Panthers raise the bar at second annual power lifting competition

Quinn Hagerty

He/Him

Staff Writer

11/27/23

Though campus was bone chillingly cold on Nov. 19th, things were heating up in the Hub gym! The second ever Powerlifting Competition was hosted by students Grayson Bradley and Brianna Hannigan, with the help of other campus rec staff in the gym. Covering everything from scoring, spotting, and taking pictures by the staff, the event was a well-oiled spectacle. Hannigan, who helped lead last year’s lifting competition, said the past event had an ‘electric’ atmosphere – something evident this year as well.

The competitors came from a wide range of backgrounds in regard to fitness, as each had a shared athleticism that manifested in various forms. There were people who went to the gym 6 days a week, powerlifters, body builders, those focusing on their health, and even athletes who were a bit too busy to go to the gym, but were still excited to give this event a shot – all were gathered. Some were there to set new personal records, but there were just as many who were there for the fun of the competition. The event even saw numerous non-lifting spectators who were there to support their friends and to watch the event as a whole.

The event featured 18 competitors, and was structured around three forms of lifting: Squat, bench press, and deadlift. The goal to win was to do the event with the highest weight compared to the lifter’s own body weight, in which a dot score would be tallied afterwards. Even before the competition began, there was much hype around deadlift and what numbers people would rack up. 

After a briefing of the rules, the competition got underway. Hannigan, who has previously competed in off campus weight-lifting competitions, wanted to make sure the rules reflected the welcoming atmosphere she desired for the competition. Thus, it was allowed that competitors could go back on a weight should they not meet an attempt (Such as someone failing a 200 pound bench and moving the weight to 190). The tips of the trade, per Hannigan’s advice, were to start with a weight the lifter knew they could hit, and then increase accordingly. 

During the rules explanation, the competitors were also split into two flights based on the competitors weights. One flight would go all at once, cycling from lowest weight to highest weight three times for an event. 

Benching appeared to be the hardest event for competitors across both flights, but you would not guess by the support and cheering that would thunder out after every attempt, whether it was completed or not. Despite being a competition, the atmosphere was lively and with little vitriol between competitors – it seemed everyone was focused on how they were going to do, like doing any other lift, except with a room full of others crying out their love and admiration for them.

The lift wasn’t just reserved for the competition though. As one flight was lifting, the other group gathered in another space of the gym warming up together, sharing tips on each other’s form, encouragement, and even a jar of honey (great for sugar!). Some competitors did know each other coming into the event, most did not, however still camaraderie blossomed. 

After both flights were done lifting, the final point scores were totaled, reaching these final results:

For the women, Rose Karow in third place, with a point score of 255.53, Natasha Wales in a close second place, with a point score of 255.8, and Kileigh Davis taking first, with a point score of 378.87. 
For the men, Griffin Mountcastle in third place, with a point score of 363.97, Rumi Mistry in second place, with a point score of 394.85, and Rolando Sylvain-Stott taking first, with a whopping point score of 412.33