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2025 ABOUT THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 2025 North Carolina state championships will be held on January 31st for the curl and February 1st for the rest of the events (bench, full meet, push/pull, ect.). The location will be at the always popular Jarvisburg Church of Christ. There is a link to a paper entry above and when available I will add a link to Lifting Cast for online registration (Hopefully).
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XTRAS: If you are like me, I want to know who posted the top lifts in the past. There is a link 'past champions' (above) that will tell you which lifters have the top lifts past and present. There is a link for 'Meet Records' which means the highest lifts EVER posted at the state championships (regardless of age group). Finally, there is the Woody Leonard All-Steel team which recognizes the top lifters pound per pound at the state championships in the bench, full meet and curl.
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RESULTS (2024)
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**STATE MEET RECORD: The state meet record is the highest lift, regardless of age group, in every weight class. The State Meet Record can ONLY be set at the N.C. State Championships and ONLY by a North Carolina lifter.
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**SOUTHERN OPEN: To make the schedule work the Southern Open was combined with the state meet this year so the top lifter (regardless of state) is the Southern Open champion.
WOMEN
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(123) Currituck high school has a talented girl's wrestling team. If you want to be better at wrestling, get stronger. Vanity Jay-Martinez answered the call as she joined Team JCC (The Jarvisburg Church of Christ) and she's been hitting the weights hard. The results: Vanity would break two state records in her age group, and she would take home her first overall bench and powerlifting state title. All these accomplishments and this is only her first meet!!!
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(132) Allison Freeman of Fitness Warehouse bounces around the weight classes as she likes to set records in multiple weight classes. Allison is equally dangerous in any class she steps into. Allison would post the top bench for the second time, Allison would curl a meet record 73 pounds (VERY few meet records were broken, they are brutal); this was Allison's second curl title AND Allison would post the top total for the fourth time. Wow!!!
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(148) We have literally watched Pippy Long stockings (AKA Sofia Corridean) grow into a powerful young lady on the lifting platform. Heck with 105 and under, Sofia came in at 148 and the new weight class seemed to suit her well as Sofia would post the top bench and the top total. Things are getting mighty exciting in the girl's weight classes.
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(165) Tania De La Torre Pena isn't from North Carolina, but she did post the top bench and the top total. Tania competes with IGWT (In Gains We Trust). IGWT is nothing, but BRUTALLY strong, if they send a full team to a meet, they will be darn near impossible to beat.
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(181) Last year Madison Berry of Team JCC posted the top total EVER in at age 11 and under (regardless of weight class and regardless of being a boy or girl). At age 12 Maidson is even stronger. Maidson swept the world records on her way to posting the top bench, curl and total for the third time in all three events. Most people never reach 3, Madison has reached three and she's only 12!!!! Madison would also take home the best lifter female award. One more bit of trivia, Madison curled a state meet record 90 pounds!!!
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(198) JCC's Mackenzie Grace Taylor is only sixteen years old and yet she's won the open powerlifting and bench national title four times each. Mackenzie also won the best lifter award in the bench at nationals. Mackenzie is one of the most recognized faces of women's lifting in North Carolina. Unfortunately, Mackenzie is injured, and she had to swallow her pride and lift less; not easy to do, it's easy to sit a meet out, but if you sit out, you miss a chance of adding to your collection of state titles. Even injured Mackenzie squatted a teenage world record/meet record 275 pounds (almost a hundred pounds under her best), she benched a meet record/world record 206 pounds and she ended with a world record/meet record 755-pound total. For anyone else, that's huge, for Mackenzie it was a disappointment. This being said, Mackenzie became the rare lifter to post the top total 5 times and the top bench 5 times;at the NC state championships and, like I said before, Mackenzie is only 16!!!!
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(SHW) Fitness Warehouse's Savannah Glanville came out strong and had little trouble bringing home her first powerlifting and her first bench title. Fitness Warehouse, as always, had a lot of top lifters competing at the state championships.
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MEN
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(114) The NC State meet records are difficult to set, in fact, for the men only one lifter broke any powerlifting meet records. That one lifter was Carter Kinkaid who not only set a meet record but swept all of them. Carter squatted a meet record 298 pounds, benched a meet record 182 pounds, and deadlifted a meet record 352 pounds and totaled a meet record 838 pounds which is the best 114 total ever in North Carolina by 100% RAW. Carter had little trouble taking home the best lifter teen award. A little extra trivia, Carter's meet records actually exceed all the records in the weight class above him. Jeremiah Skinner competed in the curl at 123, but for powerlifting he wanted to set some records at 114. Jeremiah would take home the best lifter youth award.
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(123) Jermiah Skinner is young, but strong and he has a lot of people nervous about how strong and how big he will get. Okay, I'm talking about me, I don't want him in my weight class when he's older. This all being said, Jeremiah would win his third consecutive state title in the curl.
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(132) At 132 we had a war. Four-time state champion John Ammons squatted 226 pounds, but Chaz Friend squatted 235 for a nine pound lead. All of a sudden, an upset was possible. In the bench Chaz benched 154 to expand his lead. This meet would end with the deadlifts and in the deadlift Chaz and John both bulled 275 which meant that Chaz would hold onto his lead and win his first North Carolina powerlifting state title. Chaz would also win his first bench press state title. Rematch 2025???
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(148) The first 100% RAW state championships were in 1999 and I was there. I am far from the best lifter, but if you compete enough, you win here and there, and the wins do add up. Ben Zak (that's me) would post the top total for the 8th time, the top bench for the sixth time and the top curl for the sixth time.
(165) A few years ago, Cedric Jernigan seemed to come out of nowhere to dominate the 165-weight class. Cedric is one big reason I have no desire to move up a weight class. Cedric would power up a 1,157-pound total which would earn Cedric his second consecutive bench title and his third consecutive powerlifting title. Powerlifting is a tough sport; will Cedric power on and work towards title five and maybe someday ten. Nobody has ever hit ten!!!
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(181) Although not from North Carolina, the top lifter was Virginia's John Permelia who is a young 61 years of age. John was a huge help after the competition as he hauled a lot of weight upstairs for us. John and I kept loading and unloading a plate tree as state champions Mackenzie Grace Taylor and Madison Berry kept arguing about which direction a plate tree should be facing. I think John and I loaded and unloaded the plate tree a hundred times; it's probably still facing the wrong direction. Sorry Gene Berry.
The top bench was posted by another Virginia lifter; Illias Burnett who would bench a ridiculous 430 pounds which would earn Illias the best lifter bench award. Bonus information. Illias is also the defending national bench champion at 181 AND Illias was the best lifter in the bench at nationals. Illias is a member of IGWT. Remember this; IGWT=HUGE BENCHERS. IGWT also has a lot of great powerlifters.
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(198) At 198 we had split champions. The top North Carolina bencher was JCC's Eric Braswell. I train with Eric, he has really put the time in, and he is getting strong. Better yet, Eric has a dog named Penny. Eric is getting ready to get a second dog he wants to name Jet. Takes a moment, but Penny and the Jet. If you're young, you may not understand and you have to sing it.
The top overall bench was Rico Terrel who benched 440 pounds!!! Rico is from Virginia; Rico is ALSO the defending national champion at 198 AND Rico is ALSO a member of IGWT. Seeing a pattern, anyone???
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(220) JCC's Nick Grady was sitting on two state titles, but two doesn't prove anything, you need at least three. Nick dominated the 220-weight class on his way to a 1,425-pound total which earned Nick his third overall state title. Nick would also win his second bench press state title. Note: Nick said, Team JCC is going to win the team title this year. Was he right? To be continued.
Although Nick had the top North Carolina bench, the top overall bench was 413 pounds by Jaspery Jones. Jaspery Jones is from...Virginia. Jasper Jones competes for...come on, you know this one; IGWT!!!
In the curl there is only one lifter who has EVER won six state titles and that's multiple national and world title holder JCC's John Cooper. John competed last week, but there was no way John was going to miss the state meet when it's in his backyard. John was the ONLY lifter to curl a state meet record as John curled a hulk smashing (John is a fan of the Hulk-who is not nearly as cools Wolverine) 200 pounds. John was inches from completing a 208-pound curl. 200 is the most EVER curled at the state meet in any weight class.
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(242) Sometimes a little luck goes a long way. Roman Martinez of team JCC missed the 220 cut off by a mere 1.3 pounds, no wait, he actually missed it by a mere 13 pounds. This would seem to be a bad thing, but it wasn't. The 220 class was loaded with talent. At 242 Roman the rookie had a strong day, and he posted the top total AND bench in his first try. Note: We give Roman a hard time, but he brings a lot of life into the gym and even though we consider putting duct tape on him for a little silence at times, we are blessed to have him on his team. Great job Roman, 2024 state champion just like your sister!!!
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(275) At 275 James Glanville would win his first North Carolina bench title. Great job James!!! Now we have to talk about Stephen Kozlowski. Stehen is from Virginia and represents the mighty Fitness Warehouse. Stephen always competes in North Carolina, and he posted the top overall bench and the top overall curl. Great job Stephen, but why don't you just move to North Carolina, it will save you gas money.
(308) There was a legend at the 2024 state meet and that legend is Daniel Corridean. The only reason Daniel doesn't win the state title EVERY year is he focuses on national and world titles and he almost always wins both. The moment Daniel showed up, you pretty much knew how things were going to end up. Daniel EASILY won his fourth overall powerlifting title and his second bench title. Daniel is like me, we started competing in our later teenage years and we never had enough sense to stop. Always a privilege (understatement) to share the platform with Daniel.
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(THE WOODY LEONARD ALL STEEL TEAM): Sometimes you can get a bit lucky and have an easy weight class, but there's no getting lucky with the All-Steel Team. The All-Steel team is everyone against everyone; the top lifters by K formula are recognized as members of the All-Steel Team. Thank you Ed Kutin for running the numbers for me.
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BENCH: In the bench press Tania De La Torre Pena would make the All-Steel team for the first time, Madison Berry and Allison Freeman would both make the team for the third time and Mackenzie Grace Taylor would become the second lifter EVER to make the All-Steel team for a fourth time.
For the men Illias Burnet, Rico Terrel, Jasper Jones, Nick Grady AND Carter Kincaid would each make the team for the first time. Cedric Jernigan would be the only lifter to make the All-Steel team for a second time. The top three lifters, Illias, Rick and Jasper were all members of IGWT!!!
CURL: In the curl Madison Berry would make the team for the first time, Allison Freeman would make the team for the second time and Jennifer Zak would lead the pack as she would make the team for the third time.
For the men, Barron Capps would make the team for the first time, Steve Kolowski would make the All-Steel team for the second time, Ben Zak would make the team for the fourth time and John Cooper would become the first lifter to make the All-Steel team for the seventh time!!! No other lifter has made the All-Steel team 6 times in ANY category.
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POWER-LIFTING: In powerlifting Tania De La Torre Pena and Vanity Jay-Martinez would each make the team for the first time, Allison Freeman would make the team for the third time, while Mackenzie Grace Taylor and Madison Berry would BOTH make the team for the fourth time.
For the men: Carter Kincaid, Nick Grady, Barron Capps and Ben Zak would make the team for the first time, Cedric Jernigan would make the team for the third time and Daniel Corridean would make the team for the fourth time!!!
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TEAM TITLES: A lot of our members are wrestlers 'or' have wrestling parents so the state meet falling during wrestling season has made things difficult for team JCC. The state meet in summer meant free schedules and it paid off. Team JCC would become the first team to win the powerlifting state title eight times, they would also become the first team to win the curl state title five times and while not a specialty, Team JCC would take home their second bench state title. Who will win in 2025??? Not a clue, but it's always fun.
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TEEN V/S MASTER CURL CHALLENGE: A big part of the Southern Open, which was combined with the State meet was the second annual teen v/s master curl challenge. Last year the masters won 18-12, this year the masters DOMINATED 19-05. Break out the cry rags, the old folks rule!!!
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THANK YOU: A special thanks to meet director Gene Berry and to all our spotters, loaders and judges (Sure to forget someone), BUT David Sobota, Kenny Russell, Paul Bossi, Ethan Binckley, Easton Binckley, John Ammons, Chris Santoro, Megan Berry, Pat McMillian, and Ryan Kiecker.
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