Five Slippery Rock High School students recently achieved the honor of joining the 1000 pound club, which is for students that can lift a total of 1000 pounds or more. Mr. Dejulia runs a weightlifting program throughout the year which is open to anyone. After lifting for awhile students can sign up to participate in a lift-a-thon to compete. The students that attend the lift-a-thon do three events including benching, squatting, and deadlifting. Students participate in each event and at the end of the day all three weights are added together for the final weight. If a student’s total is over 1000 pounds, they are added into the club.

There are five students at Slippery Rock High School that are currently part of the thousand pound club: Cole Bell (1155 pounds), Wayne Bird (1060 pounds), Luke Brandon (1015 pounds), Jordan Martsolf (1005 pounds), and Braden Rider (1000 pounds). In the three lifting categories, Bell has the highest squat at 405 pounds, Brandon has the highest bench at 255 pounds, and Bell has the largest deadlift at 505 pounds. These students worked very hard in the weight room during the past few years and have pushed themselves to the limits according to some of the current members.

Bell states, “My teammates keep me grounded and always are very encouraging as we try to do our best.”

During the lifting season there are many people in the weight room, which can cause a distraction for the lifters; however, they always seem to power through with the help of their teammates.

This year, a few more students such as Ryan Broad, Mitchell Houston, Eithan Beckwith, and Rod Williams will attempt to join the thousand pound club according to Bell and Bird. Therefore, if you see these boys struggling in the weight room, be sure to encourage them to get their personal best and wish them luck this winter.