Topic: News: USAW Selects Gainesville for National Schoolage Championships

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Link

USAW Selects Gainesville for National Schoolage Championships

GAINESVILLE -– More than 400 young athletes from across the nation will come to Gainesville in the summer of 2009 to vie for top recognition in the National School Age Weightlifting Championship. The event will take place from June 18-21 at the Georgia Mountains Center arena in downtown Gainesville. The competitions will be open to the public.

Officials anticipate a significant economic impact for the weekend event, somewhere in excess of $155,000 in direct spending by athletes, families, coaches and attendees.

“With the excitement that’s been generated by the Summer Olympics in Beijing, this is the perfect time to announce that once again Gainesville and Hall County will showcase elite athletes,” said Stacey Dickson, president of the Lake Lanier Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our location near Atlanta, the facilities we offer and the ease of transportation has made our area a very successful destination for sporting competitions. In addition, the legacy of the Lake Lanier Olympic Center keeps this area in contention for hosting this caliber of sporting competition.”

C.J. Stockel, strength-conditioning coach at Flowery Branch High School, has been working closely with USA Weightlifting officials to bring the national competition to Northeast Georgia in 2009.

“Team Georgia Weightlifting is highly respected by the national weightlifting officials, and that’s been a significant factor in bringing this prestigious competition to Gainesville,” Stockel said.

All the athletes will be 17 years old and younger and will be coming from as far away as California, New England, the Northwest and other parts of the nation. Team Georgia sent 48 athletes to the National School Age Championships in 2008 at Walt Disney World. Stockel says that he expects to have nearly 100 competitors from Georgia representing the state in 2009.

[Dave Chiu]

For all who go, here's the MUST DO fun thing away (about an hour) from the meet site:

Ichetucknee Springs float trip!!

You rent tubes on the way there, the park fee is very reasonable, the water/wildlife/scenery is awesome!!

I'd pick it 4 times out of 5 as THE thing to do anywhere near (and including) Disney World.

Happy training!!

Dave Chiu

[Dave Chiu]

Oops!!

Looks like it's another G-ville.

But, if you're ever in FL...