The USOEC weightlifting team has competed in important events over the summer and traveled all over the world to perform successfully.

The first competition the team participated at was the National Weightlifting Championships on July 15-17 at Council Bluffs, Iowa. The USOEC athletes were competing against past Olympians, former and present world team members.

Junior Chris Lenahen finished eighth at 94 kg with a 132 kg snatch, a 165 kg clean and jerk, and a 297 kg total score.

On the women’s side, the team had two medalists: Senior Allie Henry at 69 kg and Vanessa McCoy at 63 kg. Henry brought home a silver medal, lifting 88kg snatch, 100kg clean and jerk, and a 188kg total.

McCoy’s total score was six kilograms above the second and third place finishers at 181 kg. Her highest snatch was 83 kg, six kilograms above her closest competitor, and her clean and jerk lift was 98 kg. This competition was McCoy’s first after over a year of rehab from a shoulder surgery; she placed first at the National Championships.

USOEC head weightlifting coach Andy Tysz said, McCoy’s totals were impressive considering she was coming off of an injury.

“I was very pleased with Vanessa. She hasn’t been able to compete for a long time due to injury,” Tysz said. “For her first competition in all that time, she came out and did three kilograms under her all-time personal record, which is fantastic.”

Tysz said that with time she will surpass her previous records.

“I think with a bit more focus and concentration that during the next competition she is going to crush her previous personal record of 184 kg,” Tysz said.

The USOEC also had two athletes make the Junior World team: sophomore Tim Scott and junior Andrew Vrabel, both competing at 69 kg. They traveled to Malaysia for the 2011 Junior World Weightlifting Championships, where Vrabel placed 15th and Scott finished 16th.

Four USOEC athletes qualified for the USA Weightlifting World University team at the National Collegiate Competition in Shreveport, La. earlier on in the year. Three of the four athletes traveled to Shenzhen, China, to compete for the USA; senior Steve Jarvis at 105 kg, junior Robin Feuerman at 69 kg, and Henry also at 69 kg. USA Weightlifting chose Tysz as the coach to lead the 2011 World University team.

Tysz said he was excited that so many athletes from his team qualified for the world team.

“I’m happy with four USOEC athletes qualifying and three going,” Tysz said. “It is very gratifying personally as a coach, being able to help so many athletes make a world team.”

Senior Steve Jarvis was coming off a back injury when he qualified for the team, and was thrilled to have competed so well.

“Collegiates went really well. I made my best lift personal record coming off a back injury and took first place,” Jarvis said.

While this wasn’t his first international competition, it was his first World University team. Jarvis describes the University Games being set up similar to the Olympic Games.

“I’ve gone to Italy before, but this was different; it was outrageous, the whole city was painted for this and they rebuild sections of the city for the games,” Jarvis said. “From the minute we got off the plane we were treated like superstars. We even had our own customs agents going into Hong Kong.”

Second time world team member Henry said she was already used to traveling internationally and was prepared after competing in Taiwan at the 2012 World University Games.

“It was less of a shock this time because it was another Asian country, so I expected the same thing,” Henry said.

Tysz said that while the athletes didn’t medal, he is still happy with the lifts they completed.

“During training there were more rough days than what I would have liked to see,” Tysz said. “For the athletes to come out with the results that they did at the World Universities was better than I had initially expected.”