On Friday we had a Controlled Competition at the Olympic Training Center Weightlifting Facility. The morning session saw a couple of lifters whom where not participating in the competition doing some training. Megan Poole lifted but I was busy so don’t remember exactly what she did. Pat Mendes came in just for this event and he Snatched up to 140 kilos and Clean & Jerked up to 170 in this morning session. Donny Shankle also worked up to some light weights in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk (exact numbers I can’t remember). Sarah Robles also worked out and just performed some light Pwr Snatches with 45 kilos and some light Clean & Jerks with 65 kilos both exercises for four sets of doubles. That was pretty much it.
Afternoon Competition
Jessica Gallagher Snatch 75 Miss, 75 Good, 80 Miss, Clean & Jerk 90 Good, 95 Good, 100 Miss, Total 170
Jessica is a tough lifter and had a very heavy week and up until yesterday was not supposed to lift in the competition but one Zygmunt over and he agreed. She is making consistent progress under Zygmunt’s program and I look for her to lift even bigger weights down the road.
Jackie Berube Snatch 84 Good, 87 Miss, 87 Miss, Clean & Jerk 100 Good, 105 Good, 111 Miss Total 189
Jackie had to go to work so she had to rush through her lifts. Jackie has been lifting for quite a while but she is all competitor. Even on her misses Jackie looked incredibly strong. She may have tweaked herself on her last clean & jerk. I hope she is alright and look forward to seeing compete down the road.
Natalie Burgener Snatch 93 Good, 96 Good, 98 Good, Clean & Jerk 100 Good, 105 Good, 110 Good Total 208 (6 for 6)
Natalie had a crazy start to the competition but she finished great. She was late for the beginning of the event due to an error in communication. So she lifted after the women’s & men’s snatch session at the very end before the clean & jerks. The wait did not effect this 2008 Olympian she handled it like the Pro she is. Natalie looks in amazing shape and it kills me that she is not allowed on this year’s World Team. It’s a technicality that she’s not and it’s wrong. Put your best athletes on your team if you want to succeed. She is one of our best and she needs to be on that team. She’ll be ready for the Trials in 2012.
Rizelyx Rivera Snatch 80 Good, 85 Good, 90 Miss, Clean & Jerk 100 Good, 105 Miss, 105 Good Total 190
Rizelyx has had a great week of training and every workout she looked better and better. The competition was good for her with only minor bumps in the road with 90 in the snatch and 105 in the clean & jerk that choked her out a little. She has earned her way on the World Team and I look forward to Coaching her in France.
Holley Mangold Snatch 105 Good, 110 Miss, 110 Miss, Clean & Jerk 135 Good, 140 Miss, 140 Miss Total 240
Holley had a tough day opening within 97% of her previous best in the Snatch. The opener looked a little shaky and the next two attempts at 110 were not that close. She is extremely strong but just needs more time spent with technical work on the start in the Snatch. The Clean & Jerk looked similar to the Snatch she opened very heavy and it was not the easiest of lifts. She then jumped up to 140 kilos and missed the Clean both times. It was just a little too heavy for her on this given day. Once she gets the technical side of lifting down look out because she is tough, strong, and hungry to succeed.
Sarah Robles Snatch 100 Good, 105 Good, 110 Good, Clean & Jerk 125 Good, 130 Good, 135 Good Total 245 (6 for 6)
Sarah and myself came into this event sticking to our game plan for the week. Her goal this week was to total 240 in her heavier session of the week. It worked out that we used this Controlled Competition as our heavy training session. Sarah looked good and sharp and nailed all six of her lifts. None of these weights where PR Attempts but that was not the goal. The goal was a sound Technical Meet after a good week of consistent training. Sarah only missed one lift in the entire week of training up here. Sarah will be ready to hit big Personal Records at the World Championships.
Pat Judge Snatch 130 Good, 140 Good, 150 Good, Clean & Jerk 180 Good, 190 Good, 200 Miss Total 340
Big Pat Judge looked good in his first meet back since his minor heart condition several months ago. Pat made all of his Snatches look routine. Likewise with his Clean & Jerks. The 200 kilos that he missed was more a lack of timing. When talking with him afterward he forgot how much the Bar flexes with 200 kilos and it threw him off. Pat hasn’t had anything more on the bar then 180 since his return. I know he will recover stronger from this situation and contend again for his National Title.
Zack Krych Snatch 145 Good, 150 Good, Pass, Clean & Jerk 190 Miss, 190 Miss, 190 Miss Total 0
Zack looked pretty smooth in the Snatches but you could tell that they were bothering his wrist. Several years ago Zack suffered a pretty devastating injury to his wrists it is a miracle that he is even able to lift let alone compete at the National Level. But the movement bothers him from time to time and this was one of those times. He passed on his third attempt. In the Clean & Jerks the Jerks just weren’t there. Zack has Cleaned 200 kilos in the training fairly recently but the Jerks due to the wrist just wasn’t working. Zack is a competitor and will be back ready to go for the Worlds.
Casey Burgener Snatch 130 Good, 140 Good, 150 Miss, Clean & Jerk 145 Good, Pass, Pass Total 285
Cassey just posted a couple of nice easy lifts to qualify for the American Open Championships. His miss at 150 was pretty close. In the Clean & Jerk he just Powered 145 and Jerked it with easy and called it a day. He is saving himself for some bigger lifts down the road.
Jarred Fleming Snatch 145 Good, 150 Miss, 153 Miss, Clean & Jerk 175, Good 180 Good, 190 Miss Total 325
Jarred looked a little tired after his opening Snatch of 145 kilos. He is extremely strong kid and just didn’t have it today. The Clean & Jerks all looked not as easy as I am used to seeing Jarred lift. The 190 was a tough Clean and just not in right position to go for the Jerk. He will be training hard for the Worlds and I know he’ll be ready for some big weights. I forget he still is only a Junior Lifter at least until January.
Donny Shankle Snatch 157 Good, 162 Miss, 162 Good, Clean & Jerk 197 Good, 202 Good, 205 Miss Total 364
Donny has become my new favorite lifter. His personality and outlook on life is very welcoming. Donny is a fighter and no one will ever say different he will go through a wall for you and will give his body up for a lift. His Snatches looked solid and I know he has more in (hopefully at the Worlds). His Clean and Jerks went smooth until 205 were the Jerks just weren’t there National Coach Zygmunt Smalcerz granted Donny a couple additional attempts at 205 & 208 but the result was the same strong Clean but the Jerk was not quite there. When Donny fully grasps the Jerk he will Clean 215 kilos.
Shane Maier Snatch 160 Good, 165 Good, 170 Good, Clean & Jerk 200 Good, 207 Good, 212 Miss Total 377 (PR Sn 170 Pr C&J 207)
Shane was one of biggest surprises of the camp and competition. Shane nailed all three Snatches finishing things off with 170 kilo and a 5 kilo PR. The Clean & Jerks looked much like the Snatches strong and powerful. Shane hit a Personal Record of 207 kilos on his second attempt. Electing to go for 212 on his third by me. He Cleaned it for Personal Record Clean but never cleared his throat and had to engage the Jerk with no air in his lungs and was going blacking out. Shane is a former D1 Thrower and has only been competitively lifting a short time. This guy is big, strong, and powerful. Once he really starts grasping the movements he will be lifting 180 +220 within the year mark my words.
Pat Mendes Snatch 170 Miss, 173 Miss, 173 Good, Clean & Jerk 200 Miss, 207 Good, 215 Miss Total 380
Pat came in last night and was only here for the weekend. I didn’t even know he was coming until he showed up in the gym this morning. Pat is extremely fast and unbelievably athletic for a big guy. He has had some injuries of late and we were eager to see his fitness level. The Snatches did not go so well he missed his first two attempts at 170 & 173 but came back to make it on his third attempt. Coach Smalcerz granted him a 4th attempt at 178 kilos and he made it and then granted a 5th attempt at 182 which he missed. Pat is talented but he needs to make lifts when they matter. When he learns that he will be a great lifter. In the Clean & Jerk was very similar to the Snatch missing his opener, jumping up and making his second attempt and then missing his third attempt. Coach Smalcerz granted two more additional attempts at 215 but the result was the same strong Clean and not so strong of a Jerk. As I said Pat is a talent, he needs to learn how to compete in a meet. Making quality attempts and building a total are going to be critical at the Pan Am Games and the Worlds for points and medals. He is young and hopefully this experience will help him in his development as a Weightlifter.
All in all, it was a good controlled competition with such high caliber of lifters. We should have something like this once a month with our top lifters. It really brings out the best in the competitors. For the Coaches it allowed us to see whom is in good physical shape and whom is in good competition shape. There is a difference. Some people had a great week of training but it didn’t show in the comp. Some had so so training but turned it on for the meet. Not everyone attempted a Personal Record but that was not the main goal of the controlled competition. It was to put athletes in a situation that would simulate the feel and emotion of a real meet. With that in mind we were able to determine a lot about these athletes. Tomorrow will be a lighter technical day and medium to heavy squats for most.