This is a big file, so be patient as it loads.  I opened with 545.5, then missed a PR 606.2 on second.  I brought it down to far on my belly.  With the coaching of Big Randy Patterson (who was giving me handoffs), I came back and got 606.2 on third attempt.  This lift would give me third place in Open and second place in Submaster 308, which is just fine when you're lifting against Steve Wong.  The 606.2 ranked me high enough to earn an invite to Bench America 3.

This is also a big file, so be patient as it loads.  I opened with 600.7, then went 672.2 on second attempt.  On third I went 700.8 to place second in Open 308, first in Submaster 308, and to win the Best Lifter Award for Submaster Deadlift.  What made my pulling impressive on this day is that I was just four months out of hernia surgery.  I received one red light on the 700.8, from side judge Donna Delaree.  She said my shoulders weren't locked out.  Sorry, Donna.  Read the WABDL rules; there is NOTHING in the rules about "locking out" shoulders.  The rules state that "shoulders need to be erect, not thrust back."  In addition, the only grounds for disqualification explicitly mentioning shoulders is "failure to stand erect and achieve your normal walking posture."

Future Illini Powerlifting President Laramie McMasters was lifting at Teen 16-19 165 and went 3-for-3 on the day.  He opened with 429, then went to 485, followed by a PR 507.  Watch the determination on the 507!  It looked like he wouldn't get it more than a few inches off the floor.  Not even Gus Rethwisch, who was doing the announcing, thought he'd finish the lift.  But he kept pulling, pulling, and pulling, and the bar kept on moving all the way to lockout.  Laramie won his weight class, took the Best Lifter Award for Teen 16-19, and had the highest deadlift of any teens at the meet, including Joe Head's lifter at 220.  While Joe Head relied on trash talk to motivate his boy--"ain't nobody higher!  ain't nobody higher!"--only to see him fail with his attempt at pulling more than Laramie, Laramie, as always, let his lifting speak for him on the platform, which is as it should be.  On this day, "there wasn't anyone higher" than Laramie.  If you're looking for an example of a lifter conducting himself with class on the platform, watch this video.  Laramie sets an example all should follow.

I don't remember what Alex's first and third attempts were, but his second was good for 424.2.  This earned him 1st in Open and Junior 132, as well as Best Lifter for the Junior Division.  Alex's lifting almost made up for him annoying the heck out of me, Laramie, and Adam the rest of the weekend.  I post Alex's results here only because it was indeed notable that three of the four members of Illini Powerlifting present at Nationals took home Best Lifter Awards.  We gave Joe Head, coach of Seattle's Team Headquarters, a taste of the coming perfect storm he would face from Illinois in the next two world championships.  In 2005, Team Illinois would win the Team Championship in a three-way tie with Team Headquarters and Bull Stewart's team.  In 2006, Team Illinois would crush all opposition for the Team Championship, finishing just four points shy of a perfect score.  In 2007, I moved to Texas, where I am putting together a Lone Star army to invade the platform at WABDL Worlds 2008 in Las Vegas.