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2003 TARHEEL OPEN BENCH PRESS
RESULTS: BENCH: 315lbs. 1ST PLACE 132lb WEIGHT CLASS BEST FEMALE LIFTER MEET DESCRIPTION: The Tarheel Open is one of Jen’s favorite events. It is for charity and it is local so a lot of friends and family can come and see her lift. This year was no different than last, the crowd support was fantastic and again it was Jen against the men. Jen had no less then 20 friends in the crowd, by far the biggest cheering section. This kind of support always gets Jen pumped up for a good day. Jen was in the first flight with all the teen and college males, and she was again the only female. After pneumonia at the Worlds, Jen was looking for a good performance and some big weight. The meet was still held in a night club/bar with the electronic bull in the house. There was a great turnout with around 50 lifters. One of the bigger college lifters in the 220-weight class had been walking around all morning in a sleeveless half shirt, showing off his muscles. He was warming up when Jen was, so it was apparent that they were in the same lifting flight. Jen was warming up with 225 and talking to friends when a one of the big benchers from latter in the day was so impressed he had to talk to her. He was asking her questions about her workouts and if she had competed before. It is always interesting to me to see 300lb. men who can bench more than 500lbs. talk to little 132lb Jen about lifting. The meet started bright and early and Jen’s friends were on their game again. They continue to be the most supportive and loudest crowd wherever we go. Jen’s first attempt was 275lbs. and was just a warm-up. She was only behind the half shirt college kid who had opened up 290lbs. Now for the second attempts, every time they would announce Jen’s name to lift, her friends would go crazy and all the big boys warming up would stop and come out to see her lift. Jen went for 295lbs. and absolutely crushed it. The half shirt kid did 300lbs. Jen was still in second in her flight. The final attempts were about to start. Even though Jen is only a 132lb girl, in a flight with all the college males, she doesn’t like to be second. She chose to go for the win in her flight with 315lbs. and the college kid matched her. 315 is also a magical number to lifters, because it is the first time you get the three big plates on each side of the bar. The college kid tried his attempt first. He took a big bounce off his chest and was struggling for about 10 second before the spotters had to take the weight. Now it was Jen’s shot at 315. The music went up but the crowd was still louder and Jen was in another zone. She took the weight, went down controlled and easy, paused…and exploded the weight back to the top. It was unbelievable to see. The college kid’s friends gave him the business about being beat buy a 132lb girl and he put on a sweatshirt after that. The crowd went nuts with high fives all around. Jen’s friends and support is the greatest around. At the end, the big guy that had been talking to Jen in warm-ups came up to her after the meet. He said, with a big smile on his face, “You are that teacher that I read about in the paper, aren’t you.” Jen said yes I am. He then said to her, “Damn, you are the IPF World Champion, your picture is up in our gym and I have always wanted to meet you.” I guess you never now who your fans might be.
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Special Thanks to Richard Weed and Carol Latta Chromosome Donors
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