Hamlin sets record, wins state lifting title|[04/01/07]

Published 12:00 am Sunday, April 1, 2007

The Vicksburg Gators didn’t win a state powerlifting championship on Saturday, but Jeremy Hamlin did.

The Vicksburg sophomore set a state-meet record with a 580-pound dead lift and another record with a total of 1,335 pounds in the dead lift, squat and bench press to win the 148-pound title at the Class 5A state meet at Madison Central.

&#8220We felt like he was going to win no problem, but to break that record is very impressive. That record had stood for a while,” Vicksburg assistant coach Jackie Williamson said.

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Hamlin’s effort, along with second-place finishes by Eric Perkins in the 123-pound weight class and Hugh Norfort in the 132-pound class, helped the Gators finish fourth in the team standings. The defending Class 5A champs totaled 23 points, 13 behind Northwest Rankin.

Northwest totaled 36 points to win its first state powerlifting title, a feat that was impressive given its low numbers. It only had six lifters in the meet, meaning it needed to win in every event – and it did.

Warren Central senior Mark Wooten also earned a medal, finishing third in the 308-pound weight class.