Local lifters set records

Braden Schiller
NLJ Reporter
 
Power lifters gathered to compete in the drug-tested division of the Cowboy Open at Laramie Fitness on Saturday. Five of the competitors had traveled from Newcastle: Saul Larson, Chris Hintz, Adrian Quintana, Alonzo Sandoval and Kurtis Bell. They are part of a power lifting group in Newcastle that trains together at the high school gym and competes in power lifting competitions.
The group first started training to have a positive outlet and get into better shape. As the group grew, they began attending competitions around the state and in South Dakota, setting records, all the while attracting interest in power lifting and the group’s training sessions.
“I’ve started talking to an 18-year-old kid, him and his buddy. Hopefully, they seemed pretty interested,” Bell said.
Some members of the group who did not attend the Cowboy Open will be attending another meet next month in Rapid City, South Dakota. Larson, who had attempted to squat 407 pounds in the drug-tested division, joked that he was “throwing a tantrum” and had just decided to attend the Rapid City meet as well.
The group ended their meet successfully. Larson broke both the drug-tested and non-drug-tested division state record for dead lifting. Larson had let the judges know that he was trying to break a state record and was allowed a fourth attempt, which would count for the record but not for the meet.
Larson achieved the state record for his age and weight class for the squat, bench press and dead lift and placed first overall for the 40- to 44-year-old and 220-pound class. Bell achieved the state record for the squat, bench press and dead lift for the 35-year-old and 242-pound class and placed first overall in his age and weight class. Hintz achieved the state record for the squat and dead lift in the 34-year-old and below and 275-pound age and weight class and won first overall in his age and weight class. Sandoval dead-lifted the state record in the 34-and-below and 275 pound age and weight class and  placed first in his age and weight class. Quintana placed second in the 34-year-old-and-below and 220-pound age and weight class overall.