The Lowco was well-represented during the USA Weightlifting National Championship this week in Detroit, as Team Beaufort Weightlifting members CJ Cummings, Marr-Khie Desvarieux, Ian Graham and Dade Stanley took home medals in their respective weight classes. Cummings claimed his first senior National Championship while Stanley won the Junior National Championship.
Graham, lifting in the 102kg division, started things off on Monday going 6-for-6 and claiming the silver in the 16-17 age group. Graham opened with a 98kg snatch and followed with successful lifts of 103kg and 107kg to earn the bronze. The 107kg snatch bested Graham’s previous best mark by two kilograms. He continued his solid day in the clean and jerk event, posting impressive lifts of 121, 125 and 131kg to take the gold. The Beaufort High School student hit a PR with the final attempt.
Stanley enjoyed a successful afternoon on Wednesday, going 5-for-6 and taking home three gold medals and the Junior National Championship in the 89kg division. The Clemson Tiger opened the snatch portion of the day’s event with a 127kg attempt – 12 kilos higher than the next highest competitor’s third attempt – and added five kilograms on his next attempt before wrapping up the snatch with a 138kg lift. He then took all three of his clean and jerk attempts back-to-back-to-back after seeing his opener was higher than any of his competitors’ third attempt. With ease, Stanley completed the 158kg and 168kg tries, but he missed the clean while shooting for 175kg.
Desvarieux followed on the red platform, going 4-for-6 and finishing second overall in the 71kg female junior division. She opened with an 84kg snatch and followed with a successful 87kg attempt before failing to complete her third at 90. In the clean and jerk, she successfully hit lifts at 105 and 109. Her final attempt at 111 was successful but a pushout caused two judges to call it a no lift. However, her 109kg second lift was good enough to win the clean and jerk event.
The spotlight was on for Cummings as he prepared for his final event before the Olympics in Tokyo. He did not disappoint as he put on another outstanding performance going 6-for-6 and sweeping both events. In the snatch he completed lifts of 130, 135 and 140 while hitting 165, 170 and 175 in the clean and jerk.
The Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23.
By Brackin Lambert