NEW
ORLEANS - Five local
weightlifters won national
championships recently while
two others finished second
at the National AAU Junior
Olympic Games.
Lifers represented the
Charleston Parks &
Recreation Department
Weightlifting Club and Team
Body Club at New Orleans in
the meet that is the largest
athletic competition for
youth in the country with
more than 15,000 athletes in
27 different sports.
Among the winners,
Aislinn Parish finished
first in the 12-13 age
division's 77-pound class
with lifts of 62 pounds in
the snatch and 77 in the
clean-and-jerk while
weighing only 65 pounds.
Parish also won the "Best
Lifter" award in her age
group for the third year in
a row. She was also named
the Best Lifter at the USA
Weightlifting Schoolage
Championships the past two
years on top of winning $50
in prize money for being the
third best 17-and-under
lifter at the Arnold Classic
this past March.
Camille Caskey won first
place in the 12-13 age
division's 104-pound class
with lifts of 79 pounds in
the snatch and 103 in the
clean-and-jerk.
She also won first
earlier this year at the
Schoolage National
Championships near Atlanta.
Riley Parish also was
first in the 18-19 age
division's 117-pound class.
She made lifts of 86 in the
snatch and 101 in the
clean-and-jerk. She cleaned
110 pounds but missed the
jerk.
On the boys' side, Bret
Pfeiffer won the 12-13 age
division's 86-pound class
with lifts of 82 in the
snatch and 110 in the
clean-and-jerk.
This was the third year
in a row Pfeiffer finished
first to add to his two USA
Weightlifting Schoolage
National Championships. He
will be in the same age
group next year.
Quentin Hall won the
11-and-under age division's
86-pound class even though
he is only 9.
He made lifts of 70 in
the snatch and 101 in the
clean-and-jerk and was the
third best lifter of all
11-and-under lifters.
Finishing second for the
local club was Morghan
Caskey in the 11-and-under
97-pound class. She made
lifts of 53 in the snatch
and 66 in the
clean-and-jerk.
Also finishing second was
Renea Caskey in the 14-15
age group's 128-pound class.
She made lifts of 79 in the
snatch and 104 in the
clean-and-jerk. She came
close to making 112 pounds.
"It was a pretty
successful trip, all things
considered," said coach
Marty Schnorf of the
Charleston Parks &
Recreation Department club.
"The kids won several firsts
and got to see some sights
that most had never seen
before. In the last 13
months, most have been to
San Francisco, Virginia
Beach, Va., Columbus,
Ohio, St Louis, Atlanta,
Chicago and now New Orleans,
to name a few. All of them
had a good time."
Auslinn Parish and Riley
Parish represent Team Body
Club coached by Jim Dinaso,
while Camille, Renea and
Morghan Caskey and Bret
Pfeiffer and Quentin Hall
lift for the Charleston
Parks and Recreation
Department Weightlifting
Club.
"The clubs train together
and compete together," said
coach Jim Dinaso of Team
Body Club. "The kids have
had a lot of success and
some great experiences over
the last year. We are always
looking for new bodies who
want to travel and compete
and get stronger."
Coach Troy Pfeiffer said:
"We have meets planned for
St. Louis, Chicago, Houston,
and other cities over the
next year. There is no cost
to join and we are always
looking to add to our ranks.
People can contact any of
our coaches or the Rec.
Department or email charlestonweightliftingclub@yahoo.com.
Lifters from anywhere in the
area are welcome."
The coaches also noted
that they would like to
thank Advance Auto Parts for
their help and support of
the club.
CHARLESTON WEIGHTLIFTING CLUB
