Coffin, Clough set state records Athletes compete in powerlifting events

BREWER – Sixty-one of the strongest people in Maine descended upon the Brewer Auditorium on Saturday for the inaugural Maine Games/Maine State Powerlifting Championships.

JoAnn Clough, 57, of Bangor, who weighed in at 114 pounds, impressed the crowd of more than 300 with a meet performance of 600.75 pounds in a combined squat, bench press, and dead lift, including 286 pounds in the dead lift, which set a state record.

Josh Gallison, 13, of Sebec, totaled 755 pounds in this three events, including a dead lift of 341.5 pounds.

Joe Coffin, of Brewer, claimed a gold medal in the Grand Masters (ages 50-59) division with a three-event total of 1,091.25 pounds. Coffin, who works for the Brewer Parks and Rec. Department at the Brewer Auditorium, was competing in his first meet and set two state records.

The Maine Games/Maine State Powerlifting Championships attracted two sets of mother/daughter lifters. Benita Deschaine, 53, of Bangor, who was taking part in her first athletic competition of any kind ever, set state records in all three lifts. Her daughter, Becca, 21, also of Bangor, claimed a gold medal in the Junior division, and a silver, in the Women’s Open division. In addition, Karen and Tiffany Campbell, of Winterport competed, with Tiffany bench pressing 171 pounds, and earning a gold medal.

Perhaps the top performance of the meet came in the Men’s Open 242-pound division, when Saco’s Mike Kalter, with an overall three-lift score of 1,786 pounds, dead-lifted 716 pounds. He also scored 661 pounds in the squat, and 408 pounds in the bench press. Kalter was named the best Male lifter in the meet.

The best female lifter was Elaine Morey, 40, of Bucksport, who had a three-event total of 804.5 pounds (292 pound squat; 160 pound bench press; 352 pound dead lift).

Best Male performance was awarded to Devitto Bastein, 23, of Lamoine. In his first-ever meet, Bastein combined his lifts for 755 pounds total. That was good enough for a gold medal in the Junior division.

Athletes in the Maine Games/Maine State Powerlifting Championships ranged in age from 13 to 75. Dr. Moshe Myerowitz, of Bangor, age 75, set a state record at 116 pounds in the bench press.

The first Maine Games disabled athlete in any event, Gaelen Saucier, 53, of Bangor, competed in the Men’s 198-pound Grand Master and Special Olympic divisions. He earned a gold medal with a bench press of 143 pounds. Saucier has been confined to a wheelchair for the past several years following an accident which left him without the use of his legs. Saucier earned a gold medal in the Special Olympic-division with his best lift of the day in the bench press.

Buster Byrnes, 63, of Lincolnville, claimed his 13th Maine Games medal, with his 160-pound performance in the bench press. Byrnes has collected 12 Maine Games medals in track and field since 2003.

Morey and Clough, with their performances, qualified for the National Powerlifting Championships this year.

Next year’s Maine Games/Maine State Powerlifting Championships will be held again at the Brewer Armory, during the last week of March. For complete results, check the Maine Games Web site at: www.mainegames.org.

The event was presented by the Maine Games in association with the Maine Powerlifting Association.