A slew of world records, three gold medals, and two Best Lifter plaques - it happened at the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) National Championships in Norfolk, Virginia for three weightlifters.
Jackson County native, Garry Glenn won his third APC National Championship and his fourth overall in the men’s 50-54 year old age class, but his first at a bodyweight of 82.5 kilos (181.8795 lbs.) after earlier claiming titles in 2004 and 2007 at 90K (198.414 lbs.).
He also won a UAPC National Title in 2005 in the 90K class. It was also Glenn’s third championship in as many months after he won a Georgia State APC Title in Athens in April; the North Georgia Championships at Gainesville High in May; and the National Title in Norfolk on Friday.
The dean of the Hall delegation at 54 years old, Glenn benched 155 kilos (341.713), which equaled his bodyweight personal record and state APC bench-only record; and also earned him the APC National Championship Best Lifter in the Master Men Bench Press Division.
It was Glenn’s first Best Lifter Award. He narrowly missed his third attempt at 160K (352.736 lbs.). The Best Lifter Awards are given out based on bodyweight, weight lifted, and age.
“The Best Lifter award was a most pleasant surprise,” Glenn said. “I’m obviously very pleased at that. When I saw the [tape] replay of my third lift, I got mad at how close I was to getting that. That’s how we are in this sport: never satisfied; but it gives me something to shoot for. We did have to wait until the end of the day Friday to lift in the bench-only division, so it was a long day, and that may have affected us benchers. I don’t think anybody got their third lift in the bench-only; but still I’m very proud of how all of us from Hall County represented our county and our state on a national stage.”
Glenn had won a world title in October of 2007 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada after undergoing prostate cancer surgery in June of 2006; and having a titanium heart stent implanted in July last year. Glenn is a former junior high wrestling and football coach at Jefferson High School.
Rising East Hall senior Tyler Brown, lifting in the men’s 16-17 year old, super heavyweight class re-set his state and national records in the squat and deadlift, while establishing World United Amateur Powerlifting (WUAP) world records in both those lifts as well as the bench press, while claiming the gold medals in both the full-power and bench-only divisions.
He also came back late in the day in the bench-only category and claimed the gold medal in that division as well; and earning the Best Lifter Award in the Teen Bench Press Category with a lift of over 314 pounds.
He tried a much heavier weight for his second and third attempts, but failed to get those.
This happened after he had already squatted 295 kilograms (650.357 lbs.); benched 182.5 kilos (402.3395 lbs); and deadlifted 215 kilos (473.989 lbs.) in the full power category.
“[I] looked pretty good,” Brown said “[I am] real proud of myself. Been a lot of hard work, and I think it paid off.”
Brown says he’s working on a 700-pound squat and a 500-pound bench in a competition environment.
The next competition for the lifters will be, July 19 at the Georgia Games at Marietta High School.
