Cyclone Boys Win Team Title At Orchard Powerlift Meet

Several state and American records were set Saturday at the Orchard AAU Powerlifting Meet, which continues to draw some of the top lifters in the state.

The OC boys claimed the team title. Individually, the Cyclones won several titles, along with setting records.

There were 80 lifters representing 13 communities and teams from around the state. Twenty-five Clearwater-Orchard Cyclone powerlifters competed in this year’s AAU Championships. These 25 lifters had an outstanding day for the home crowd. There were numerous personal bests along with Brooklynn Chipps setting school records in squat (226 lbs) and bench press (127 lbs). 

Creston Bertschinger was crowned the overall male outstanding lifter of the meet with a 6.52 strength index. Creston’s total weight lifted was 998 pounds and he weighed in at 153.0 pounds. The outstanding female lifter of the meet was world champion AAU lifter Elsie Magwire of Boyd County who lifted 821 pounds and weighed in at 137.2 pounds. 

The rest of Saturday’s outstanding field of lifters set an amazing 31 state records and 15 American records. 
After the busy day of lifting was finished, the O-C boys earned the 2017 Nebraska AAU championship, while the O-C girls team finished third. 

The top 3 boys teams were: 1st place - Clearwater-Orchard (89 points); 2nd place - Hershey (32); 3rd place - Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinhauer (19).

For the top 3 girls teams: 1st place - HTRS (47 points); 2nd place - Columbus (20); 3rd place Clearwater-Orchard (17).
The top 3 co-ed powerlifting teams were as follows: 1st place - HTRS (66 points); 2nd place - Columbus (54); 3rd place - Boyd County (22).

Clearwater-Orchard had an amazing 18 individual AAU champions: Wyatt Shabram, 77 lb youth (raw) class; Coy Wickersham, 88 lb youth (raw) class; Cash Wickersham, 97 lb youth (raw) class; Rafe Grebin, 114 lb (raw) class; Cade Mlnarik, 132 lb (raw) class; Gunnar Shabram, 148 lb youth 1 (raw) class; Tyler Bellar, 148 lb youth 2 (raw) class; Seth Lampert, 148 lb (raw) class; Creston Bertschinger, 165 lb (raw) class; Colton Thiele, 165 lb (equipped) class; Wyatt Chipps, 181 lb youth (raw) class; Jacob Long, 181 lb (raw) class; Clay Thiele, 198 lb (raw) class; Logan Mueller, 220 lb (equipped) class; Shane Van Ostrand, 242 lb (raw) class; Zane Herley, 308 lb (raw) class; Brooklynn Chipps, 198 lb (raw) class and JoBeth Humphries 220+ lb (open equipped) class. 

Three lifters won the silver medal in their weight classes: Ira Lampert, 181 lb (raw) class; Shawn Buxton, 181 lb (equipped) class; and JacKay Humphries 220+ lb (raw) class.

Houston Marino recieved a bronze medal in the 181 lb (raw) class. 

Other medalists were Tyler Wright, placing 4th in the 148 lb (raw) class and Anthony Umphress, placing 7th in the 165 lb (raw) class.

Jeff Shabram won gold in the 242 lb master (raw) bench press contest.

It was an impressive display of power Saturday as many of the Cyclone lifters increased totals and bumped up to stronger lifting clubs.

​This meet will conclude the 2017 OC Powerlifting Season .