Topic: News: Casey Burgener Wins Pan-American Champs

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Burgener Wins Pan-American Championships, Prepares For Bigger Weights
By Joe Naiman

Casey Burgener, who was a Bonsall resident before relocating to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, won his weightlifting division at the Pan-American Championships May 20 in Guatemala City.

Burgener lifted 177 kilograms (about 390 pounds) in the snatch and 220 kilograms (about 485 pounds) in the clean and jerk. Both of those were first-place lifts, as was his 397 kg total. All three were also personal records for the 23-year-old Burgener. “I’m thrilled,” Burgener said. “I can’t be too disappointed with those.”

Burgener competed in the superheavyweight division, which covers weightlifters 105 kg (231 pounds) and above. At the weigh-in Burgener weighed 120.1 kg, or 264 pounds. Burgener, who is ranked #1 in the United States in his class, participated in a qualifier for the Pan-American Championships in March. At the qualifier, which was held in Florida, he lifted 176 kg in the snatch and 218 kg in the clean and jerk.

“I didn’t beat them by much, but I still beat them,” he said of his Pan-American Championship lifts exceeding his qualifier performance.

A total of 11 lifters competed in the superheavyweight class at the Pan-American Championships. The second-place lifter, who was from Chile, lifted 171 kg in the snatch and 205 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 376 kg.

Burgener noted that none of the competitors had a listed total higher than 370 kg entering the event. “I kind of knew going in where I stood,” he said.

Both the USA men and the USA women finished second as a team in the Pan-American Championships. “It was a really good meet for everybody,” Burgener said. “It was a great time.”

Burgener’s next meet will be the USA Weightlifting nationals in August at Shreveport. If he qualifies at the nationals he will compete in the world championships in the Dominican Republic in early fall.