OMAHA, Neb. – Seven Bulldogs officially opened the second season in program history for Concordia University Weightlifting while competing at the Heartland Strength Omaha Classic on Sept. 16. All seven Bulldogs qualified for the 2024 national championships while signaling a step forward for an outfit that returned national qualifiers in Mary Berris and Evan Fukuhara. Roughly 60 total lifters took part in the competition hosted by Heartland Strength.
Head Coach Freddie Myles has begun his second season leading the weightlifting and powerlifting programs at Concordia. He is assisted by Chevy Stout. Said Myles, “I was pleased with how everyone competed and am looking forward to the next competition.”
A summary of Concordia performances is included below. Not only did each Concordia competitor qualify for nationals, Fukuhara and Cody Monsevais set new personal bests in the category of clean and jerk (one of two lifts, along with snatch, that are featured in weightlifting competitions). Notably, Adrian Hernandez successfully made all six of his lifts. As a team, the Bulldogs combined to complete 36 of 42 attempted lifts.
Returning athletes within the weightlifting program include Berris, Fukuhara and Hernandez. Four freshmen made their collegiate debuts over the weekend: Michael Davidge, Gracy Johnson, Cody Monsevais and Katie Witte.
Concordia Bulldogs at the Omaha Classic:
· Mary Berris (Windsor, Colo.) – Made five of six lifts; snatched 49kg and clean and jerked 68 kg; qualified for nationals.
· Michael Davidge (Grapevine, Texas) – Made five of six lifts; snatched 123kg and clean and jerked 145kg; qualified for nationals.
· Evan Fukuhara (Sacramento, Calif.) – Made five of six lifts; snatched 115kg and clean and jerked 145kg; clean and jerk was a personal best; qualified for nationals; finished third out of all lifters in the competition.
· Adrian Hernandez (Grand Island, Neb.) – Made all six lifts; snatched 85kg and clean and jerked 120kg; qualified for nationals.
· Gracy Johnson (Coon Rapids, Iowa) – Made five of six lifts; snatched 75kg and clean and jerked 88kg; finished third out of all lifters at the competition; qualified for nationals.
· Cody Monsevais (Austin, Texas) – Made five of six lifts; snatched 116kg and clean and jerked 151kg; clean and jerk was a personal best; qualified for nationals.
· Katie Witte (Aberdeen, S.D.) – Made five of six lifts; snatched 84kg and clean and jerked 110kg; qualified for nationals; finished second out of all lifters in the competition.
The next event on the schedule is the Conqueror Weightlifting Open in Elkhorn, Neb., on Nov. 4. There are four competitions on the 2023-24 schedule, which will be highlighted by the University Weightlifting Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, March 1-3, 2024.