Topic: 2009 Criollo Cup

[Sean Hutchinson]

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Ten U.S. collegiate athletes came home with medals after the XXIV Criollo Cup concluded on Sunday in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

"This competition was used as a replacement for the World University Championships which were not held this year and we congratulate these athletes for this wonderful effort, and great performance at an international competition," said Mike Gattone (Libertyville, Ill.), USA Weightlifting Director of High Performance and Coaching Education.  Several American Collegiate records were set by U.S. team members, as doping control was administered at the event and international referees officiated at the tournament.

Three members of the squad won gold medals in their divisions.

Josh Barnett (Sanford, Fla.) won the title in the 56kg division where he set new American Collegiate Records in the snatch (86kg) and clean and jerk (116kg) as well as the total category where his mark of 202kg smashed the previous five-year-old record by 27kg.

Collin Ito (Marquette, Mich.) won the +105kg division where he set a new American Collegiate Record in the clean and jerk with a lift of 200kg.

Sean Hutchinson (Shreveport, La.) won the U.S. Team's third gold medal of the day, winning the 62kg division where he snatched 109kg, clean and jerked 135kg and totaled 244kg.

Erin Wallace (Shreveport, La.) fell just short of winning gold in the 75kg division, but her silver medal finish also gave her a new American Collegiate Record with her total score of 201kg.

Medals were awarded in the snatch, clean & jerk and total categories.  Each of an athlete's three attempts per lift are noted.  U.S. medalists included the following players with weight category noted after each athlete's current residence:

Sarah Cowles (Marquette, Mich. / 53kg)
Snatch: (60kg, 63kg, 65kg), Silver
Clean & Jerk: (80kg, 83kg, 85kg), Silver
Total: 148kg, Silver

Megan Kranz (Shreveport, La. / 63kg)
Snatch: (70kg, 74kg, 77kg), Silver
Clean & Jerk: (88kg, 92kg, 94kg), Silver
Total: 171kg, Silver

Erin Wallace (Shreveport, La. / 75kg)
Snatch: (86kg, 86kg, 90kg), Silver
Clean & Jerk: (104kg, 107kg, 111kg), Silver
Total: 201kg, Silver

Samantha Zimmerman (Mobile, Ala. / 75kg)
Snatch: (75kg, 78kg, 81kg), Bronze
Clean & Jerk: (101kg, 105kg, 105kg), Bronze
Total: 186kg, Bronze

Josh Barnett (Sanford, Fla. / 56kg)
Snatch: (82kg, 86kg, 89kg), Gold
Clean & Jerk: (109kg, 113kg, 116kg), Gold
Total: 202kg, Gold

Sean Hutchinson (Shreveport, La. / 62kg)
Snatch: (105kg, 109kg, 114kg), Gold
Clean & Jerk: (127kg, 135kg, 139kg), Gold
Total: 244kg, Gold

Mike Soha (Shreveport, La. / 77kg)
Snatch: (114kg, 118kg, 122kg), Bronze
Clean & Jerk: (144kg, 144kg, 149kg), Bronze
Total: 267kg

Shaughnessy McDermott (Shreveport, La. / 105kg)
Snatch: (128kg, 128kg, 128kg), Bronze
Clean & Jerk: (150, 160, 168kg), Silver                   
Total: 288kg, Silver

Collin Ito (Marquette, Mich. / +105kg)
Snatch: (145kg, 150kg, 155kg), Gold
Clean & Jerk: 185kg, 195kg, 201kg), Gold
Total: 351kg, Gold

Shane Maier (Northbrook, Ill. / +105kg)
Snatch: (140kg, 140kg, 145kg), Silver
Clean & Jerk: (180kg, 185kg, 190kg), Silver
Total: 330kg, Silver

The team was led by men's coach Andy Tysz (Marquette, Mich.) and women's coach Joaquin Chavez (Albuquerque, N.M.)