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2025 ABOUT THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 2025 state championships were held at the Jarvisburg Church of Christ for the second consecutive year, and we had a great turnout. I do make mistakes, so in advance, I apologize and will make corrections when they are brought to my attention.
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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 (2025)
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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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WOMEN
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(105) Last year Currituck's Logan White was ranked #1 in the state, but she didn't win a state title. In 2025, Logan started the year off right as she would take first in the bench, curl and powerlifting. How good is Logan? Logan broke ALL the state meet records ate 105 class.
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(123) Currituck has a powerful girl's wrestling team and they've been hitting the weights. Currituck wrestler Victoria Wood would pile on some more points for Currituck as she would also take home her first title in powerlifting, bench and state curl title.
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(132) Alex Woods is the defending world curl champion in the curl, and she is another Currituck wrestler. To win she would have to get past Jennifer Zak who is a previous world curl champion as well as a 5x curl, 5x bench and 5x powerlifting state champion (and one of her wrestling coaches to boot). This was a great battle, but in the end Jennifer would take home her sixth curl and sixth bench title, in powerlifting Alex had the big deadlift which pulled Alex to her first powerlifting state title. Great battle.
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(148) Recently 6x world champion, Krystal Brown, moved to North Carolina. Normally Krystal competes at 123, but I assure you everyone at 123 and 132 was happy that she competed at 148 for the state meet. Results...Krystal Brown is your 148 curl state champion AND set the 148 state meet record.
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(181) At 181 Currituck wrestler Zoe Livesay decided to give powerlifting a try and the results were fantastic as Zoe would take home the bench and the curl state title on her first try.
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(198) JCC'S Mackenzie Grace Taylor is 4x state and 4x world champion and has been ranked #1 in the state a record 11 times (multiple weight classes will do that). How did Mackenzie's day go? Mackenzie would start the day with a state meet record 353-pound squat, followed by a state meet record 220-pound bench and finished with a state meet record 380-pound deadlift (she pulled 402, but had one redlight too many) AND Mackenzie finished with a state meet record 948-pound total. For good measure throw on a 101 pound meet record curl. Mackenzie would take home her fifth state title in the curl AND Mackenzie is only 16!!!
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(SHW) Madison Berry, also of JCC bumped up to the SHW class and destroyed every world record in her age group, but wait it gets better, Madison broke each world record with her openers!!! Madison is now a 4x state champion in the curl, the bench and powerlifting!!! Madison's 342-pound squat was a state meet record.
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MEN
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(123) There is always a lot of talent, the question is how long with the lifters stick with the sport. Last year Carter Kincaid dominated at 114 and ended the year ranked #1 in the state at 114 and 123. Carter returned to start off 2025 with a quest for his second state title and there really wasn't a doubt, Carter crushed the state records, and he is now a 2x state bench and powerlifting champion with the potential to win as many as he wants.
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(132) Jeremiah "Bull Frog" Skinner of Team JCC is a VERY young lifter who is hitting adult numbers. Jeremiah had a great day as he captured this third bench title, his fourth powerlifting title and his fourth curl title. Jeremiah is young and growing and I admit to fearing this young man as he has a lot of room to grow at 148 and despite being teammates, he's going to pose a lot of challenges to all of us older lifters when he steps into the next weight class.
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(148) I may not be the best, but I've probably competed at more state meets than anyone so every now and then it pays off. Ben Zak (me) of JCC would win my ninth powerlifting state title, my seventh bench state title AND my seventh curl state title.
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(165) Currituck high school started strong in the women's division than slowed down. At 165 Currituck bounced back as Da'Merion Lewis ​would come through for his team winning his first bench, his first curl AND his first powerlifting state title.
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(181) The best dressed award goes to Yogi Sumner of Fitness Warehouse. Yogi would take home his first bench and powerlifting title, and he would also take home his second curl state title. ​
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(198) 198 was loaded with talent as we had defending state champion Eric Braswell on hand, and we also had 2x state champion Dalton Fazio competing. I picked Dalton to win, BUT Landon Smith of Currituck would jump to an early lead with a 385 squat, and he wouldn't let go. Landon would win the powerlifting title. In the bench it was close as it came down to a tie between 2024 champion Eric Braswell and Landon Smith, BUT Landon would win the bench on bodyweight. In the curl it was the always popular Barry Capps who would take first place. I do believe Barry just bounced back from the flu which made the evening an extra challenging.
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(220) Ryan Kiecker was an animal at 220. Ryan started off with a 617-pound squat followed by a 386-pound bench and he ended with a state meet record 775-pound deadlift for a 1,708 total!!! Ryan was only seven pounds short of posting the top total ever at the state meet in the 220 class. Ryan won, of course, the powerlifting title at 220. In 2007 Anthony Bannerman of Fitness Warehouse won the bench state title. In 2025 Anthony would return to bench 403 pounds to win his SECOND bench state title. Hopefully Anthony doesn't wait another 17 years before winning his third state title. As for the curl, it was gave over as 8x world champion John Cooper of Team JCC curled a state meet record 205 pounds!!! John would win his eighth state title in the curl. John is in the lead and has the potential to be the first lifter to reach 10 state titles in the curl.
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(242) Hal Pitman is 64 years old, but even at 64 Hal knows how to win. Hal would win his first state title in the bench. In the curl it was Colton Greene who would take home his first curl state title
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(275) At 275 we had two champions. The overall champion was Justin Hall who totaled a massive 1,450 for the biggest total of the day. Thumbs up Justin. Justin is from Virginia, so the second winner is the North Carolina state champion and that was Barron Capps of Currituck who would win his second powerlifting state title. Barron would also take home his first bench state title. In the curl Paul Bossi 'finally' decided to enter his first state championship in the curl and had his 181 curl was easily enough to capture his first title and set a new state meet record.
(308) In 2017 Journey Nieman of Fitness Warehouse won his first state title in the curl. Journey had teased a comeback, but unlike many who only talk, Journey trained hard and won the 2025 state title, so Journey is now a 2x curl state champion. Journey would also take home his first bench state title.
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(SHW) Currituck high school won the first weight class of the day and Currituck won the last weight class as Shane Purvis would take home his first title in the bench, the full meet AND the curl. Great job Shane.
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WOODY LEONARD ALL-STEEL TEAM: This should be the goal of EVERY lifter. The All-Steel Team recognizes the top lifters pound per pound at the state meet. This is where being a state champion isn't enough; it's two steps higher.
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CURL: Making the All-Steel team for the 1st time was Krystal Brown, Paul Bossi, Journey Nieman and Austin Brown. Making the All-Steel team fo4 the 2nd time was Madison Berry. Making the team for the 4th time was Mackenzie Grace Taylor, and making the team for a record 8th time was John Cooper
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BENCH: Making the team for the 1st time was Ben Zak, Justin Hall, Ryan Kiecker
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FULL MEET: Making the team for 1st time was Alex Woods, Logan White, Da'Merion Lewis, Ryan Kiecker and Justin Hall. Making the team for the 2nd time was Carter Kincaid, Ben Zak, and Barron Capps. Making the team for the 3rd time was Jennifer Zak and making the team for the 5th time (5 is the record) Mackenzie Grace Taylor and Madison Berry
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TEAM RESULTS: The team division is always very close. In 2025 Currituck high school would win the powerlifting team title for the sixth time. Currituck would win the bench title for the fifth time, BUT this was the first time Currituck had won the bench title since 2015. Yes, 10 years between state title #4 and #5. In the curl it was Fitness Warehouse who would take home the title for the fourth time. Great job teams. Trivia, when is the last time a team not named JCC, Currituck of Fitness Warehouse has won a state title? The curl team division was started in 2017, so in that category the answer is never. In the bench division, Project Lift from Henderson North Carolina won in 2014, which was 11 years ago. In powerlifting the last team to win was The Body Shop; I don't remember where they were from, but that was 2004, 21 years ago!!!
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