ABOUT: It's always interesting to see which North Carolina lifters post the top bench, curl and total every year in 100% RAW. The 2024 write up is posted, but there are sure to be mistakes. This website also has the top 5 as well as top lifters from every year.
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TOP LIFTERS AT 2024
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WOMEN:
(105): I will make this simple. If Ashley Christiansen of Team JCC competes in the bench and curl, she will win at 114. This year Ashley did both which allowed Ashley to post the top bench for the sixth time and the top curl for the sixth time. Only four people have won more curl titles than Ashley and Ashley is younger than three of them. Winning the powerlifting title for the first time was Logan White.
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(114): Fitness Warehouse always has a lot of strong lifters. At 114 Fitness Warehouse's Allison Freeman ran the table as she would take first for the fourth time in powerlifting, first for the fourth time in the bench and first for the sixth time in the curl. More about Allison, later.
(123): The veterans dominated the first two weight classes, but at 123 it was rookie lifter Vanity Jay-Martinez of Team JCC who would end her first year ranked #1 in the state for bench and powerlifting. In the curl it was Allison Freeman who would post the top curl in her second weight class for 2024!!!
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(132): At 132 Taylor Clarke who would take home the top spot in powerlifting and the bench for the first time in both. In the curl Reagan Charlton of Fitness Warehouse took the top spot for the third year in a row. There are a lot of great curlers at 132, can Reagan make it four in a row???
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(148): Teen lifter Sofia Corridean of Fitness Warehouse had a solid run in the lower weight classes, but in 2024 she stepped up her game and earned the #1 ranking for powerlifting for the third time. What a bright future this young lady has. In the bench it was Allison Freeman who would take the top spot in her second weight class for 2024 and in the curl, Allison would also take first which means Allison had the top curl in three different weight classes which puts her total at eight. Only two lifters have more curl titles than Allison.
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(165): We saw another new face at 165 as Savannah Higgins would take the top total for the first time and the top bench for the first time, also.
(181): This is an interesting class as you have Team JCC'S Madison Berry who has posted the top total EVER (boys or girls) for a youth lifter in the world!!! Madison would easily be number one, except she has a big sister, and big sister is older and stronger (at least for now). JCC'S Mackenzie Grace Taylor would post the top total for the eleventh time which means she's tied for first and she's only a teen!!! Mackenzie would also post the top bench for the tenth time and the top curl for the fifth time, but wait...
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(181+): There were a lot of hammers in this weight class, but Savannah Bragg would post the top total by a mere five pounds to earn her first #1 ranking. In the bench Mackenzie Grace Taylor was ranked #1 for the eleventh time. Only one lifter has been ranked #1 more times in the bench, and he's older than the hills...Paul Bossi. Watch out Paul. Mackenzie was also ranked #1 in the curl for the sixth time which means only four lifters have been ranked #1 more times!!! Mackenzie is still a teen; how scary is that.
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MEN:
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(114 & 123) Domination!!! Every year there is a lifter who comes out of nowhere to dominate. In 2024 that lifter was Carter Kincaid. Carter would post the top total at 114 ever and he would come back to post the top total at 123 for the year. Carter would also post the top bench at 114 and 123. Carter didn't curl, so that left the door open for a few others to get a little glory. At 114 it was Jayden Rhodes who would finish in the top spot for the first time and at 123 it was Team JCC's Jeremiah Skinner who would take top honors. Watch out for Jeremiah, he's mighty young and mighty strong for being so young.
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(132) At 132 we saw another new face as Andrew Schwartz posted the top total and the top bench for the first time in both categories. In the curl, the legendary John Ammons would post the top lift for the 12th time which puts John at (#2) on the list for most curl titles won.
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(148) Joshua Batchel is another new name. Joshua would post the top total for the first time. In the bench Team JCC's Ben Zak would post the top bench for the eighth time and the top curl for the seventh time.
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(165 & 181) Ethan Binckley of Fitness Warehouse has always been a curling machine, but his total has been going crazy as well. In 2024 Ethan would not only post the top total for the first time at 165, he would post the top total EVER at 165. Ethan would also post the top total at 181. In the bench Ethan would take first place at 165 and 181. Now the curl is where Ethan really shines. Ethan would post the top curl at 165 and 181 which means Ethan has now been ranked #1 in the curl six times.
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(198) Ethan has a little brother named Elijah Binckley. Elijah of Currituck high school would post the top total at 198 for the first time. Ayden Horton would post the top bench for the first time and in the curl, it was Caden Pearson who would take home the curl title for the first time.
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(220) The 220 class was STACKED. Nick Grady just gets stronger and stronger. In 2024 Nick would post the top total for the third time and Nick would post the top bench for the second time. As for the curl, well that's the greatest of all time. Eight-time world champion, John Cooper, would post the top curl for the 18th (yes 18th) time. To put that in perspective, no other lifter has been ranked #1 in ANY event more than 12 times. My basic math skills tell me that John Cooper has 50% more titles than ANY other lifter in any event. Can we say, GOAT!!! John Cooper is a proud card-carrying member of Team JCC.
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(242) There is always a moment where you see an amazing teenager and you ask yourself, is he going to be amazing for today or is this the future. Meaning, will he stick with the sport. Currituck's high school's Colton Greene is an amazing young man, and I hope he sticks with the sport. Colton would post the top total at 242 for the second time and the curl for the first time. In the bench, Rickie Dozier was #1 the fourth time with a 507-pound bench!!! I admit I'm a little mad at Rickie, my good friend Ray Bery was #2 in this class, and I was hoping for the win, BUT when Rickie is in your class it's going to be a long day.
(275) Trevion Brothers was another new face for me. Trevion would make a great debut as he would post the top total for the first time. Colton Greene posted the top total and curl at 242, but he wasn't done as Colton also posted the top bench at 275. In the curl it was the always fun George Basnett of Team JCC who would post the top lift for the second consecutive year.
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(275+) Last, but definitely not least it was Dan Corridean who would post the top total for the eleventh time which puts him in a tie for placing #1 the most times. The challenge, I only keep track of 275+ (no 308 class) so Dan is going up one at a time, while his challenger Mackenzie Grace Taylor is climbing two weight classes at a time. Austin Poff put up a huge total, but he couldn't beat Dan; Austin did bounce back to post the top bench for the first time. In the curl it was the return of one of my favorite lifters; Journey Nieman who beat Barron Capps by a mere 2 pounds to earn the #1 spot. This was Jouneys second time on the list; the last time was in 2018!!!
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TOP TEENS: For the teens I want to recognize the teens that have made the list three times or more. The top teen was Mackenzie Grace Taylor who made the list for the list for the 12th time in powerlifting, the 11th time in the bench and the 8th time in the curl which are all records. Ethan Binckley is also dominating as he would post the top bench and total for the sixth time and the top curl for the seventh time. Elijah Binckley would post the top total for the fifth time, Barron Capps would post the top bench for the third time and Reagan Charlton would post the top curl for the third time.
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MASTERS: This seemed like a family affair. Winning the curl for a record 18th time was John Cooper. John's sister Jen would take top honors in the curl for the ninth time, the bench for the third time and she was the top master in powerlifting for the fourth time. The curl and powerlifting are women's records, the bench was a tie for first place with the infamous Lori Bailey. Jen's husband, Ben Zak (me) would post the top total for 13th time, the top bench for the 8th time and the top curl for the 13th time.
The infamous Daniel Corridean would post the top total for the eighth time and the top bench for the fourth time. In the bench press Ray "Coffee Bean" Berry would post the top bench for the third time and in the curl, George Basnett would post the top curl for the third time.
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GREAT JOB: To all the lifters who made the list, job well done. There were a lot of lifters who were VERY close to making the list, so job well done by them as well. There are sure to be errors, I will try to correct them as they are uncovered.
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