Weight and see: Tift to host weightlifting meet Saturday

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, March 1, 2023

TIFTON — Six area schools are set to meet Saturday, March 4, to see who is the strongest. Unlike other sports where other factors are at play in determining a winner, the upcoming weightlifting meet at Tift County High School is indeed about who can lift the most weight.

This meet will begin at approximately 10:15 a.m. at the TCHS gym, according to Coach Doug Stanford, who is organizing the meet. Admission is $5.

Stanford is experienced in his role, having been on a staff at Jefferson County High in Louisville that hosted weightlifting meets.

Besides the locals, Brookwood (of Thomasville), Fitzgerald, Irwin County, Lanier County and Monroe will participate. Most schools will have around 30 participants. Tift may have as much as double that and Brookwood, being a smaller school, will bring less.

All six schools are from Area 1, which geographically covers from Brunswick, Fort Gaines, Baxley, Ashburn and all areas south. Weightlifting is not a GHSA-sanctioned event but is under the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.

“That’s good,” said Stanford about the number of schools involved. Even at Jefferson County where more meets took place, he saw only seven schools involved.

Weightlifting normally consists of three lifts — bench press, power cleans and squats — but only bench and power cleans will be competition events in this meet. He wants to add squats in the future.

There will be 10 weight classes for participants. Team and individual awards will be given out at the end of the meet.

Stanford hopes everything will move quickly and smoothly. “We’ll have live results, live scoring,” he said. “At any point, any coach, player or parent can go to a touchscreen” and see results.