Athletes power up at weightlifting meet

The state high school weightlifting championships will be held today at Dover High School, beginning at 9 a.m.

Defending champions in the five classifications are Bryant (7A/6A), Nettleton (5A), Booneville (4A), Fountain Lake (3A) and Rison (2A).

Individuals in 10 weight classes will be ranked by lifts in the bench press and power clean.

One meet record was broken and two others tied last year.

Bijhon Jackson of El Dorado won the heavyweight division with a total weight of 720 pounds - 385 in the bench press and a meet-record 335 in the power clean.

Jackson, as an interior defensive lineman, helped the Wildcats win Class 6A state championships in 2011 and 2013. He will be a freshman this fall at Arkansas.

Several members of Booneville’s state championship weightlifting team last year were alsoon the school’s Class 4A state championship football team last fall, including standout senior two-way lineman Dalton Gray.

Gray finished second in the 242-pound division (660-pound total) after bench pressing 375 pounds and power cleaning 285.

The high school state weightlifting meet was the brainchild more than two decades ago of Little Rock media personality David Bazzel, who was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame this year.

At a glance WHAT State high school weightlifting championships WHEN 9 a.m. today WHERE Dover High School DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Bryant (Class 7A/6A), Nettleton (Class 5A), Booneville (Class 4A), Fountain Lake (Class 3A), Rison (Class 2A) WEIGHT CLASSES 123 pounds, 132 pounds, 148 pounds, 165 pounds, 181 pounds, 198 pounds, 220 pounds, 242 pounds, 259 pounds, heavyweight LIFTS Bench press, power clean; lifts are combined for total

Sports, Pages 27 on 04/05/2014

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