Past Meets
MEET LOGS
Welcome to ULL Powerlifting Meet Log.
When the letters PR come up in this meet log it will mean personal record. Which in turn means that is the most that person has ever lifted.
To recap PR = Personal Record.
March 27-29,2009
Collegiate Nationals---Baton Rouge, LA
Last year was hard for the Ragin Cajuns'
powerlifters. The men's team came in second place to Louisiana Tech and
they admitted that week that beign #2 hurts.
But this year was a different story. The Ragin Cajuns Powerlifting
team didn't have to strain too hard when hoisting their National
Championship trophy last Saturday. All the heavy lifting was over.
UL smashed the competition in Baton Rouge to walk home with some
heavy duty hardware. The women's team finished 3rd in the nation while
the men outlifted everyone, good enough for a composite second place.
Below is the team president summary:
On March 29th The University of Louisiana-Lafayette Men?s and
Women?s powerlifting teams made history in Baton Rouge at the
Collegiate Powerlifting Nationals. The Men?s team claimed their first
ever National Championship on Sunday, edging out more than thirty
schools for the title. After coming in second, by one point, to
Louisiana Tech at the 2008 National Championships the men?s team went
into this meet with the one goal of winning it all.
On the first day of the three day meet, Justin Doan placed 2nd in
the 114 pound class. Chris Wright placed 3rd in the 132 class while
Demetrius Thomas placed 5th. Mike Broussard won the 148 pound class
national championship for the second year in a row, as well as the best
male lightweight lifter. Along with his individual win, Mike Broussard
broke the collegiate American bench press record with a bench of 385
pounds. Also lifting in the 148 pound class was Joshua Guillory who
came in 14th. The second day held some of the largest flights of
lifters but the ULL men were strong and made an impact.
Sam Bennett gained national champion status by winning the 165 pound
weight class. Bennett set the Teenage American Bench Press record,
Collegiate Bench press record, and Collegiate National collegiate bench
press records with a strong bench of 440 pounds. Brice Higgonbotham
also had a strong performance in the 165 weight class coming in 3rd
place. In the 181 weight class Cameron Barrilleaux placed 18th and
James Cole came in 33rd. J.P. Vincent placed 11th and Alex Thomson 13th
in the 198 weight class. Going into the last day of competition UL had
three lifters left.
The pressure was high but the men proved that they would not be
beat, with a strong final showing. Senior/Men?s team Captain; Kerry
Louque battled a tough 242 pound weight class to come out with a 3rd
place finish. Colin White and Tyler Traweek were the last lifters of
the day in the 275 pound weight class. White came in 3rd place and
Traweek came in 12th. Adam Crepelle, Billy Naquin, and Matt Whitehurst
also participated in the meet.
Other Men?s teams that placed in the top twelve were Louisiana Tech,
University of Texas- San Antonio, Army, LSU, Texas A & M, Florida
Gulf Coast University, Penn State, University of Texas, Sam Houston
State, Navy, and Kent State.
The Women?s team placed third in the nation with only six lifters
finishing the meet. Adrianne Thibodeaux placed 3rd and Terrilyn Cormier
placed 6th in the 114 pound class. In the 123 pound weight class
Elizabeth Fletcher placed 8th. Senior Women?s team Captain, Abby Holmes
finished up her collegiate powerlifting career with a 2nd place finish
in the 165 weight class.
Melissa Scott claimed the 198 pound national championship, which is
the first for a ULL woman lifter in many years. Mary Diana Bradley
placed 2nd in the 198 pound class. Ena Peebles also participated in the
meet. Coming in first place for the women?s title was LSU, second was
Texas A & M, over ULL by 2 points. Rounding out the top six were
Navy, Louisiana Tech, and Penn State.
After a short break the team will start training for next year?s meets, which include Collegiate Nationals in Orlando, Florida.
Nov. 7, 2008
2008 Collegiete CUP
Baton Rouge, LA
The defending University Cup Champions, ULL's Ragin Cajuns successfully reclaimed their title by competing against their rival LSU. The Women’s team also accomplished an amazing feat by placing 2nd in the competition. The
Men's team finished 1st for the 2nd year in a row. As a combined team the University of Louisiana at Lafayette finished the competition in first place disappointing any other teams there with hopes of taking the Cup home with them. Two of ULL Powerlifters set American records: Mike Broussard of the 148 weight class broke the Collegiate American Bench Record by benching 380 pounds surpassing the previous record of 374 pounds; Sam Bennett of the 165 weight class broke the Teenage American Bench Record by benching 420 pounds. Although the team performed extremely well at the Cup this past weekend, the team still has a lot of hard work ahead of them as they embark on the road to nationals with hope at becoming the 2009 Collegiate National Champions.
ULL WOMEN’S TEAM
105—Ena Peebles------------------3rd place
114--- Terri lyn Cormier-----------1st place
123—Adrianne Thibodeaux-----2nd place
132---Elizabeth Fletcher----------3rd place
165--Abigail Holmes---------------1st place
198—M D Bradley-----------------2nd place
198--Melissa Scott-----------------1st place
ULL MEN’S TEAM
114---Justin Doan----------------------2nd place
114—Billy Naquin----------------------1st place
132---Matt Whitehurst---------------4th place
132---Demetrius Thomas------------2nd place
132---Christopher Wright------------1st place
148---Mike Broussard-----------------1st place
148—Josh Guillory---------------------3rd place
165---Sam Bennett--------------------1st place
165---Lance Lasseigne----------------5th place
181---Brice Higginbotham-----------1st place
181---Jeff Melancon------------------2nd place
181---Josh Jumonville --------------10th place
181—Cameron Barrilleaux----------4th place
181---James Cole-----------------------7th place
198---Adam Crappel-------------------1st place
198---Alex Thompson-----------------4th place
198—JP Vincent------------------------5th place
220---Byron Savoy----------------------4th place
220---Kerry Louque--------------------1st place
220--- Shay Martin---------------------5th place
242---Colin White--------------------Bombed out
275—Tyler Traweek-------------------1st place
SHW---Hayden Godeaux------------1st place
April 10-14,2008
Collegiate Nationals---Denver, CO
On the weekend of April 10-14, the UL Lafayette Men’s Powerlifting team nearly accomplished a monumental feat at the Collegiate National Championships in Denver, Colorado. Although 45 Universities bring teams to the annual competition, Louisiana Tech has dominated the sport for the past 35 years and has placed first at the competition in 14 of the last 15 years. ULL was seeded 4th going into this competition and nobody (except us) thought we had a chance at upsetting the perennial champs with our team of mostly underclassmen. In the end, it came down to the last lift of the day and we placed second by a single heart-breaking point:
First place------La Tech--58 points
Second place--ULL--57 points
Third place-----West Point--50 points
Nearly every member of the ULL team lifted more then they had ever previously lifted during this three day competition and some lifters totaled over 200-pounds more than their previous best. It was, without a doubt, the best performance the ULL powerlifting team has ever put together and in the end, 6 men and 1 woman were named All-American for their performance. All-American status is awarded to all lifters who place in the top three of their respective weight class. ULL All-Americans are listed below:
198 pound class—Melissa Scott was our lone female All-American. Melissa, a freshman from Pineville High School, rocketed herself into third place with a massive 259-bench press.
114 pound class--Justin Doan, a 19-year old freshman from East Beauregard High School, came through with a clutch 314 pound deadlift to edge out the top-seeded West Point lifter and take first place.
123 pound class--Demetrius Thomas, a 19-year old freshman from Byrd High School in Shreveport managed to place third thanks to an incredible 380-pound squat and a 380-pound deadlift.
132 pound class--Chris Wright, a 20-year old sophomore from Abbeville High School, deadlifted a personal best of 429-pounds on his way to a third place finish.
148 pound class--Mike Broussard, a 19-year old freshman from Cecilia High School, was one of the most dominant lifters of the meet. His lifts of 479 in the squat, 347 in the bench press, and 507 in the deadlift placed him first in the Nation in the 148 class.
242 pound class--Kerry Louque, a junior from St Charles High School in LaPlace, is our team captain and the leader of the team. At the request of the coach, Kerry gained 25-pound in two months to lift two weight classes higher than he usually competes. He weighed in as the lightest person in his weight class and finished third with a 639 squat, 424 bench press, and a massive 650 pound deadlift.
275 pound class--Colin White, a 19-year old freshman from Northshore High School, came into the meet seeded fifth and nearly pulled off the upset of the meet. Colin, knowing that he had to win first place for our team to defeat La Tech, somehow totaled 164-pounds more than he ever had before. He squatted 667 pounds, bench pressed 440 pounds, and deadlifted 606 pounds to give him the lead. Just after Colin pulled 606, in the last lift of the three day competition, a lifter from the University of Florida pulled 611 pounds and placed first (over Colin) by 5-pounds. It was the most dramatic finish to a Collegiate Powerlifting meet that I had ever witnessed.
Fortunately, we kept our chins up. We were all proud of our second place finish and the best part is the fact that only one senior will be lost to graduation. All of the other 35 team members will be returning for next year’s competition which will be hosted by LSU. We will start training next week with one goal in mind…a national title in 2009!!
Results of ULL lifters
114—Adrianne Thibodeaux—4th place
165—Abby Holmes—-----------4th place
198—Melissa Scott—-----------3rd place
198—Trish Green—-------------4th place
114—Justin Doan—-------------1st place
123—Demetrius Thomas—----3rd place
132—Chris Wright—-----------3rd place
148—Mike Broussard—-------1st place
148—Jeff Melancon—----------did not place
165—Sam Benentt—------------4th place
165—Dexter Salters—----------10th place
181—Mike Melancon—--------5th place
181—Carl Landry—------------6th place
198—JP Vincent—--------------18th place
242—Kerry Louque—----------3rd place
242—Nick Mayon—------------did not place
275—Colin White—------------2nd place
March 29, 2008
Mississippi Invitational
165--Abbye Babineaux "Abbye2" squatted 205 and benched 100. She needed a 240 pull to qualify for nats but couldn't quite lock it out. Its a heartbreaker, but those sort of battles are what makes the sport so fun.
SHW--Kip Duplechine weighed in at 279 and squatted 605(team record), benched 500, and pulled 525. This gave him a HUGE PR total of 1630 (team record). Great work, Kipp. For those of you who didn't know, Kipp just turned 26 and therefore is a tad too old to compete at Nats. Nevertheless, he'll be coming along as a coach.
Great work to both ULL lifters!
March 8, 2008
Bench on the Bayou VI
Lafayette, La
Acadiana (also called Cajun Country) is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Cajun population. Lafayette, a city of over 100,000 is the heart of Acadiana and is home to one of the largest and most successful Collegiate Powerlifting programs, the Ragin Cajun powerlifting team of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
This year’s Bench on the Bayou competition was held for two reasons:
1) To showcase some of the incredibly strong athletes who reside in Acadiana in a friendly, fun, competitive atmosphere.
2) To help raise money for the Ragin Cajun powerlifting team to make the trip to the USAPL Collegiate National Championships in Denver.
I’m proud to announce that the meet was a smashing success on both accounts! The meet was held in front of the scenic Cypress Lake (commonly called “the swamp”) on the Campus of UL Lafayette and the atmosphere was only made better by great weather, a spirited crowd, and some monstrous lifts.
The meet flyers promised a 700 bench by Acadiana’s Strongest Man, Craig Stutes, and to the amazement of the spectators, Craig delivered with a strong 725! Also competing was Craig’s son, 10-year old Kade, who lifted 115-pounds and proved that he could very well grow into the next strongman of Acadiana.
The teen division was highlighted by a tight battle between three 198-pound lifters, but in the end, it was Ryan May, a senior at West Monroe High School, who won the class (as well as best lifter honors) with his 400-pound demonstration of might.
Vince Breaux is a local legend. Anyone who lifts weights in Acadiana knows about that “62-year old guy who benches a house”. Vince has been competing in bench meets since 1995 and doesn’t let his master status slow him down. In fact, he hit an all-time PR of 475!
The Open division was highlighted by two lifters, 19-year old Mike Broussard and 30-year old Lang Williamson. Mike Broussard is the most genetically gifted lifter I have ever met. With somewhat crude and sporadic training, Mike is taking the Collegiate lifting scene by storm. On this day, he weighed in at 157 (fully dressed, including work boots) and blasted up a 370 press to win best lightweight honors. Lang Williamson, who weighed in at 255, earned the best heavyweight lifter honors. Lang is coached by Vince Breaux and is making phenomenal strength gains. He put 100-pounds on his bench since October and finished with a monstrous 685 pound lift (with a close miss at 700). Rumor has it that he is training like a madman with one goal in mind…..becoming the new “Strongest Man in Acadiana”! Both Lang and Craig Stures are incredible lifters and the rivalry seems to be making both of them even stronger. Next year should prove to be a great battle between the two powerhouses!
This summary can not be complete without a huge thank you to all of our meet sponsors. First and foremost, thank you to our wonderful school, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. ULL is a fantastic learning institution and there is not a Collegiate Powerlifting team in the Nation who receives more support from their school. On this day, everything from the school facilities to the sound system was provided (free of charge) by ULL. Without their support, our team and this meet would not have been possible.
Also, thank you to Titan Support Systems, Inzer Advance Designs, APT Pro gear, AtLarge Nutrition Crain’s Muscle World, and Quest Nutrition. These well-known suppliers of powerlifting gear and supplements donated nearly $2000 in gift certificates and prizes to the athletes.
Finally, I would like to offer a huge thank you to the local businesses like Attorney Barry Domingue, Planet Nutrition, Red Lerille’s Health Club, Pop a Lock, Home Furniture, Legends Downtown, and James Pernikoff, whose generous donations are allowing us to travel with a team of 30 athletes to Denver next month. We think we have a legitimate shot at bringing the Collegiate National title home to ULL and Acadiana!!
Best Female lifter----------Adrianne Thibodeaux
Best Teen lifter-------------Brice Higginbotham
Best Master lifter----------Vince Breaux
Best Lightweight Open----Mike Broussard
Best Heavy Open----------Lang Williamson
FEMALE
123—Adrianne Thibodeaux---115-bench
198—Trish Green---------------120-bench
UNL—Melissa Scott------------150-bench
TEEN
114
Kade Stutes (10)---115-bench
123
Derek Murphy (16)---205 -bench
Justin Doan (19)------190-bench
165
Brice Higginbotham (18)---355-bench
181
Jeff Bernard (18)---380-bench
198
Ryan May (18)---400-bench
Kyle Jones (19)---380-bench
JP Vincent (18)---365-bench
275
Cody Mullen (18)---335-bench
SHW
Hayden Godeaux (18)---400-bench
MASTER
220
Vince Breaux (62)---475-bench
242
Tony Harmon (56)---275-bench
OPEN
123
Derek Murphy-----205-bench
Justin Doan---—190-bench
148
Jace Melder------255-bench
Ian Blanchard---------235-bench
Demetrius Thomas-----220-bench
165
Mike Broussard (19)----370-bench
181
Lee Deshotel----370-bench
Dexter Salters----315 -bench
Seth Bridges----255 -bench
198
Ryan May-------400 -bench
JP Vincent-------365 -bench
Jacob Whitmore----275 -bench
220
Michael Washington----425 -bench
Sam White---------275-bench
242
Ron Turner (43)----525 -bench
Cesal Wiltz----405 -bench
Nick Mayon----275 -bench
275
Lang Williamson----685 -bench
SHW
Kipp Duplechine----525-bench
Joel Whitmore (41)----455-bench
Craig Stutes-------725-bench (Guest Lifter)
See you all next year at the Bench on the Bayou VII!!
Jan. 12, 2008
2008 USAPL Louisiana State Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships
Baton Rouge, LA
165--Abbye Babineaux went 165 sq, 70 bench, and 195 DL. She will attempt to qualify again on March 29. A fine debut.
181--Trish was on fire. Her 280 squat, 160 bench, and 275 pull were all done with great form. Trish has worked hard on her form these past few months and it really payed off.
123--Demetrius dropped 11 pounds to qualify at 123 and almost mathced his old 132 total. Thanks for being a team player. I know you joined the team to pack on some mass and that you were frustrated when I asked you to lift 123. Mucho appreciation.....it'll all be worth it when you score some crucial team points at Nats. He went 320 sq, 210 bench, 340 pull, and 870 total.
148--Jeff had a great meet....finally! He hit PR's in everything (440 sq, 315 bench, 450 total, and 1205 pull). Look for him to place much higher at nats this year.
148--Mike Broussard has the potential to be another Scott Miller (dominant at the national level). With minimal training and some very loose gear, Mike won "best junior lifter" for his 465 sq, 340 bench (narrow grip), 500 pull, and 1305 total. 1400 and a gold medal is my prediction for nats!
198--Whitmore came back with style after his bomb at the Cup. He went 430 sq, 275 bench, 455 pull, and 1160 total.......for a 260 pound PR! One more meet and he should hit the QT for nats.
198--JP looked great in his debut as he squatted 440, benched 355, pulled 455, and qualified for Nats to the pound. No more pink shoes for this fella.
242--Nick also hit the QT to the pound via a 470 sq, 315 bench, and a 520 pull. Great work Nick!
Thanks for all the team members, current and alumni, who showed up to help out. This appears to be our biggest and best Ragin Cajun squad to date and I think we might even have a shot at winning Nationals. I'm pumped!
Nov. 3, 2007
2007 Collegiete CUP
Baton Rouge, LA
ULL wins! ULL wins! ULL wins!
Congratulations to the 24-lifters, the handlers, and the friends and family who showed up to help out and support the team. This was a great victory for our team and hopefully it will motivate us to train hard and make a solid showing at Nationals as well. We're big and strong....exactly what it takes to win in this game.
Incredible work, guys and gals!
114--Adrianne
SQ-255 (PR)
B-135 (PR)
Dl-260 (PR)
T-7/9 for a 650 total (PR) for first place
overall-Heckuva performance. I predict all-american status at Nationals.
165--Abby
SQ- 315 (PR)
B- 160 (PR)
Dl-330
T-9/9 for an 805 total (PR) and first place
overall-Incredible! Her best meet ever!
198--Melissa
SQ-270
B-145 RAW
Dl-300 (PR)
T-7/9 for 715 and second place
overall-pretty good job, especially considering her prehistoric gear.
114--Doan
SQ-255
B-170
Dl-285
T-4/9 for a 710 total and first place
overall-Had a very "off" day...but he's qualified!
123--Derek
SQ-330 (PR)
B-235
Dl-430
T-5/9 for a 995 total (PR) and second place
overall-Weight loss killed his bench, but he still hit a PR total thanks to an improved squat.
132--Demetrius
SQ-330
B-220
Dl-335
T-9/9 for an 885 total and second place
overall-I told Demetrius that he would need a flawless day to qualify for Nats. So, Demetrius had a 9/9 debut performance and qualified to the pound.
132--Wright
SQ-315 (PR)
B-245(PR)
Dl-405 (PR)
T-5/9 for 965 (PR)first place
overall-Wright's looking much improved since his freshman season. He left a lot on the platform yesterday, but still nailed a 50 pound PR total.
132--O'Halloran
B-275 (PR)
overall-first place and best lifter in the bench-only division
148--Gibbens
SQ-405 (PR)
B-265 (PR)
Dl-430 (PR)
T-6/8 for an 1100 total (PR)
overall-He saved the best for last. This was his best performance ever...and his last meet after 5 years with this team. Thanks for being our team leader these past 2-3 years!
148--Mike Broussard
SQ-445
B-315 RAW
Dl-455
T-5/9 for 1215 and first place
overall-A diamond in the ruff. In the name of all that is holy, can we PLEASE get this kid to train.
165--Sam Bennett
SQ-450
B-385 (PR) and a new teen American record!
Dl-430
T-5/8 for 1265 (PR) and second place
overall-For the second strait meet, he left 50+ pounds of his squat in the gym. His bench is phenomenal, but to make some noise at Nats, it'll take a little more consistency.
165--Jeff Melancon
SQ-425
B-BOMB
Dl-450
T-Jeff only made 2/9 attmepts. A new team record.
overall-Jeff continues to be a diamond in the ruff. One day, he's gonna put it together. To be honest, his openers were WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too heavy. I partially blame myself for not double-checking the openers of all younger lifters.
165--Salters
SQ-435 (PR)
B-295 (PR)
Dl-480 (PR)
T-5/9 for 1210
overall-Dexter keeps getting better. At this rate, he might just do some damage in the future. Unfortunately, that 500 pull eluded him yet again.
181--Dabadie
SQ-405
B-265
Dl-435
T-6/9 for 1105
overall-A poor meet for Ben...but he achieved his goal and defeated Gibbens by 5-pounds.
181--Carl
SQ-515 (PR)and a new team record
B-295 (PR)
Dl-500 (PR)
T-6/9 for 1310 (PR)
overall-After a terrible meet in Killeen, Carl appears to have shaken off his rookie woes. Today, he looked like a solid and technical powerlifter.
181--Mike Melancon
SQ-505 (PR) and a team record for about 2 minutes
B-365 (PR)and a new team record
Dl-535 (PR) and a new team record
T-9/9 with 4 PR's and a 1405 total (PR)
overall-This is the equivalent of pitching a no hitter in baseball. Mike's in his 5th year with the team and until today, one of his lifts always got left in the gym. It took 5 years, but he has finally grown into a top-knotch powerlifter.
198--Louque
SQ-585
B-360 (PR)
Dl-640 (PR)is a team record and #1 on our top-20 list
T-6/9 for a 1585 total (PR) and second place.
overall-brutal judging on the A-platform left Kerry with his opening squat. From there, it was all uphill. Just like at Nationals, Kerry put the up the best total of any ULL lifter....with the help of a monster third attempt DL.
198--Calvo
SQ-600 (PR)
B-480 (PR) for a team, collegiate, and junior record...as well as #1 on our top 20 list
Dl-405
T-4/9 for 1485
overall-At subtotal, Calvo was on pace to be the best lifter of the entire meet. Unfortunately, a back injury during squats left him with a token (and painful) 405 dl. Calvo will graduate now.....I wish we had just one more semester with him, but you can wish in one hand and shat in the other.
198--Whitmore
SQ-BOMB
B-265 (PR)
Dl-455 (PR) and a confirmation of his manhood!
T-BOMB
overall-Opened too high. Lesson learned.
198--King
SQ-500
B-340
Dl-510 (PR)
T-7/9 for 1350 (PR)
overall-A solid performance in his final meet. Goodbye, stringbean, you'll be missed.
220--Hutch
SQ-590 (PR)
B-385
Dl-585
T-6/9 for 1560 and first place
overall-In his senior year, Hutch is showing the consitency of a seasoned veteran.
220--Sam White
SQ-425
B-BOMB
Dl-465
T-BOMB
overall-Opened way too high on bench. Lesson learned.
242--Colin
SQ-560
B-400 (PR)
Dl-600 (PR)
T-6/8 for 1560 (PR) and second place
overall
A future superstar!!!!
275--Kipp
SQ-500
B-415
Dl-505
T-7/9 for 1420 and second place
overall-The old veteran went offshore for a year. Welcome back.
I'd also like to recognize Kirk and Chuck.
Kirk logs more selfless hours into this team than anyone...ever. His neverending commitment as president has a LOT to do with our current size and success.
Chuck retired from lifting after the 2005 Collegiates, yet he still served as our president in 05-06 and to this day, he still helps out at practices and meets. One helluva guy, that Chuck Sarver.
Aug, 2007
2007 Mississippi State Meet
, MS
123---Adrianne Thibodeaux weighed in at 119 and stormed through all three squats to finish with 235. Unfortunately, she bombed on bench Her bench shirt was throwing her to and fro. She came back and made all three deads though, finishing with 240. I still predict great things from this gal and am glad she came and got some experience at this meet.
165---Sam Bennett dropped 20-pounds since joining the team in June. He looked lean and mean today, but the reduced bodyweight only left him with a 440 squat. The good news is that he nailed a 365 bench (45-pound PR) and got the teenage American Record (385) half way up! Our stubby friend finished his day with a 420 pull and 1225 total.
181---Jacob Whitmore joined the team 3 weeks ago. We asked him to come along and help handle the lifters. On the way there, we had a great idea .....why not enter Jacob too Despite doing high-rep squats the day before and a heavy bench workout two days prior, Jacob thought it was a marvelous idea. Ironically, he weighed in at 181 on the dot and made 8 of 9 attempts with just a belt and wraps. He probably had the best form of all the rookies as he finished with lifts of 320 squat, 210 bench, 370 dead, and 900 total.
181---Dexter Saltersweighed in at a svelt 172. He looked great as he smoked all three squats (finishing with 400), but a pec injury was causing him great agony in the warm-up room so we took a token bench of 55...which he got red-lighted for Luckily, I bumped him up to 60 and he was able to get 'er done. He finished the day with a 450 pull to total 910 and squeak out a victory over Jacob.
220---Thomas Rodman is gonna be a contender in the near future. Today, in his debut meet, he insisted on squatting conservatively and finished with a strong 505. He had hoped to break my team bench record of 435, but Hoopers looooooooooong press commands left him with only 405. He finished the meet by pulling three strong and conservative deads (finishing with 565). An 8/8 day and 1475 total is a great debut.
May, 2007
2007 Biggest Bench on The River , LA
148---Jeff Melancon went 2/3 and finished with 285 (missed 300 for a PR)
181---Kyle Jones hit a PR of 315 and then missed 330 which was for the win
181---Mike Melancon hit a PR 350. By the time I walked off the stage to tell him that he could take a fourth attempt as well, he was already out of his shirt and half way through a drink
198---Kerry Louque hit 340 (20-pound PR) and barely missed 355
220---Daniel Hutchinson grinded out a heavy third attempt of 415 (13-pound PR) and then jumped to 440 on a fourth attempt to break the team record held by yours truly (the oldest record on the board). Somehow, he almost got it! It was literally 1/2 inch from lockout and Hutch grinded forever but couldn't quite finish.
242--Kirk Lavergne went 3/3 and finished with 460 (35-pound PR) in an extremely loose and worn out shirt.
April, 2007
2007 Collegiate Nationals Killeen, TX
The 4th best Men's team in the Nation....a helluva accomplishment. Congratulations to all members of the 2006-2007 Ragin Cajun Powerlifting Team!!
148---Abby Holmes
was the lone female competitor and was hoping to reclaim her All-American status. She nailed a PR squat of 264, but was called for regression on her final attempt with 286. She tapped out her bench and grinded out a PR bench of 143. She was in third place as we entered the deadlift, but her bread and butter lift just wasn't there today. She nailed her opener of 286, but subsequent attempts at 314 and 319 barely left the ground and she ultimately slipped into 4th. She finished 5/9 with a 694 total.
123---Derek Dupuis barely made weight. He finally did after spitting out the last quarter-pound and then he went on to claim All-American status and place second. He hit a PR squat of 314, but the weight loss really took its toll on the bench and left him with his opener of 231. He finished the day with a monstrous PR pull of 440 and a PR total of 986. Incredible!
123---Andrew O'Halloran was our last minute addition to the roster. He called me a month ago to inquire about the team. When he told me how much he weighed, I told him that he would be doing a qualifying meet in 5 days and then going to Nationals a few weeks later. He agreed, he learned to squat and pull in one day, and then he placed 4th at Nationals less than a month later. Thanks, Andrew! He finished with a 225 squat, a 236 bench, a 292 pull, and a 755 total. Andrew also attempted massive PR deads of 352 and 369 to jump into third place........and he actually got them above his knees!!
132---Chris Wright has only been lifting weights for a little over 2 months! He will be a top lifter at the 2008 Collegiates. This year, he gained great experience and finished with a 7/9 day and 4 PR's. He squatted 314, benched 231, pulled 369, and totalled 914. A great day and a great rookie performance.
148---Jeff Melancon is our rookie National bodybuilding champion. He's got the best abs around but his form is quite brutal. Attempts to fix his form have been frustrating and this season he saw more red lights than three regular lifters. Nevertheless, it all came together at Nationals......well, at least in the start of the meet. He nailed his first 5 lifts with perfect form and received 15 white lights. After 5 lifts, he had a PR squat of 407 and a bench of 281. Unfortunately, the old Jeff showed up at that point and the only lift that was accepted by the judges from then on was an opening pull of 380. The red-light party that occurred in the final 4 lifts caused jeff to slip into 8th place. Nevertheless, Jeff is a diamond in the rough and has all-american potential for future years.
165---Our veteran lifter, Mike Melancon, hoped for a top placing this year and allllllllllllllllmost had it. When he couldn't quite lock out his final pull of 523, he slipped from 4th to 7th place. It was a heartbreaker, but those kind of close battles are what makes the sport so fun. He squatted a PR of 457, benched a very sub-standard 319 that ultimately cost him a top placing, pulled a PR 507, and totalled a PR 1278. Mr. Melancon has one more season to get that ever-elusive All-American status and vows he will finally grow into the 181 class for his final go-round.
165---Carl Landry is strong, but Carl Landry is a rookie who made rookie mistakes and saw lots of red lights. Carl squatted a PR 418 (but was good for way more than that opening weight), benched a PR 270, pulled a PR 440 and totalled a PR 1129. He finished in 15th place and beat his nemesis, Matt Gibbens, by 5-pounds.
165---Our team president and leader, Matt Gibbens, is the unluckiest man in powerlifting...........but not this time!!! He had a GREAT day and looked like the seasoned veteran that he is. He squatted 407, benched a PR 270, pulled a PR 446, and totalled a 44-pound PR of 1124. A fine performance and a 16th place finish.
181---Ben Dabadie went 9/9 at his first Nationals. Incredible! He squatted 429, benched a PR 303, pulled a PR 446, and totalled a 34-pound PR of 1179 and finished 16th in a massive 181 class.
198---Brian Calvo, American bench record holder, has the strength of a National champion but with only 5 months of powerlifting experience, he struggled with his gear and the rules of performance. Nevertheless, even on a 4/9 day, Calvo still finished in 7th place. He squatted a PR 562, benched his opener of 424, and pulled one legal deadlift of 518. His 1504 total was disappointing to him, but he'll be back to show the collegiate powerlifting scene what he's really capable of!
198---Kerry Louque lifted incredibly!!! He is our best lifter and he looked like it too! He squatted a very explosive 50-pound PR 0f 617, benched only his opener of 319, but pulled like the deadlift phenom that he is. Kerry calmy said "load what you need to and I'll pull it". Then, without ever inquiring about what weight I called for, he marched out to the platform and hauled up a PR pull of 617 to lock in fourth place. He finished his day with a massive PR total of 1554.
220---Don King, the long and lean stringbean from Virginia, accepted the weight gain challenge and gained 20-pounds this season to grow into the 220 class. He made massive strength gains as a result and had a solid performance at his first Nationals. Weighing only 207, he squatted a PR 490, benched 336 on a do-or-bomb third attempt, pulled 485 and totalled 1306 to finish in 18th place. The 220's were a brutal weight class this year!
242---One thing that Daniel Hutchinson has proven is that he is consitent on meet day. His strength always comes to meets with him and he always nails the majority of his lifts. He missed one squat for depth and so he had to repeat it (578), he went 3/3 on the bench and finally joined the 400-club (402), and then he pulled 589 to lock in fourth place for some much-needed team points. Thanks to Hutch for gaining 10-pounds in the week before Nationals.........he ballooned up to 225 to earn a higher placing in the 242 class. His 1576 total was also a 34-pound PR.
Thanks for another successful and fun-filled season guys (and gal)!
March 17, 2007
Brother Bennet Meet ,MS
181---Yes, Bradley Burkhalter successfully dropped two weight classes in two months.......and he was so dehydrated on Friday afternoon that his face was significantly sunken in. He bulked back up to the mid 190's after weigh-in, but he was unable to qualify for nats
Squat-----330 and 355 were good......he missed 375 for moving his feet.
Bench----260 was good.......but missed his next two at 280
DL--------405 and 440 were good......but he severely hitched 465.
Total---5/9 for a 1055 total
220----Don King weighed in at a bloated 203 and then qualified for Nats with room to spare!
Squat---430, 455, and 475 were all strong and smooth!
Bench---315 was good, 330 was misgrooved, but he came back to nail 340
DL------460 was good to hit his QT, then he did 500 to break that barrier, passed on 3rd
Total--- 7/8 for a 1315
220---TRAVIS WERNER "I'm Back!!!" My horrible performance in January is now OLD NEWS!!!
This is also the first time I've lifted at 220 in 4 years.
Squat----615, 655, and 680 were all strong. 680 ties my PR.
Bench---440 was smoked. 465 was misgrooved and I had to grind it out forever (3 white lights), 475 barely left my chest though.
DL------ I nailed 500, then 555 to assure a 1700 total. Finally I grinded out 585 to finish with a PR total.
Total---8/9 with a 1730 total........this is a 25-pound PR total at 220.
(much better than my 1635 @ 242 that I did 2 months ago)
March 10, 2007
IRON LION INVITATIONAL Hammond, LA
Well, I'll be frank.......it looked like this was the first powerllifting meet that we had ever attended. Slidell high school was there and they got twice as many white lights as us. Some of us bombed, some of us ignored commands, some of us looked like we had never before worn our suits, and all of us were left shaking our heads in amazement by the end of the day.
I thought about it a lot on the ride home and here are the two variables that I think most contributed to the onslaught of red lights that we received:
1) 7 out of 10 of yesterday's lifters are in their first season and several had joined the team less than a month ago . So, hey, rookies are gonna make mistakes.
2) We gear-up for heavy singles every fourth week and we always gear-up in the last two weeks prior to a meet in order to work out any kinks and to drill the rules of performance into each other's heads. We did not do this for yesterday's meet. In fact, the program was written several months ago and there was not supposed to be an extra competition squeezed into the cycle.....it was just supposed to be a cycle for Nationals. That being said, we used it as a "training meet" instead of gearing up in the gym..........and all those kinks that normally get worked out in Olivier Hall, got worked out by way of red lights and missed attempts on the Iron Lion platform. It was an eye-opener and I'm glad we got drilled now, instead of next month in Killeen. I vow that we will look 10000% better in 5 weeks!!!!
123---Andrew O'Halloran joined the team on Sunday. He squatted and deadlifted for the first time on Sunday and then qualified for Nationals 6 days later. In his debut meet, he looked great and only missed two lifts! He finished with a 225 squat, 215 bench, 320 deadlift and 760 total.
123--Derek Dupuis,
who last competed for LSU in 2003, has returned to college after a three year lay-off. He looked GREAT and will contend for a top placing next month in Killeen. He went 8/9 and finished with a 310 squat, 245 bench (team record), 425 deadlift (team record), and 980 total.
132---Chris Wright
joined the team one month ago. In that time, he asked a zillion questions and obsessively tried to master his form and gear. It payed off.........he missed some attempts and after only registering a 300 squat and 225 bench, he looked to be in a jam. The most he had pulled in the gym was 315, but he would need 360 to qualify for Nats. Somehow, don't ask me how, he went out there and pulled it with ease! He finished with his qualifying total of 885.
165---MATT GIBBENS weighed in at 160 and looked stronger than ever! He blasted up 3 squats with ease and finished with a 35-pound PR of 420! Then he made it look like he had never worn a shirt before and missed all three benches Its the "Curse of the President". Nevetheless, with as strong as he is right now, he will be able to qualify at a last-chance-meet that will be held a week out from Nats.
165---JEFF MELANCON and I will be working together, IN GEAR, every Sunday morning between now and Nationals. Jeff broke every rule in the book.....it was incredible. He got one squat in, but bombed on bench. He's got the potential to be great, but years of bodybuiding form is hard to erase. Also, he will be back at 148 for Nats.......he was already qualified and just using this meet to practice in his gear.
181---Ben Dabadie, was already qualified at 165, but we bumped him up a weight class and needed him to requalify. He hit 5 of his first 6 lifts with style, but needed a PR deadlift of 440 to hit the QT. He grinded it out once but beat the "down" command by a millisecond. He couldn't grind it out a second time and subsequently bombed. He'll be at the qualifier meet next month and you can count on him competing at Nats. 181--Kyle Jones, In his debut meet, Kyle did bench only. He skipped the start command on his opener, but grinded out 300 on his second for three whites. He took a big jump to 330 on his final lift, but it was too much.
198---Casey Hauser, struggled in his new gear and broke some rules. He hit an opening dead to make sure he didn't bomb and then he jumped to what would be a huge PR dead of 520 in order to qualify for Nats.....I was impressed that he got it up to his knees. Unfortunately, he didn't quite hit his QT. Nevertheless, he hit a 50-pound PR total! He finished with a 435 squat, 295 bench, and 465 dead.
220---Daniel Hutchinson, had new equipment and needed to break it in. Since he hadn't competed since last year's Nationals, we threw him into this meet just to as a tune-up meet and to practice with his gear. We joked that he might bomb and that it wasn't a big deal if he did........well, we were almost right! It took 3 attempts to get his opening squat in, he only got one bench in, and then he also went 1/3 in the dead! Hutch went 3/9 and finished with a lot left in the tank. He went 575--375--550--1500. Hopefully, this meet was helpful in mastering his gear.....as Hutch is capable of 1600+.
242--Kirk Lavergne, got pushed around by his bench shirt and only got one lift in.....luckily it was good for a 1-pound PR of 425!
5 weeks out.....I hope this meet served as a valuable lesson learned.
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