With such a short season, the USOEC weightlifting team has only a few events to progress and improve from. The team said they agree practice is important and perfection is key. These athletes work on their specific weightlifting event in a small Rocky-style facility located at Northern Michigan University in the Superior Dome.

The weightlifting team consist of both male and female athletes. As an intersquad event, the weightlifting events take place outside of the state of Michigan.

Sophomore weightlifter Holly Krzeminski is one of the female athletes on the USOEC weightlifting team. Krzeminski placed sixth at the University Nationals in Tennessee last season. Krzeminksi said traveling outside Michigan is one of the more exciting aspects of being a part of the USOEC weightlifting team and that it’s good to get away from the Upper Peninsula.

Weightlifting may be a hard sport to understand, but Krzeminski said they train all year round just like any other sport.

“We don’t have a season,” Krzeminski said. “But this year is exciting because we have many returning people and many new people in the gym.”

Lifting weights is part of the sport, but Krzeminski said a great gym environment is also essential to create great team confidence. Sophomore Levi Hoffman is joining the USOEC program for the first time this season. Hoffman won gold at the Mid-American Championship in Chicago, Illinois. in 2011. Hoffman said he has some personal and team goals he wants to see accomplished this season.

“A personal goal I want to accomplish is medaling at University Nationals,” Hoffman said. “A team goal would be to win the overall team trophy at University Nationals.”

Although the USOEC weightlifting group of athletes is a team, the results depend on each individual’s performance. The athletes can be awarded strictly based off their individual results and also as a group. Similar to sports like swimming, weightlifting is as much of a team sport as it is an individual sport.

Krzeminski said she has specific goals for the team, aside from her own personal goals.

“Personally I’d like to stay injury free this year,” Krzeminski said. “I would like to see everyone make it to a national meet and of course stay injury free.”

Head Coach Vance Newgard has been around the sport of weightlifting since he did so at his high school in Illinois. Newgard medaled in a number of events including two gold medals in 2004 while at the 23-Under National Weightlifting Championships and the Collegiate National Weightlifting Championships.

With only four events this semester, Krzeminski said she doesn’t want to get to ahead of herself in preparing for the travel this season.

“The American Open is a big event we have every year during the winter in Texas,” Krzeminski said. “That’s very far away though, and I like to take things one day at a time.”

Hoffman said he, like Krzeminski, is happy about getting away during the winter season.

“I’m looking forward to travel to Dallas,” Hoffman said. “It’ll be nice to get some warm weather in December.”