Topic: News:Cameron Swart Makes Jr Worlds, Jake Johnson Best Lifter

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Cameron Swart Makes Junior Worlds, Jake Johnson Wins Best Lifter
By Kass Stone
 
Merrillville -- Sunday's final round of the 2007 National Junior Weightlifting Championships featured four categories representing five weight classes.
Opening the day at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza was the women's 75 kilogram weight class. Five athletes took part with Kelly Lynch taking first place in snatch with a lift of 85 kgs, first in clean and jerk with a 107-kg lift and first overall with a lift total of 189 kgs.

Up next were the men's 94 kg and 105 kg weight classes. In the 94 kg class Steven Jarvis won snatch with a lift of 133 kgs and Keith Swing won the clean and jerk by lifting 166 kgs. Jarvis took first overall with a total of 296 kgs.

In the 105-kg class, James Moser Jr. won first overall with a lift total of 335 kgs, taking first in snatch with a 155 kg lift and clean and jerk with 180 kgs.

In the 75 and over kg class, Kari Davis took first overall with a total of 167 kgs, taking first in the clean and jerk with 93 kgs and second in snatch with 74 kgs. Kendra Enright took first in snatch with a lift of 76 kgs.

Closing out the three-day meet was the men's 105 kg and over class. Taking first overall was Cameron Swart with a total of 336 kgs, which was enough to qualify him for a spot on the junior world team. Swart won first in snatch with a lift of 153 kgs and second in clean and jerk with 183kgs. Winning first in clean and jerk was Collin Ito with a lift of 185 kgs.

St. John's Phil "Jake" Johnson, one of only two Northwest Indiana lifters in the meet, was named best male lifter, with a total of 382.697 kgs in the men's 69 kg class Saturday. Florida's Samantha Turnbull was named best female lifter with a total of 211.448 kgs.

Turnbull's team, Team Florida Spruce Creek was named top women's team with a total of 63 points. Winning the top prize for the men's teams was East Coast Gold with 38 points.

This was the first time that Johnson took first place in the Junior National Championships. His performance also earned him a spot on the Junior World Team for the third year in row. Johnson's performance gave him a ranking of 6th overall in the nation for senior lifters. The 19 year old Johnson will have to defend his ranking and earn one of eight available spots on the Senior National team at the Senior National Championships this May in Schaumburg, Ill.

"This is a great honor," said Johnson, about being named Best Male Lifter. "This is the first time that I've won Junior Nationals and to also win outstanding lifter on top of it is just great."