Powerlifters compete in championships

Don Botkin
NLJ Reporter
 
Two local men competed on a national level at the recent International Powerlifting League North American Championship powerlifting meet held Nov. 3-6 in St. Louis, Mo. Chris Hintz and Alonzo Sandoval competed alongside some of the best powerlifters from around the nation. 
Hintz and Sandoval both qualified to compete in St. Louis after successfully meeting lifting criteria in a meet in Laramie this past summer. Both men had acquired Class 1 totals in their respective age and weight classes. Sandoval’s Class 1 total combined lifts in bench press, deadlift and squat were at least 1,229 pounds and Hintz’s totals needed to be at least 1,267 pounds. 
Sandoval competed at 110 kilogram weight in the Open age class. The Open age class range is from 24 to 39 years old and is highly competitive in powerlifting. Facing off against 17 other lifters in his class, Sandoval finished in the middle of the pack with three impressive lift results. His squat was 480 pounds, while he hoisted 308 pounds in the bench press, and added a 579 pound deadlift. His official meet total lift was 1,367 pounds. 
Coming back from a training injury earlier this year, Sandoval said, his training for the meet didn’t peak until later in October, a few weeks out from the meet. He said that his training routine leading up to the meet was affected by the injury, and making sure that he was progressing without risking a re-injury was the most important thing to him.
Similarly, Hintz had to fight back from a serious injury that landed him in a Denver burn unit, and forced him to miss over five weeks of training. Despite this incredible hurdle, Hintz was still able to compete in the 125kg Open class. He bounced back to post staggering total lift results of a 507-pound squat, 331-pound bench press, and a 573-pound deadlift, totaling out at 1,411 pounds for the meet overall. Hintz was able to finish mid-pack, facing off against nine other lifters in his class. 
Sandoval and Hintz both flew to St. Louis with their spouses, Salina Sandoval and Ashley Hintz. Along with the support that their wives provided, Sandoval and Hintz said that they were also able to have some fun during their stay at the four-day event. Included in their sightseeing was a trip in the elevator to the top of the Gateway Arch. Hintz said that the wives had to peer-pressure him and Sandoval into doing it, but that it was awesome and worth it.   
Sandoval said that it was great getting to meet so many strong competitors from around the country, and it is an experience that he will not ever forget. His plans are to keep competing, and he is looking forward to pushing harder than ever. Hintz has set his own new lifting goals for next year, and both he and Sandoval are already signed up for their next meet in Casper in April 2023. They will be competing along with several other Newcastle lifters in the event.
Hintz and Sandoval are both employed at the local refinery and have been training and competing in powerlifting for several years. They train at a couple of local gyms, but do most of their heavy lifting at the Newcastle High School weight room. 
More information on the upcoming powerlifting events is available at uspa.net and powerlifting-ipl.com.