Sports
Phillips, Vincent and Bishop heading to Nationals
Thursday, 28 June 2012 by Chuck Kelly
Phoenix Phillips, Maddie Vincent and Jake Bishop, left to right, will compete in the Youth National Weightlifting Championships this weekend in Dearborn, Michigan. Two Belton teenagers and a pre-teen have qualified for the Youth National Weightlifting Championships next month in Dearborn, Michigan.
This will be the very first national competition for 14-year-old Madison (Maddi) Vincent, 13-year-old Phoenix Phillips and 12-year-old Jake Bishop.
All three train in Olympic-style weight lifting with Chad Vaughn, co-owner and coach at Cross Fit Centex on Sparta Road.
"To the rest of the world, this sport is known simply as weightlifting but we have to label it Olympic-style so that it isn't confused with body building or powerlifting," Vaughn explained. "They will contest in just two lifts....snatch and clean and jerk....and will get three attempts in each event. The best or highest combined total weight is the winner."
Cross Fit is a combination of a lot of different functional movements that require using your entire body. Weightlifting is just a very small portion of what "crossfitters" do. The cross Fit gym is why these three youngsters are involved in weightlifting. Their parents were involved in Cross Fit and they began working out and lifting weights to get in good shape for school sports.
Maddi, daughter of Gina and Richard Vincent. will be a freshman next fall at Belton High School.
"My dad heard about Cross Fit from a friend and opened one and I started training and liked it," she explained. "I played point guard on the Lake Belton basketball team and the training really helped me as far as speed, vertical and agility. I'm kind of nervous but really excited about going to nationals. My best event probably is the clean and jerk. My PR is 51K."
Phoenix, an 8th grader-to-be at BMS, is the son of Damon and Sally Phillips. "I'm excited and nervous at the same time about nationals. I just don't know what to expect," he said. "I was doing cross Fit about a year ago and my dad wanted me to learn some other techniques, so I started weight lifting, loved it and have been doing it ever since. The snatch is probably my best...a have about a 46K. I just hope to do my best."
Jake, the son of Van and Angie Bishop, will also be an 8th grader at BMS in the fall.
"My friend, Phoenix, started lifting weights and got me into it. Now, I love it, it's addictive," he commented. "I'm really excited and a little nervous about the trip to nationals but I'm ready. I want to do good."
Vaughn says the three usually have classes about twice a week and he sees them regularly in the gym.
"They're currently the only three youngsters that I work with," he stated." They work hard and are all talented. They just get better day by day. They are very dedicated and I'm proud for them to go to their first national competition....This is just the beginning for them."
Hundreds of youngsters will be competing in different age and weight classifications at the Youth National Weightlifting Championships this weekend in Dearborn, Michigan.
Then, it's back to Belton and getting ready for football, basketball, softball, track...and....powerlifting?
