Bobcat powerlifters bring home medal haul from Lexington meet

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Three lifters from the Summerland Bobcats powerlifting team traveled to Lexington, Dec. 3, for the Lexington powerlifting Championships.

Coach Jeff Shabram said it was a large meet, with 230 lifters offering a line-up of very stiff competition.

Gavin Whiting won bronze in the 242-pound class. Connor Thomson earned the fourth-place medal in the 132-pound class. Matt Umphress finished sixth in the 165-pound class.

"With so many lifters competing, all of the weight classes had a very large number of contestants. This meant that medaling, or even finishing in the top half of your weight class, was a huge accomplishment," Shabram said.

Lexington won the co-ed, girls' and boys' divisions.

Other teams in the top five in the co-ed division included Columbus, second; Niobrara-Verdigre, third; Grand Island, fourth; and Crete, fifth.

In the girls' division, Columbus finished second; N-V, third; Grand Island, fourth; Centura, fifth; Kearney, sixth; Adams Central, seventh; North Platte, eighth; Seward, ninth and Crete, 10th.

Crete was the runner-up in the boys' division. Grand Island finished third; Columbus, fourth; Creighton Prep fifth; N-V, sixth; Summerland, seventh; North Platte, eighth; Seward, ninth and Centura, 10th.

The next powerlifting meet currently on the schedule will be the Peru State powerlifting Meet on Jan. 14. The Verdigre powerlifting Meet is Feb. 25, followed by the Class D state powerlifting meet, scheduled for March 25 at Harvard High School. The Orchard AAU powerlifting Meet is set for April 1.