SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- December 17, 2008 – Led by Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Allison Bradshaw ‘06, Springfield College found itself well-represented at a pair of powerlifting championships in Laughlin, Nevada over the weekend of December 5-6. Bradshaw, who doubles as the men’s and women’s Throws Coach for the Springfield College Track & Field teams, set three American records in the Women’s Open Raw 181-lb. weight class. Raw means “no equipment allowed”, other than a weightlifting belt.
Bradshaw’s records came in the Back Squat (320 pounds), the Bench Press (209 pounds), and Total Weight (876 pounds). All broke the previously existing American records. Bradshaw also “deadlifted” 347 pounds (the American record in her weight class is 375 pounds).
The first of the two championships in which Bradshaw competed was the AAU International Powerlifting Championships, and the second was the AAU World Bench, Deadlift, and Pushpull Championships. About 350 lifters competed all told.
“It was pretty grueling competing in both championships on the same day,” said Bradshaw, a parks recreation and tour management major while at Springfield College. “But it was a really great experience. My goal now is to go on and see if I can break some of those world records.”
The world record in the Back Squat is 407 pounds in her weight class. In the Bench Press it is 231 pounds.
A native of Southbury, Conn., Allison is now the Pushpull World Champion (1st in the 181 Raw Class), the International Powerlifting Champion (1st in the 181 Raw Class), the AAU International Powerlifting Champion Best Lifter for Women, and the AAU World Bench, Deadlift, and Pushpull Champion Best Lifter for Women. The Best Lifter awards are given to one person across all the weight classes who lifts the most weight pound for pound body weight.
If all goes right, Bradshaw will be competing in another national meet in Rhode Island, sometime in March.
“We just started a powerlifting club at Springfield College this past year,” said Bradshaw. “We’re pretty excited about it. There are about 11 people involved right now.”
Two others also competed in Nevada. Chad Nelson, a first-year Strength & conditioning masters student, competed in the Men’s Open Raw 165-pound weight class, while Dan Jaffe, a second-year Strength & Conditioning masters student and Wrestling Strength and Conditioning Coach, competed in the 181-pound Junior Raw weight class.
Nelson won the Pushpull World Championship (165) and the International Powerlifting Championship. He finished third in the Bench Press only, and second in the Deadlift only. Jaffe won the Pushpull World Championship and the International Powerlifting Championship.
Ken Klatka, just inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in October, 2011, enters his 37th season as head coach of the men’s track and field program in 2012-2013. He ranks among the nation’s most successful coaches, with an overall record of 442 wins, 144 losses, and two ties for an impressive .753 winning percentage. Under his direction, Kevin Coyle '12 won the 2011 Division III Indoor Long Jump National Championship.
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