Topic: News: Former Palatka lifter Sean Hutchinson eyes spot on U.S. team in Korea

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Former Palatka lifter Sean Hutchinson eyes spot on U.S. team in Korea
By Andy Hall

Weightlifting's great appeal to Sean Hutchinson is the individual responsibility.

"I used to do team sports and was tired of depending on other people to be successful," he said. "Everything comes down to you and how hard you work. If I'm not successful, I know I have room to grow."

He knows he has room to grow, but he's been pretty successful since graduating from Palatka High School in 2005 - in fact, more successful than he was at PHS.

A student at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Hutchinson recently placed second in his weight class at the USA Weightlifting Nationals in Chicago, moving to seventh in the overall national rankings and thus in position to make the U.S. team for worldwide competition in Korea Nov. 17-22.

Hutchinson, 21, broke a personal record and tied another in Chicago. He snatched a personal-best 113 kilograms (248.6 pounds) and lifted 137 (301.4) on the clean and jerk to tie an individual record for total lift at 250 kilos (550 pounds). Hutchinson finished nine kilos behind Aaron Adams, who lifts with Hutchinson at LSU-Shreveport.

The ironic thing is that Hutchinson wasn't focused on the nationals, looking ahead to another meet that would secure his place at the world meet.

"I was training for the secondary (qualifying) meet for the worlds and it was rescheduled (from Aug. 1) to Aug. 30," he said. "I was definitely not at my peak for this lift. And I still hit a PR in the snatch."

The snatch - lifting the weight from the platform over one's head in a single, sweeping motion - is unique to amateur weightlifting, replacing the bench press that serves as one of the lifts in high school competition. High school veterans often struggle with the transition from the bench to the snatch, but not Hutchinson.

"Now that I'm into the sport, the snatch is my best lift. The coaching is really good at this level," said Hutchinson, who works under the supervision of Kyle Pierce. Pierce has spent 12 years training LSU-Shreveport weightlifters and began working with U.S. Olympic lifter Kendrick Farris at age 11.

Hutchinson moved to amateur weightlifting after a high school career that was both successful and frustrating. He finished second in the 2004 state meet as a junior, only to sprain his wrists two weeks before the 2005 state meet, where Hutchinson scratched.

"I never had any luck with the high school stuff," he said.

Perhaps not, but the experience whetted his appetite for the next level.

"It immediately became a passion for him," said his mother, Jane Hutchinson. "From my perspective as a parent, the day he walked through the doors of the gym at PHS and found this sport was a defining moment for him. Not all of us are lucky enough to find something we not only have the passion for but the ability to execute. It has provided him with many wonderful opportunities and experiences."

Those experiences include the 2008 World University Games in Greece with the U.S. team. He finished second in his weight class in the Criollo Cup competition in Puerto Rico. Hutchinson has worked with other great PHS weightlifting alumni such as Jonathan Garcia and Shelton Gilyard. Hutchinson hasn't met Bryan Jacob, the Palatka grad who competed in the 1992 and '96 Olympics, but knows him by reputation.

Hutchinson is majoring in kinesiology - exercise science - at LSU-Shreveport.

His biggest challenge in qualifying for the worlds might be to channel his enthusiasm.

"The only problem right now is my jerks. I get over-excited after I make my cleans," Hutchinson said. "I think I can get that corrected by August."