Local kids set records at event
By: John E. Powers
The objective of the Hillsborough High School Strength and Conditioning program is just that to make athletes stronger and fitter in their quest to improve their performances in the sports they play. If they happen to set a national or state weightlifting record along the way well, that’s OK, too.
This past Saturday, the New Jersey State Powerlifting Championships were held at Hillsborough High School and 15-year-old football player Chris Rossi, who will be a high school freshman in the fall, set state records in the squat, bench and dead lifts. Hillsborough’s Cassie Sperber, a 14-year-old, 18-year-old Angel Harnish and 18-year-old Christel Arribe also set state records.
Jim McFarland, the strength and conditioning coach at Hillsborough High School, said it was the first attempt of hosting a full meet where squat, bench and dead lift competition were held. Last year, only a bench event was hosted.
"It went pretty well," said McFarland, who added that 16 youngsters competed.
As for the Raiders, McFarland spoke like a proud papa.
"We had a nice showing," he said. "We’re becoming more accomplished."
The Raiders carried their momentum from an outing at the New Jersey High School Bench Press Championships at Hillsborough April 8.
"That’s my job (as strength coach) to make sure the kids have some goals to reach in their sports and power lifting helps them get there," McFarland said. "That’s our mission to have the kids shoot for something."
Rossi, listed as weighing 223 pounds and 8 ounces, squatted 132.5 kilograms, benched 92.5 and deadlifted 140 for a combined 365 and a first-place in the 242-pound class. Mike Beradesco won the 15-year-old 114-pound class with a 62½, 87½ and 100 for a combined 250 kilos.
The 109-pound Harnish won the 114-pound class with a 55 (squat), 37½ (bench) and 55 (dead) for a 148 total and a first place. Arribe won the 132-pound category with a 82½ (squat), 37½ (bench) and 82½ (dead) for a 203 combined. Sperber won at 148 by hitting 72½ (squat), 50 (bench) and 102½ (dead) for a combined 225 score. Nana Prempeh, 17, won the 132-pound class and 14-year-old Nick Salandra, son of coach Mark Salandra, was a winner at 181.
Joe Senerchia was second in the 17-year-old class at 198 and Matt Leon was a runner-up in the 16-year-old group at 198. Giovanni Cintorrino was fourth in the 198-pound class for 16-year-olds and Jake Latocha was fifth in the 14-year-old class at 198.
Rossi, Harnish, Sperber and Arribe were also winners at the bench press championships in April. Harnish is a hurdler; Arribe is a tennis player and Sperber is a cheerleader.
"(Sperber) actually has the potential of becoming a national-level powerlifter she went over 200 pounds in the deadlift and 100 in the bench she really did a nice job," McFarland said. "I really think (Cassie) was the best lifter of the meet. These kids don’t look like your average power lifter. They’re athletes."