Last week the Ontario Powerlifting Association held its fifth annual Provincial High School Championship at Sir Allan McNab High School in Hamilton. The contest drew 17 teams, and thanks to the efforts of Valhalla Powerlifting Club coaches, Ron Dillig, Jennifer McConnell, and Travis Feltz, some local lifters, from three schools, made the trip to compete.
The North Bay students, who all qualified at the District finals in April, had some impressive results. Indeed, they took seven medals, a best lifter award, and, the squad from St. Joseph-Scollard Hall won the 2016 OPA High School team trophy.
In the female competition, Giulia Valenti, led off for St. Joe’s by totaling 177.5 kilos for a bronze medal in the 57 kilo class. Later, her teammates, Kyrsten Beaudoin and Molly Punnett, both won gold in their respective divisions.
Beaudoin registered best marks of 97.5 kilos in the squat, 52.5 kilos in the bench, and 132.5 kilos in the deadlift, for a total of 282.5 kilos and the 84 kilo gold. Punnet’s total of 217.5 kilo was good for first in the +84 kilo category.
The outstanding lifter in the male portion of the competition was Riley Bullet of West Ferris Secondary School. Bullet, the 2016 Canadian sub- junior (18 and under) champion, put up some impressive numbers to win the 59 kilo class gold.
He squatted 157.5 kilos, bench pressed 105, and deadlifted 192.5 for an aggregate of 455 kilos. Bullett’s closest rival at 59 kilos, Beryl Christian of Westdale in Hamilton, had a total of 335 kilos.
In the next weight class up, 66 kilos, Andy Dang, of Widdifield Secondary School had a heated battle for the title with Karnvir Virdi of Stoney Creek’s Orchard Park High School. Both lifters made 142.5 kilos in the squat and 100 kilos in the bench press. In the deadlift Virdi started with 165 and Dang replied with 167.5.
On their second attempts, Virdi did 180, as did Dang. For his third and final deadlift Virdi took 190 for a success, and Dang did exactly the same weight. Both lifters finished with the same total of 432.5 kilos; however, at the early morning weigh-in Dang tipped the scales at 63.4 kilos, while Virdi was right at the 66 kilos limit. So, by virtue of bodyweight, Dang won the gold. The bronze at 66 kilos went to Tu Le of Grand River High School in Kitchener.
In the heavier male classes, Adam Wallace of West Ferris, and Brady Benoit of St. Joe’s, grabbed a pair of medals. Wallace took the bronze in the 105 kilo class with his 460 total. In the 120 kilo division, Brady Benoit finished with 587.5 kilos, by way of 205 kilos in the squat, 137.5 kilos in the bench press, and 245 kilos in the deadlift. Benoit was the silver medalist.
At the close of the contest, Riley Bullet received the best male lifter trophy, awarded to the individual with the top kilo-for kilo formula rating. The best female lifter was 57 kilo champion Jasmine Arruda of Orchard Park.
The team trophy, based on the scores of the top five medalists on a contingent, was awarded to St. Joseph-Scollard Hall. The Bears finished with two firsts, one second, and one third, for 41 points. In second place - with one first, and three seconds, for 39 points - was the team from Westdale in Hamilton.
