USA Weightlifting has announced the women’s and men’s team rosters for the International Weightlifting Federation Junior World Championships. Both rosters tout athletes quite familiar high-level competition success.
This will be the final gold-level qualifying event for American athletes before the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. (Read more in our explainer on Olympic qualifying for weightlifters!)
IWF Junior World Championships Rosters
The IWF Junior World Championships is scheduled to take place on March 14-24 in Bucharest, Romania. Check out the full team rosters below, which come directly from USA Weightlifting’s press release. Note: an asterisk next to an athlete’s name means reserve.
Junior World Championships Women’s Roster
| Athlete Name | BW | Hometown | Club | Coach |
| Ella Grizzle | 55kg | Severna Park, MD | Choptank | Anthony Hernandez |
| Emma Nye | 55kg | Kansas City, MO | Vero Beach Weightlifting | Brian Secrest |
| Madeline Staniszewski* | 55kg | Jupiter, FL | Vero Beach Weightlifting | Brian Secrest |
| Peyton Brown | 59kg | Peoria, AZ | Team E3 | David Brown |
| Kate Wehr | 59kg | Kutztown, PA | Garage Strength | Dane Miller |
| Juliette Chang-Fane* | 59kg | Merritt Island, FL | Vero Beach Weightlifting | Brian Secrest |
| Meaghan Strey | 64kg | Auburn, WA | Alpha Barbell | Kevin Simons |
| Kristina Robinson | 64kg | Malta, IL | Praire State Barbell | Brandon Male |
| Olivia Reeves | 71kg | Hixson, TN | Unattached | Stephan Fauer |
| Athena Schrijver | 76kg | Rohnert Park, CA | Myles Ahead Weightlifting | Freddie Myles |
| Nadeen Pierre | 76kg | Andover, MN | Union Weightlifting | Vinh Huynh |
| Avery Owens | 81kg | Fort Meade, MD | CHFP Weightlifting Club | Cara Heads Slaughter |
Junior World Championships Men’s Roster
| Athlete Name | BW | Hometown | Club | Coach |
| Hampton Morris | 61kg | Marietta, GA | ALLSOUTH Barbell | Tripp Morris |
| Carlos Millen | 61kg | Savannah, GA | Coastal Empire Weightlifting | Kerri Goodrich |
| Antwan Kilbert* | 61kg | St. Louis, MO | Lift for Life Gym | Jimmy Duke |
| Ryan Grimsland | 67kg | Lewisville, NC | Mash Mafia Weightlifting | Travis Mash |
| CJ Cummings | 73kg | Beaufort, SC | Team Divergent | Ray Jones |
| Jerome Smith | 73kg | St. Louis, MO | Lift for Life Gym | Jimmy Duke |
| Harrison Maurus | 81kg | Auburn, WA | Power and Grace Performance | Spencer Arnold |
| Nathan Cerwinske | 81kg | Mesa, AZ | Performance One Weightlifting | Joe Micela |
| Nathan Prokop | 89kg | Atherton, CA | Menlo College Weightlifting | Freddie Myles |
| Will Easley* | 89kg | Aurora, IL | Aurora Weightlifting Club | Thomas Kraus |
| Morgan McCullough | 96kg | Clemmons, NC | Mash Mafia Weightlifting | Crystal McCullough |
| Tayon Vereen | 109kg | Savannah, GA | Coastal Empire Weightlifting | Kerri Goodrich |
Conclusion
Judging by the weights these athletes have been lifting in training, the podium seems to be in reach for the USA. We look forward to some big numbers at the Junior World Championships.
Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on specific content projects.
Feature image from USA Weightlifting’s Instagram page: @usa_weightlifting