The USOEC men’s and women’s weightlifting teams continued their trek toward the 2008 summer Olympics as the athletes won a silver and four bronze medals at the National Weightlifting Championships Feb. 29 – March 2.

“Everyone was working hard in training, but the results weren’t always there,” USOEC weightlifting coach Andy Tysz said. “They went into the meet and just ramped it up and made some lifts that they hadn’t even been making in training.”

Junior Justin Brimhall earned a bronze medal in the 77 kg weight class with a snatch movement of 130 kg. Brimhall also lifted 150 kg in the clean-and-jerk, which was good enough to earn a bronze medal in the overall competition with a combined total of 280 kg.

Senior Paul Roberts captured a silver medal in the snatch movement with a lift of 135 kg and a bronze medal in the clean-and-jerk with a lift of 170 kg in the 85 kg weight class. Roberts’ overall total of 305 kg earned him a bronze medal in the overall competition at the 85 kg weight.

The USOEC women weightlifters also fared well in the competition, with freshman Chelsea Kyle leading the way with a fifth place finish in the 58 kg weight class. Junior Alexandria Argueta finished seventh in the 63 kg division and senior Ashley Suggs finished seventh at 69 kg with a personal-record lift of 96 kg in the clean-and-jerk.

USOEC weightlifters will compete again on April 11-13 when they travel to Reno, Nev. to compete at the National Collegiate Championships to finish their season.

“The nationals is important, but the collegiate meet is our meet,” Tysz said. “We’re real pumped and looking forward to going into that meet and doing great.”