Powerlifting team holds up impressive season

The Saint John’s Powerlifters had arguably their best season to date in 2015-2016.

Under the leadership of veteran seniors Jake Morgan, Nate Lee, Lucas Utter, Kyle Long, Ryan Doyle and Kenny La, as well as newcomer Curtis Bynum - each of whose points were required to win at least one meet during their careers - the team performed impressively. The upcoming sophomore class also boasts strong collective talent, with Ryan Kelly, Ben Burton, Federico Ernst, Charlie Michaelides, and Gino Serra scoring well during multiple meets this season. 

Powerlifting is a sport where athletes combine their best possible squat, bench press and deadlift to medal in one of 8 weight classes. Schools are scored by the points from the top six lifters, based on their placements in their individual categories. Team competition typically requires a school to have strong lifters in all weight classes to perform well. 

This year’s New England Championships saw a change in the team scoring to increase the competition among smaller schools. The formula added scores from the top five lifters on each team based on Age-Wilks points, using a formula that accounted for bodyweight of the athlete against the loads lifted to equalize not just the heavier and lighter lifters, but also the younger versus older lifters. Saint John’s scored first place by a strong margin over 10 other teams to win its fifth straight New England Championship plaque. 

Mr. Steve Davis ’90, who has been in charge of the SJ Powerlifting team since 2010, is a biology and anatomy/physiology teacher at Saint John's.

Check out more pictures of the SJ powerlifters.

Powerlifting at SJ
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