The Georgia IronDawgs, a powerlifting team based in northeast Georgia, began 2010 the way they ended 2009 — with a win.
The IronDawgs, the defending American Powerlifting Committee National champions are riding an unbeaten streak stretching back through all of 2009. Saturday, they withstood a strong challenge from the Elite Lifters team out of Gray, and took the team title at the IronDawg Record Breakers Bench Press Classic at the Moose Lodge in Bogart.
Along the way, they picked up several individual titles. Gainesville’s Tim “T” Moon had the heaviest bench of the day at 287.5 kilograms (633.8 pounds) in the Master’s Men’s 45-49 year old equipped 125 kg. (275.575 pounds) class. Moon narrowly missed 295 kilograms on a fourth attempt when he had a slight dip in his press motion and also hit the rack.
Brenau strength coach and assistant softball coach Gary Hatfield, also of Gainesville, took the Master’s Men’s 90 kilogram, 50-54 equipped class with his press of 212.5 kilograms. Clermont’s 23-year old Rene Holquin lifted and won in the junior raw, 90 kilogram class, and finished with a fourth lift of 175 kilograms
Moon’s lift was a personal record.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” he said. “That’s the most I ever held in my hands; 633, that’s real heavy. Praise God. He’s given me strength, and hopefully I can use it just to glorify Him with it. I tried 650, pushed it up, but I hit the rack coming up. I know it didn’t count, but that felt good.”
Hatfield also left satisfied.
“Much better day than I’d expected,” he said. “(I) didn’t expect to go 3-for-3 or get a record today. (I) just wanted to better what I’d been doing, and I got that on the last two attempts.”
Holquin said he was aiming for 375 as a goal for the meet, and wound up getting 385, and he was “pretty happy with that; and our team as a whole won; so I’m proud of being an IronDawg.”
“Seems like it’s getting to be a habit,” Hatfield said with a smile as he talked about the IronDawg streak.
All three men set national records in their class, and both Moon and Hatfield’s lifts would have broken the existing World United Amateur Powerlifting (WUAP) world records in their classes if the meet had been a national competition.
Clarkesville’s Joey Murphy wound up with the men’s Best Lifter trophy when he won the Master’s Men’s 40-44 year old 125 kilogram equipped class with his lift of 285 kilograms.
Other national records were set in various raw classes by the IronDawgs. Alex Castro of Turnerville took the 16-17 year old 82.5 kilogram class with his lift of 85 kilograms. Jefferson’s Chris Lower won in the 18-19 year old 125 kilogram class with a lift of 182.5 kilograms. Commerce’s Cleve Tatum won in the Open 140-plus kilogram class by benching 245 kilograms.
Dahlonega’s Eric Head fell shy of his own record in the Open 60 kilogram class, but still took home another first place plaque with a lift of 145 kilograms.