Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
It was a clear case of “strength in numbers” when the Aucilla Christian Academy (ACA) Warriors hosted the Warrior Invitational weightlifting meet on Wednesday, Feb. 22. In addition to ACA, competitors from Hamilton County High School, from Jasper, Fla.; Brookwood School, from Thomasville, Ga. and Eagle's View High School, from Jacksonville attended. A total of 56 young men competed in the meet. “I was especially appreciative of the level of sportsmanship on display during the competition,” said ACA Head Coach Colby Roberts. “To see so many young men cheering each other on, even from different teams, speaks highly of [the athletes] and their coaches.”
In high school weightlifting, each individual athlete is placed in a weight class, based on his body weight. In the Warrior Invitational, each athlete performed two separate lifts. The first lift is the bench press. In the bench press, the lifter is on his back, in a prone position on the weight bench. A “spotter” assists the lifter in placing the weight bar in the starting position, in the lifter's hands, arms extended. The lifter lowers the bar to his chest and then lifts the bar to the starting position, with both arms fully extended. Each lifter is allowed three lifts of progressively heavier weights. The heaviest weight successfully lifted is counted toward that lifter's total weight lifted score. The second lift is called a “power clean” lift. In this lift, the lifter lifts the bar off the ground, bringing the bar even with the shoulders. Often, the lifter will bend at the knees into a squatting position as he brings the bar to his shoulders. The lift is successfully completed when the lifter is standing upright, holding the bar at his upper chest in a line parallel with his shoulders, in a controlled manner. As with the bench press, the lifter is allowed three lifts of progressively heavier weights. The heaviest weight successfully lifted is added to the lifter's total weight lifted score. Team points are awarded for first, second and third place in each weight class; five points for first place, three points for second place and one point for third place.
In the Warrior Invitational, ACA had a team total of 42 points, for first place. Eagle's View had a team total of 17 points, for second place. Hamilton County had a team total of 16 points, for third place.