DAVID Barnhouse continues to dominate the weightlifting scene as he earned his second title in his weight category during the 2nd Marianas Cup on Saturday at the multi-purpose center.
Barnhouse has always impressed spectators and fellow weightlifters alike with his strength, and he remains one of the elite lifters in the 109kg weight category after pulling a total of 253 pounds to win first place.
He started the snatch event strong, lifting 111kg without struggle in his first attempt and added five more kgs (11lbs) for two flawless tries.
For his third lift, Barnhouse pushed for 121kg but failed to properly execute the attempt. His second lift of 116kg was his best lift in the snatch category.
In the clean & jerk category, Barnhouse started with 130kg and executed the motion perfectly. He then increased his weight to 137kg in his second lift and aimed to add nearly 10kg in his final attempt, but he could not maintain control. Again, his second try was his best lift of the day. With a snatch of 116 and a clean & jerk of 137, he lifted a total of 253kg to claim first place in the 109kg weight category.
His results — 116kg in snatch, 137kg in clean & jerk for a total weight of 253kg — set a new CNMI record.
Great output
Joey Calisao, the only other competitor in the 109kg weight category, had a great output as he avoided errors in his three successful lifts in snatch and clean & jerk.
Starting with 85kg, he gradually picked up his game to push 90kg and then 95kg for a perfect run in the snatch event.
He then lifted 110kg, 114kg and 120kg in the clean & jerk category for a total weight of 215kg which secured him the second place medal.
Joining the powerhouse club was Leonard Apelo who shined in the 96kg weight category.
Apelo, however, failed in his first lift of 115kg, but compensated with a successful 115kg lift in his second attempt. He tried to test his strength with 120 kg in his third lift but failed to control the end phase of the snatch.
Apelo shook off the two failed attempts and started the clean & jerk category at 145kg with success. However, increasing the weight to 150kg proved to be a challenge. Apelo failed in his second and third tries.
Even with only one lift recorded in both events, his combined weight of 260kg was impressive enough for a first place finish.
Consistency
In the 109+ weight category, Jason Limes took home the title. Although he failed to carry 100kg in his third lift, he still recorded 92kg and 97kg in the snatch category.
In clean & jerk, Limes started with 120kg and then went for 125kg. However, he could not power through his third lift of 130kg.
Still with a total weight of 222kg, Limes was undoubtedly the winner in his category.
In second place was Tristan Muna who showed consistency as he lifted 70kg, 75kg and 80kg for a flawless performance in the snatch event.
He had a similar output in the clean & jerk category, lifting 90kg, 95kg and 102kg for a total weight of 182kg.
Other winners
Joining the first place winners in the men’s division was Aaron Pamintuan in the 89kg weight category with a weight total of 186kg (81kg snatch, 105kg clean & jerk), Deion Sabino in the 81kg weight category with a total of 165kg (75kg snatch, 90kg clean & jerk), Joshua Meneses in the 73kg weight category with a total of 184kg (76kg snatch, 108kg clean & jerk), and Alberto Roberto in the 61kg weight category with a total of 145kg (65kg snatch, 80kg clean & Jerk).
For his part, Brandon Regis took second place in the 73kg weight category with a total of 160kg (67kg snatch, 93kg clean & jerk).
In addition, Meneses and Apelo, like Barnhouse, set new records for CNMI Weightlifting.
Staying active
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a lot of weightlifting events on hold, but CNMI Weightlifting’s John Davis said the weightlifters managed to stay active.
He said local weightlifters have been participating in the regional federation’s online virtual competitions.
“We don’t have a permanent national facility so our guys train at Latte Built — they really support us and we really owe them a bit of gratitude,” Davis said.
He said they will now focus on competing in the Pacific Mini Games which will be hosted by Saipan in 2022.
“We are still on the developmental stage,” he said. “The development program of the International Weightlifting Federation has donated a bunch of weights to the CNMI, but we still have no gym to train in. But the international federation has been supportive of the region and Oceania [the regional federation] has been supportive of us in general.”
He added, “Our guys work hard with what we do, and we had a big turnout with volunteers this time.”
In the first week of November, he said, international and Oceania federation officials will visit Saipan to train technical officials.
Correction
Riella Ichiuo — not Ichiro — placed second in the 76kg category competition.
The participants in the 89kg and below weight category pose with CNMI Weightlifting officials during the awards ceremony of the 2nd Marianas Cup Saturday at the multi-purpose center.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
The participants in the 96kg and above weight category pose with CNMI Weightlifting officials during the awards ceremony of the 2nd Marianas Cup Saturday at the multi-purpose center.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr
David Barnhouse successfully lifts 116kg in the snatch event of the 2nd Marianas Cup on Saturday at the multi-purpose center.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
