HS POWERLIFTING: Area athletes to represent USA at international championship events this summer

Jul. 14—Several local powerlifters have accepted invitations to represent the United States at championship events later this summer.

Amelia Gercken, a senior at Abington Heights, and Lackawanna Trail graduate Jacob Breckinridge are set to travel to Romania for the IPF World Classic and Equipped Sub-junior and Junior Championships in late August. Lackawanna Trail junior Cole Schirg and Abington Heights athletes Ayana Rivera and Kaylee Mann are set to compete at the NAPF North American Regional Championships in the Cayman Islands Aug. 7-12.

"I am very excited," Gercken, 17, said. "I had the option to choose to go to Romania or the Cayman Islands, and I chose Romania because I thought it would be more of a competitive experience for me. I know the challengers are strong, and there are 16 people going to compete. I know I probably won't make the podium because I haven't had that high level of challenge, but that's what I want to experience."

Gercken has represented her country already this year. She competed at the IPF International World Bench Press Championships in Sun City, South Africa, in May and won the 76 kilogram (165 pounds) weight class in the sub-junior division with a winning lift of 72 1/2 kilograms (160 pounds).

In January, Gercken won the national title at the Powerlifting America National Bench Press Meet in Reno, Nevada, with a lift of 67 1/2 kilograms (148.8 pounds). She also finished second in the 167-pound class in the Female Raw Varsity division at the Powerlifting America High School National Championships at The Radisson at Lackawanna Station and won the 167-pound weight class at the PSCPA State High School Championship last spring.

She enters the championship meet with personal-best lifts of 305 pounds in the squat, 160 pounds in the bench press, and 300 pounds in the deadlift.

"I am really happy. I have made a lot of personal growth," Gercken said. "I am doing weights that I never thought I could do. Last year, if you would have told me I'd be lifting at the world championships, I never would have believed it."

Breckinridge, who is new to the sport having just taken it up following his final football season, will compete in the 265-pound weight class. He won his class at the 2023 Classic Sub-Junior, Junior, and Master National Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a squat of 275 kilograms (606 pounds), a bench press of 132 1/2 kilograms (292 pounds), and a deadlift of 262 1/2 kilograms (579 pounds).

"I feel very prepared," Breckinridge, 18, said. "Right now I am listed as the number five seed. I am focusing on my training and my diet. I am really excited. Coming from my first meet back in April and now to go to Europe and compete is really great."

Schirg won the 231-pound class at the 2023 Classic Sub-Junior, Junior, and Master National Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona, in June to qualify for the NAPF meet.

His personal-best lifts include 350 pounds in the bench, 555 pounds in the squat, and 545 pounds in the deadlift.

"I am feeling really strong and ready," said Schirg, who will be in his first international competition. "I am excited to go and happy to compete for the United States. Since last meet, I have really trained hard every day in the gym, getting my numbers higher and working as hard as I can."

Rivera, who has been powerlifting for almost four years, won the 103-pound class at the PSCPA State High School Championship in May with a squat of 210 pounds, a bench press of 105 pounds, and a deadlift of 235 pounds for a total of 550 pounds.

She also won the 103-pound title at the Powerlifting America High School National Championships in April.

"I am very shocked and blessed for this opportunity to represent the country," said Rivera, 19, a recent graduate of Abington Heights who is headed to Marywood University. "I never even thought I would do sports, but everyone had been doing sports heading into high school, and powerlifting was something I gave a shot. I got really into it and have had some success.

"I am a little nervous to compete, but I am excited for the opportunity. It means a lot to me, and I hope I do well."

Mann, whose father Steve is a world champion powerlifter and is also competing at the meet in the Masters Division, is carrying on the family legacy. She won the junior varsity 185+ class with a squat of 375 pounds, a bench press of 155 pounds, and a deadlift of 315 pounds for an 845 total and finished third overall to qualify for the international competition.

"This is an extremely big deal for me," Mann, 16, said. "I took a three-year break from powerlifting, and I came back this past school year. I got a lot of encouragement from my coach, Claude Welcome, and my dad. It is a fun sport, and I am a very competitive person, which helps me train. I am trying to create my own image in the sport, which is a challenge when you have a parent who is so highly ranked and regarded."

Pittston Area's Keegan Bucci and Wyoming Area's Emma Klime are also competing in international competitions.

Abington Heights also had other lifters qualify for the national team; however, they could not travel due to other commitments. They include Ava Lawless, Gineva Reese, Lindsey James, and Chloe Levasseur.

Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter