Amherst Central's Brian Monaco squats 450 pounds en route to winning the unlimited category. Photo by Joe Eberle It's pretty easy to understand why North Tonawanda is always successful at the New York State Powerlifting Championships.

"He (NT coach Eric Jantzi) brings 55-60 kids, that's what you have to do," said Tournament organizer Paul Strefeler. "He also puts kids in most of the lower weight classes where sometimes there are only four kids."

With 55 powerlifters, NT placed first with 90 points at the 36th installment of the event this past Saturday at Sweet Home High School. Grand Island was second with 50 points followed by host school Sweet Home with 38. Pioneer and Letchworth tied for fourth at 28. Niagara-Wheatfield (26), Kenmore East (21), Liverpool (20), Lancaster (16), Canisius (12), Amherst and St. Joe's (10), Lewiston-Porter and Kenmore West (8) rounded out the team scoring.

NT, Sweet Home, Liverpool, and Pioneer each took home two individual titles. At 188-pounds, St. Joe's Brendan Murphy broke a two-year old squat record with 530 pounds to earn most improved performer. He increased his total score from last year by 345 points. The old 188 squat record was 525 set in 2004 by Lew-Port's Joe Cerminara. Pioneer's Jessica Morse won the female division to earn most valuable lifting honors.

Sweet Home's Drew Graziadei attempts to squat 540 pounds at the 36th New York State Powerlifting Championships this past Saturday at Sweet Home High School. Graziadei finished third in the unlimited division. Photo by Joe Eberle Prior to the start of the event, Paul Childress, owner of world records in squat (1,146) and total (2,662), demonstrated proper deadlifting techniques to those in attendance. In warm-ups, he deadlifted 350 pounds and worked his way up to 725. He was positioned at the scorers table the entire day where he signed autographs and students viewed video tapes of tournaments Childress had entered.

Major sponsors for the event included World's Gym and Buffalo Athletic Club, which raffled off three-month gym memberships, Dick's Sporting Goods, Pacillo's, G&G Fitness, Coca-Coca, Pepsi, and Tim Horton's. Money raised from the event went to the Sweet Home track program.

Results

Female

Kristen Hineman (Lancaster), second, 536.28; Moneta Kandakai (Sweet Home), 356.23; Latasha Lamont (Sweet Home), 13th, 248.64

116 Adam Seitz (Sweet Home), first, 525

136 Nick Danwin (Sweet Home), sixth, 695 Matt Lycett (Sweet Home), seventh, 680 Brandon Boone (Sweet Home), ninth, 410

148 Alex Dellebovi (Sweet Home), first, 945 David Lapidus (Kenmore East), second, 900 Mike Gambino (Kenmore East), third, 895

158 Adam Dellebovi (Sweet Home), fifth, 890 Pharaoh Gayles (Amherst), tied for 10th, 780 Cody Bridge (Sweet Home), tied for 10th, 780, Zach Cascio (Sweet Home), tied for 10th, 780 Mike Wood (Kenmore East), 15th, 735 Mike Bluestein (Sweet Home), 21st, 540

168 Mark Boswell (Kenmore East), third, 910 Rob Sperrazza (Sweet Home), sixth, 810

Matt Zon (Sweet Home), eighth, 790

178

Andrew Elsie (Sweet Home), 10th, 720

188

Brendan Murphy (St. Joe's), first, 1300

Sean Leary (Kenmore West), second, 1195

Stephen Phillips (Sweet Home), seventh, 860

Mark Orlowski (Sweet Home), 15th, 720

200

Andrew Hopkins (Sweet Home), second, 1005

Nick Terhaar (Sweet Home), ninth, 770

Chris Akromas (Sweet Home), 11th, 570

220

Mike Durwald (Lancaster), second, 1070

Unlimited Brian Monaco (Amherst), first, 1300

Drew Graziadei (Sweet Home), third, 1260

Brent Masich (Kenmore East), sixth, 1125 John Clyde (Kenmore West), seventh, 1120

Dominic Fraternigo (Kenmore East), 1110

Nick Christman (Sweet Home), ninth, 1095