toups, 66kg, Nominated Total 465kg
Beau Perrilloux, 74kg, Nominated Total 542.5kg

Equipped Men
Juniors

Kiel Oalmann, 105kg, Nominated Total 560kg

Equipped Men
Masters 1

Steve Mann, +120kg, Nominated Total 992.5kg

Equipped Men
Masters 3

Michael Rodriguez, 74kg, Nominated Total 540kg
Thomas Cencich, 93kg, Nominated Total 587.5kg

Equipped Women
Open

Juanita Najera, 52kg, Nominated Total 332.5kg
Anna Gonzalez, 52kg, Nominated Total 332.5kg
Casey Hill, 57kg, Nominated Total 412.5kg
Naomi Lukas, 63kg, Nominated Total 310kg
Jenna Austin, 84kg, Nominated Total 385kg

Equipped Women
Sub-Juniors

Caroline Lagarde, 52kg, Nominated Total 325kg
Camille Crutcher, 52kg, Nominated Total 302.5kg
Brooklyn Mazzuca, 57kg, Nominated Total 350kg
Lila Cooper, 57kg, Nominated Total 350kg
Isabel Olivarez, 63kg, Nominated Total 380kg
Celeste Godinez, 69kg, Nominated Total 367.5kg
Malaya Mitchell, 76kg, Nominated Total 372.5kg
Cali Cefalu, 76kg, Nominated Total 365kg
Taylor Durham, 84kg, Nominated Total 360kg

Equipped Women
Masters 2

Claudia Nagata, 69kg, Nominated Total 75kg
Michal Harris, 84kg, Nominated Total 252.5kg

Written by Amy Hutchinson and Julia Williams.
Research by Amy Hutchinson.

Amy Hutchinson is a powerlifting athlete, referee, and contributor to the media team at Powerlifting America. Follow Amy on Instagram.

Julia Williams is a powerlifting athlete, coach, referee, and producer for the media team at Powerlifting America. Follow Julia on Instagram.

News, Podcast News

High School National Champion Eleni Guerrera Shares Her Story

Posted on by Julia Williams

Rising star Eleni Guerrera recently joined the Powerlifting America podcast as she preps for the Sub-Junior World Championships in Romania on August 28, where it looks like she’ll be in a heated three-way battle for the gold medal. Eleni is the reigning 57kg High School National Champion and Best Lifter. She totaled 375kg, the best total of all 57kg Juniors and Sub-Juniors. She scored 90.87 IPF GL points, the second highest among all Sub-Juniors in Powerlifting America this year.

Eleni talks about her performance at High School Nationals, her thoughts on the Classic Open World Championships in Malta (which she watched carefully), her goals for the upcoming Sub-Junior World Championships in Romania, and how she overcame numerous setbacks in her life and lifting career to become a world-class powerlifter in the span of just a few years.

Since her first meet in 2022 at the age of 16, Eleni has managed to add 50kg (110lbs) to her total on the way to achieving one of the highest DOTS scores of any Junior or Sub-Junior lifter in Powerlifting America this year. She did this despite severely injuring her back six weeks prior to High School Nationals. Eleni explains that her success was due to her ability to reframe her injury as a challenge rather than a setback, demonstrating the athletes’ mental strength at the sport’s pinnacle. Her lifts in training leading up to Sub-Junior Worlds in Romania have been on another level from her impressive showings in competition. Eleni credited this rapid improvement to her coach, Vin Mangione, whom she hired after Nationals. She then goes on to discuss the Classic Open World Championships in Malta this year, giving some expert analysis of everything from attempt selection and judging to where the sport could be headed in the future. She also mentioned who she was most excited to watch, including Natalie Richards, Jessica Espinal, Meg Scanlon, and many more.

Eleni speaks about her softball and tennis background and how she found a passion for lifting after her softball team split apart. She also touched on her ambitions to work in the medical field and how it was sometimes a challenge to balance her athletic and academic pursuits. Eleni was greatly affected by the pandemic in 2020, a fate common to her peers, but she found a renewed sense of purpose in lifting. She explains that after getting into running as a means to relieve stress, she realized she had developed an unhealthy body image and turned to lifting to improve her physical and mental health. Her inspiring account of these challenges demonstrates why powerlifting is meaningful to so many athletes beyond just the love of the sport.

Eleni has already left her mark on powerlifting during her short but eventful high school career and will only continue to push boundaries in the 57kg class. Hear her story in her own words here:

High School Nationals will be in New Orleans in 2024, registration is open.

Support Eleni by following her on Instagram @elenilifts57.

To see this and other episodes of the Powerlifting America Podcast subscribe on YouTube and Spotify and follow us on Instagram @powerlifting_america.

Julia Williams is a powerlifting athlete, coach, referee, and producer on the media team at Powerlifting America. Follow Julia on Instagram here.

National Team News, News

2023 IPF Classic & Equipped Bench Worlds Team USA Recap

Posted on by Media Team

The 2023 IPF Classic & Equipped Bench Press World Championships took place in Sun City, South Africa, from May 20th to 27th, with many Powerlifting America athletes bringing back medals.


On the Men’s Raw Open team, Kaden Hush took home gold in the 120kg open class, finishing with a successful third attempt of 237.5kg (523 lbs). In the Sub-Junior class, James Kellerman put up 175kg (385 lbs) in the 105kg class to claim a first-place podium finish. Over in the Masters 1 83kg class, Jonathan Losa set a new world record bench press at 201kg (443lbs). Chris Walter (M2 – 105kg), Steve Edwards (M3 – 66kg), and James Ray (M3 – 120+ kg) also came away victorious in their respective classes with a first-place finish. On the Women’s Raw team, Sub-Junior lifter Amelia Gercken emerged victorious in the 76kg class with a 72.5kg (159lb) bench press.


Moving to the Equipped teams, 93kg open lifter Adam Momola put up 295kg (650lbs) for the gold medal, narrowly missing his third attempt of 322.5kg (710lbs). The USA was also able to grab gold in the M2 105kg class and M3 74kg class thanks to the efforts of William Thacker (252.5kg/556lbs) and Michael Rodriguez (157.5kg/347lbs), respectively.


Congratulations to all the amazing athletes who represented Powerlifting America and the USA at this annual world competition.

National Team News, News

2023 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships Team USA Recap

Posted on by Media Team

The 2023 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships took place from June 11th to 18th in Valletta, Malta. The USA dominated, earning the most gold medals for total of any nation with 6, the most medals for total overall with 11, and sweeping the team points with gold medals for both women and men. The USA also won 3 best lifter medals, with Natalie Richards winning gold, Jonathan Cayco winning silver and Amanda Lawrence winning bronze. Counting the individual events, the USA won 40 medals overall and all 16 American athletes won at least one medal.

Kicking things off on Day 1 was Men’s 59kg lifter Wascar Carpio, who made his debut on the world stage, totaling 625kg (1377lbs) to take gold. Carpio’s total was shy of the 636.5kg (1403lbs), which was 95% of Sergey Fedosienko’s 669.5kg (1475lbs) world record total, which would have gotten him an automatic Sheffield invitation. His final 272.5 (600lbs) attempt would have netted him the requisite 637.5kg (1405kg) total, but it nearly escaped his grasp.

On the same day, female lifters in the 47kg weight class, veteran Heather Connor and newcomer Jessica Espinal took center stage. In the beginning, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Connor, who was on the verge of bombing out on squats. But she overcame adversity by getting her third squat of 132.5kg (292lbs). Initially, it was called a no-lift but was overturned by the jury. Connor broke the world record deadlift on her second and third attempts, pulling herself onto the podium, getting bronze in dramatic fashion, and setting the new World Record deadlift at 200kg (441lb). Connor finished with a still very impressive 407.5kg (898lb) total, showcasing the grit and determination that has made her a legend in this sport. Espinal, on the other hand, put together a perfect performance. Espinal totaled 412.5kg (909lb) earning her the silver medal in the 47kg class. She improved her nationals performance by 4kg and put the world on notice.

In the Men’s 66kg class, Brian Le started strong, going 2 for 3 on both squat and bench. He finished with a 242.5kg (534lb) squat and a 152.5kg (336lb) bench. Le then opened deadlifts with an eyebrow-raising 300.5kg (662lb) pull, a new world record. However, he was unable to lock out his second or third attempts. In a very competitive 66kg class, Le’s 695kg (1532lb) total was still good enough for a silver medal and a podium spot at his first-ever world competition.

In the Women’s 57kg class, Natalie Richards made her debut at the international level en route to out-dueling former champion Jade Jacob to secure the gold medal and winning best overall lifter at the World Championships. Richards finished with an eye-popping 512.5kg total (1,130 lbs), which shattered the previous all-time world record total formerly held by Jacobs at the 2023 IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships. Richards’ impressive day consisted of a 180kg (396.8 lbs) squat, 107.5kg (237 lbs) bench press, and 225kg (496 lbs) deadlift.

In the Women’s 63kg class, despite being a big underdog in nominations to Italian lifters Carola Garra and Chiara Bernardi, Meghan Scanlon still managed to put up a great fight. In the squat, Scanlon finished with a solid 195kg (429lbs) putting her safely in the second place position. She had a slight hiccup on bench where she initially received only one red light for depth on her second attempt, leaving the platform only to have it overturned as she reached the back. Nevertheless, she decided to go up on her third, but ultimately still got the 127.5kg (281lbs) lift. On deadlift, Scanlon pulled 210kg (463lbs). Ultimately, Scanlon earned a well-deserved silver overall and an impressive 532.5kg (1173lbs) total against Garra’s unprecedented world record total of 557.5kg (1229lbs).  

In the Men’s 74kg class, Taylor Atwood was seeking to defend his title against the most competitive field the weight class has ever seen. The day got off to an unusual start after Atwood nearly timed out of his first squat after he was asked to rerack due to posture and was finally given the squat command with just a second remaining. His second squat was successful, but his third was turned down 2 to 1 on depth and his protests were denied. After finishing off the podium on squats, he was able to make up a lot of ground on bench with 197.5kg (435lbs), taking silver in that event. Deadlifts started out with a fast opener of 292.5kg (644lbs) followed by a smooth second of 310kg (683lbs). With just one lift to go, Atwood found himself in the lead, but only by a slim margin. After Sweden’s Carl Johansson put in a third attempt of 400kg (881lbs) as a placeholder, Atwood was forced to pull first, electing for 323kg (712lbs), a World Record. This lift was not as easy as his first two and he struggled to lock it out, eventually doing so after a monumental struggle. With a lead of just 7.5kg (16lbs), he was in a vulnerable position and unfortunately, his lift was turned down, receiving all reds and not allowing him to protest. New Zealand’s Tim Monigatti dropped his third attempt to 324kg (714lbs) and was successful, shocking the World and handing Atwood his first defeat at Worlds since 2017. But the competition was far from over. With Atwood posting a 777.5kg (1714lb) total and Monigatti sitting at 778kg (1715lbs), Johansson dropped his final attempt down to 328kg (723lbs). He easily pulled it to bring his total to 778kg (1715lbs), taking deadlift and overall gold.

In the Men’s 83kg class, Delaney Wallace entered looking to defend his 2022 World title. Despite having his third squat and second bench overturned by the jury, Wallace was able to secure a bronze medal in both events with a final squat of 295kg (650lbs) and bench of 195kg (429lbs). After Hungary’s Asein Enahoro pulled a second attempt deadlift of 370.5kg (816lbs) to Wallace’s second of 325kg (716lbs), he elected to go with 330kg (727lbs), which would put him at an 820kg (1807lb) total and forcing Enahoro to pull Enahoro having pulled his second attempt smoothly and now only needing a 10kg jump of 380.5kg (838lbs) to win, Wallace was holding his breath. Fortunately, Wallace retained his title after Enahoro was unable to get the lift successfully.

In the Women’s 69kg class, Chelsea Savit represented the United States, coming in third on nominations. After going 6 for 6 on squat and bench and taking gold on the latter with an impressive 127.5kg (281lbs) final attempt, Savit found herself just 12.5kg ahead of France’s Clara Peyraud for the final podium spot. With Peyraud having successfully pulled 222.5kg (490lbs) on her second, Savit did her best to defend her position with a 215kg (473lb) pull to put her total at 530kg (1168lbs). However, it was short-lived as Peyraud was able to successfully pull 227.5 (501lbs) for a Junior world record and third place overall, knocking Savit off the podium.

In the Women’s 76kg class, Dayna McNeal was up against a stacked class that consisted of Canada’s Jessica Buettner, Poland’s Agata Sitko, New Zealand’s Karlina Tongotea, among others. McNeal started off the day strong with a 200kg (441lb) squat. She finished with a bench press of 97.5kg (214lbs) after her 102.5kg (225lbs) third attempt was overturned. It was then that Buettner, Sitko and Tongotea began to separate themselves. McNeal turned to her strongest lift, the deadlift, to try to keep her in the mix. McNeal opened at 230kg (507lbs) and moved to 240kg (529lbs) for her second. McNeal attempted a hulking 262kg (577lb) world record attempt as her third. While it did break the ground, she was ultimately unsuccessful. In the end, McNeal ended up in fifth place with a 537.5kg (1184lb) total.

In an extremely competitive Men’s 93kg class, Jonathan Cayco and Gavin Adin came into the event under a lot of pressure. Cayco was able to go 3 for 3 on squats, securing a 300kg (661lb) third attempt. Adin, on the other hand, had his third squat overturned by the jury for depth, finishing only 10kg ahead of Cayco with 310kg (683lbs). On bench, they both ended 3 for 3, with Adin posting a 220kg (485lb) third to Cayco’s world record of 243kg (535lbs). Heading into deadlifts, Adin was still in the fight for a podium spot and Cayco was trying to remain in first. Cayco elected to open with 320kg (705) and moved to a 337.5kg (744lb) second attempt. Adin put up a 330kg (727lb) second deadlift in an attempt to get on the podium. However, Sweden’s Gustav Hedlund and Germany’s Sasha Stendebach were able to pull ahead of him. With the top 4 lifters separating themselves, Cayco decided to pull 345kg (760lbs). He was successful in doing so, setting a world record total of 888kg (1957lbs) and recapturing his world title. In the end, Adin finished the day 6 for 9 at 860kg (1895lbs) and in fifth place.

In the Women’s 84kg class, Amanda Lawrence got off to a hot start with a 249kg (548) third attempt squat, breaking her previous world record of 246.5kg (543lbs), which she set earlier this year at Sheffield. She continued to increase her lead with a 130kg (286lb) bench. After pulling her second attempt deadlift of 257.5kg (567lb) successfully, Lawrence elected to go for 267.5kg (589lbs) on her third, which would secure best lifter. However, while she got the bar above her knees, she was unable to keep her balance at the top. Lawrence finished the day with a massive 636.5kg (1403lb) total, winning her weight class by a not-even-close margin of 71.5kg (157lbs).

In the Men’s 105kg class, Michael Davis started out 3 for 3 on squats with a 317.5kg (699lb) third attempt. After putting up 217.5kg (479lbs) on his second attempt bench press, Davis elected to go for a 225kg (496lb) third attempt, but barely missed. Despite only going 2 for 3 on bench, he was able to make the podium with a silver medal. Going into deadlifts, Davis found himself in a battle against France’s Clement Corentin, Great Britain’s Abdul Maheed Sulayman and Libya’s Mohamed Abdulla Mohamed Ahmeed for a podium spot. After Sulyaman missed his opening attempt of 340kg (749lbs), Corentin and Davis both hit 330kg (727lbs) and 350kg (771lbs) on their first and second attempts. Davis loaded up 365kg (804lbs) in an attempt to knock Ahmeed off the podium. He was unsuccessful. And Ahmeed was able to pull his third successfully. Davis and Clement finished at 885kg (1951lbs), but Davis was able to secure fourth place on body weight.

In the Women’s 84+ division, Bonica Brown entered as a massive favorite. Things kicked off with an epic battle for the squat record of 280kg (617lbs). Brown chipped it with a speedy 280.5kg (618lbs) on her second attempt. Canada’s Brittany Schlater became the second lifter of the session to break it with a 281 (619lb) third attempt. Belgium’s Muluh Sonita went for a major jump of 4.5 kg to raise the record to 285.5kg (629lb). Brown then raised the record one more time by 4kg with a fast 289kg (637lb) squat to remain the world record-title holder. In the bench, Brown finished fourth with 152.5kg (336lbs). Going into deadlifts, Brown was leading with a 441.5kg (973lbs) subtotal to Schlater’s 436 (961lbs) and Sonita’s 428kg (943lbs). This lead would not last long, however, as Brown was called for soft lockout on her first attempt and had her second, which was initially a good lift but had it overturned for the same reason. Brown elected to try her opener of 240kg (529lbs). While she was able to lift it, she was again given a no-lift due to soft lockout. While not the day she was hoping for, Brown was still able to receive the squat medal.

In the Men’s 120+kg class, Jesus Olivares entered the competition coming off what is being considered one of the most dominant powerlifting performances at the Sheffield. On the squat, Olivares finished with a routine 455kg (1003lbs) on his second attempt, electing to pass up on a third. He failed his first bench of 250kg (551lbs), hitting the rack on the way up and being called for downward motion. On his second attempt, while it hit the rack once again, he stayed with it and was able to post a good lift of 250kg (551lbs). After trying and failing to lockout 267.5kg (589lbs) on his third, he still finished in second place on the lift with Algeria’s Ilyas Boughalem in first with 280kg (617lbs). Olivares elected to open with 350kg (771lbs) on deadlift, easily locking it out and moving on to a successful second of 375kg (826lbs). With very little on the line, Olivares put in 410kg (903lbs) for his third. While fast off the floor, he was unable to hold on to the bar at lockout. After everything, he still finished the day with a monstrous 1080kg (2380lbs) total to cap an incredible week for Team USA at IPF Classic Worlds.

News

2023 Powerlifting America Classic Age Division and Equipped Nationals Preview

Posted on by Media Team

The 2023 Powerlifting America Classic Age Division and Equipped National Championships are taking place in Scottsdale, Arizona, this weekend. Lifters from around the United States will be attempting to earn a spot on a US National Team for the IPF World Classic & Equipped Sub-Junior & Junior Powerlifting Championships in Romania, World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships in Mongolia, or NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championships in the Cayman Islands. For more information regarding the specific selection process for each national team, click here.

Over the next few days, some notable names in powerlifting as well as some incredibly strong up-and-comers, will be vying for one of these coveted U.S. national team spots. Some of these lifters have a clear path to worlds, while others face heated battles in the deepest talent pool yet on the national stage.

On Friday, over 120 lifters will compete across three sessions with some of the most intense showdowns of the weekend. The first Friday session starts Nationals off with a bang as the top female 63kg Junior lifters fight for a spot on the US Junior National Team in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. In session two on Friday, keep an eye out for the Male 66kg Juniors as six of the nation’s top lifters battle it out. Friday’s lifting will finish with a trifecta of action in the Female Master I 76kg and Female Master I and II 84+kg divisions.

Moving on to Saturday, session one is filled with lifters, both young and old, as we see a flurry of Sub-Junior and Master II, III, and IV lifters from a variety of weight classes competing, which goes to show that powerlifting is a sport for all ages. To close out the weekend’s raw lifting, Saturday’s 2nd session is a don’t-miss event with lifters duking it out in the heavyweight male weight classes from 83kg to 120+kg across various age divisions.

Sessions one and two on Sunday will feature a host of world champions, along with a few rising stars in the Equipped Category. Sunday’s first session features all the equipped female lifters, including some multi-time world champions and former World Games athletes looking to pave their path back to the world stage. In the Men’s Equipped category, many young upstarts are looking to make their mark by earning a spot on the Open World team.

To follow all this weekend’s action LIVE at the 2023 Powerlifting America Classic Age Division Nationals, go to https://powerlifting-america.com/live

For more insight and analysis on the specifics of these matchups and more from our experts as well as interviews with athletes competing this weekend, check out the Powerlifting America Podcast National Championship Previews on Youtube.

President's Corner

Ineligibility Violations of Article 14 in the Constitution 

Posted on by Robert Keller

Dear friends,

As this is a delicate matter, we want to provide the correct interpretation of the IPF Rule on when and how Article 14 is applied so as not to cause any misunderstanding and to be as fully transparent as possible. 

Key and important, once an athlete, coach, official, or referee participates in a Powerlifting America event, they shall be bound by all Rules and Regulations of the International Powerlifting Federation. Until this point, neither the IPF nor Powerlifting America retains no jurisdiction over anyone who is NOT currently a member.

For example, if an athlete, coach, and/or referee, while a member of Powerlifting America, takes part in a non-WADA-recognized event, they shall render themselves ineligible for (only National and International Championships only) 12 months.

Overall, the responsibility to ensure compliance rests with each individual. If you’re unsure, please email us at the PA National Office here: [email protected]

We welcome all athletes, coaches, officials, and referees from the United States to join our organization!

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