An uplifting experience for locals at Mississauga Weightlifting event

North Bay's Melissa Ladouceur set Ontario records at a Weightlifting event in Mississauga. Photo submitted to BayToday.ca


The Sabaria Weightlifting Club of Mississauga played host to the third annual Winterlift Championship on Saturday at the Erindale Campus of the University of Toronto. The strong field of lifters included 2004 Olympians: Maryse Turcotte of Montreal, and Akos Sandor of Scarborough. Also on the list of star performers were local products Melissa Ladouceur and former Norsemen, Buck Ramsay.

Eighteen year old Melissa Ladouceur, fresh off a win at the recent Canadian Junior Championships, had another record breaking day. The young Canadore student took the 48 kilo title and upped the Ontario snatch record in that category from 57.5 kilos to 60 kilos. In the clean and jerk Ladouceur managed to hoist 72.5 kilos. Her total of 132.5 kilos is also a new Ontario record in both the junior and senior categories.

Ten lifters squared off in the 85 kilo division, but none were even close to a much improved Buck Ramsay. Ramsay broke all his personal bests by registering 132.5 kilos in the snatch and 165 kilos in the clean and jerk for a total of 297.5. Second place went to Chris Lemieux of the Norsemen club with a 237.5 total, via 100 in the snatch and 137.5 in the clean and jerk.

Ramsay, now trains and competes for the Sabaria team, under Olympic team coach Steve Sandor. The twenty two year old, U of Toronto student aims at medaling, or possibly winning the Canadian title, at the 2005 National Seniors set for Regina in May. Within the qualifying period to date he has posted the highest total of any 85 kilo lifter in the country.

Alex Gale of the Norsemen club placed first in the men’s 51 kilo class with a new club record total of 117.5. In the 69 kilo class, Norsemen Al Pilon and Dan Harling were second and third respectively. Pilon snatched 90 and clean and jerked 115, Harling did 90 and 105. Meanwhile Glenn Ogletree was third in the 77 kilo class with 90 and 115. In the 94 kilo class Greg Richardson, lifting in only his second contest, posted a respectable 165 kilo total for 6th place. Another former Norsemen, Richard Found, was the runner-up at 94 kilos. Rounding out the Norsemen lineup was fifteen year old Kirt Trahan. Trahan weighed in at 98 kilos and finished 5th in the 105 kilo and under division. He set personal bests of 77.5 in the snatch and 102.5 in the clean and jerk and was one of the only athletes on the day to make all six of his attempts.

Kayla Turner of the North Bay Valkyries joined teammate Ladouceur as a weight division champion. Lifting in the 58 kilo class the sixteen year old Widdifield student hoisted a personal best snatch of 55 kilos, followed by a clean and jerk of 62.5 kilos. Her total of 117.5 was 5 kilos more than she made in winning bronze at the recent Canadian Juniors. Samantha Scully placed second in the same class with a 95 kilo total. An additional second was taken by Valkyrie Sarah Harling in the 69 kilo class. Harling totaled 107.5 by way of a 50 kilo snatch and a 57.5 kilo clean and jerk.

Akos Sandor was the top senior (over 20) male lifter by formula, followed by Buck Ramsay. Maryse Turcotte, the winner of the 53 kilo class, was named the top senior female lifter. Miel McGerrigle of Toronto, the 63 kilo champion, was ranked second. The junior (under 20) female award went to Melissa Ladouceur of North Bay, while the top junior male was Oliver Jutras, a 69 kilo competitor from Montreal.

The next major competition on the Ontario weightlifting calendar is the Provincial Seniors on April 2nd in St. Thomas. The Norsemen and Valkyries have their sights set on a big medal haul and the top male and female team awards.

Submitted to BayToday.ca