Atchley Sets State Weightlifting Record

BY NORM BETZ –

The Mena Bearcats traveled to Alma’s Charles B. Dyer Arena Saturday to participate in the 23^rd Annual Arkansas High School Weightlifting Championships.

There were more than 400 athletes that participated in the competition from 53 schools across the state. The competition included five classifications: 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A/7A and 10 different weight classifications, from 123 pounds and below to 260 pounds and above.

Each athlete lifted in two categories: the bench press and the power clean. Those two totals, in pounds, were added together to give each lifter a total weight lifted.

Individually, Bearcat senior Shane Atchley set a new Arkansas High School State Record when he power cleaned 300 pounds in the 149-165 pound division. The next closest power clean in his weight division was 265 pounds. Just to give you an idea how impressive this is, only 10 lifters from the six weight classes above Atchley reached 300 pounds or more. Atchley finished third in his weight division with a total weight of 535 pounds.

As a team, the Bearcats finished as the 4A State Runner-Up, with a lifting total of 4,815 pounds. Dover High School finished as the 4A State Champions with a total weight of 4,880 pounds, just 65 pounds more than Mena.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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