We’re less than a day away from the 10th Annual USA Powerlifting Raw National Championships. Every year, the USAPL Raw National Championships bring out the best of the best from all 50 states. Athletes who compete must qualify before doing so with a qualifying total that’s been pre-determined for each weight class.
For those interested in watching, we’ve linked the stream, full meet roster, and prime time schedule below.
- Live stream, which will begin tomorrow at 9 A.M. EST: Live Stream
- Full roster of 1,100+ athletes: Roster
- Prime time start list: Prime Time Schedule
How Has USA Improved Over the Last Four Years?
SBD-USA, recently shared an interesting article that covers the progression of USA raw powerlifters weight classes’ totals and strength increases. The sport has grown exponentially over the last four years, and so have the totals athletes continue to put up. Check out the chart SBD shared covering each gender’s weight class top three finisher’s average total progressions over the last four years.
Image courtesy of sbd-usa.com.
In their article they note, “In 2008, just 89 lifters took to the podium. Of those lifters, just 37 achieved a Wilks score of more than 400, and none hit the 475 mark. Now the standard of competition is much higher. Last year, more than 20 athletes put up a Wilks score of over 500 points.”
What’s possibly the most interesting takeaway from SBD’s article is that every weight class has improved since 2013, and the women’s weight classes have improved the most. When you consider the sport’s growth this all makes sense. First, powerlifting oriented training continues to evolve, and grow. Second, and most importantly, with more participation comes larger pools of talent, which will indefinitely push the envelope for stronger athletes and competition in each weight class.
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Who to Watch This Year
The prime time lifting schedule is reserved for the best athletes in each weight class. These athletes have some of the highest totals for their class, and we’ve included the top athlete from each class, the day they compete, and their qualifying total below.
Day 1 – 10/10
Female | Male |
Heather Connor: Female 47kg Qualifying Total: 375kg |
Dalton Lacoe: Male 53kg Qualifying Total: 518kg |
Marisa Inda: Female 52kg Qualifying Total: 430kg |
Matthew Arremony: Male 59kg Qualifying Total: 527.5kg |
Keith Mchoney: Male 66kg Qualifying Total: 677.5kg |
Day 2 – 10/11
Female | Male |
Jennifer Millican: Female 57kg Qualifying Total: 462kg |
Taylor Atwood: Male 74kg Qualifying Total: 733kg |
Day 3 – 10/12
Female | Male |
Jennifer Thompson: Female 63kg Qualifying Total: 486kg |
Russel Orhii: Male 83kg Qualifying Total: 792.5kg |
Day 4 – 10/13
Female | Male |
Kimberly Walford: Female 72kg Qualifying Total: 535.5kg |
David Ricks: Male 93kg Qualifying Total: 830kg |
Day 5 – 10/14
Female | Male |
Daniella Melo: Female 84kg Qualifying Total: 531.5kg |
Garrett Blevins: Male 105kg Qualifying Total: 885.5kg |
Bonica Lough: Female 84kg+ Qualifying Total: 647.5kg |
Day 6 – 10/15
Female | Male |
N/A | Dennis Cornelius: Male 120kg Qualifying Total: 978.5kg |
Ray Williams: Male 120kg+ Qualifying Total: 1,105kg |
Feature image screenshot from @usapowerlifting Instagram page.