By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
June 5, 2002
The fourth annual Iron Mike Bench Press Championships saw James Wren of Nettleton and Kathy Wren of Tupelo lift their way to overall male and female championship honors.
The meet was held on May 25 at the National Guard Armory in Quitman.
James Wren had the lift of the tourney, bench pressing 580 pounds. He won first place in the heavyweight and super heavyweight class. He also was the overall champion.
Gina Wren cleared 190 pounds to win the women's division and was named the best overall female lifter.
Casey Kennedy of Louisiana placed first in the 198-pound category and also won first for best overall lightweight champ by bench pressing 475 pounds at a body weight of 195.
Local winners included Ricardo Clayton of Lauderdale County, Jim Lyons of Meridian, Robert Conner of Pachuta, John Hayes of Heidelberg and Walter Evans of Vossburg.
Clayton, a deputy sheriff for Lauderdale County, recorded a lift of 550 pounds in the super heavyweight division. He took first place in the best overall Fireman/Policeman division.
Lyons won first place in the Masters III class with a bench press of 205 pounds.
Conner won the 220-pound class at 375 pounds.
Hayes won first place in the teenage division (17-19) in the 275-pound class with a lift of 375 pounds.
Evans won the 165-pound class with a lift of 370. He also earned an award for best overall body weight for reps contest.
Others of note included 52-year-old Emmanuel Howard of Baton Rouge, La., who placed first in the Masters Division bench-pressing 360 pounds.
Bobby King of Tupelo won first in the 181-pound (17-19) division with 335 pounds. Seth Jordan of Tupelo won the (17-19) 148-pound class with a lift of 315.