Northlanders lift NZ benchmarks

Having done the hard yards in the gym, Kerikeri's Caleb Wright stepped down off the bench a New Zealand record holder at the 2010 National Bench Press Championships, in Whangarei.
Wright was one of several Northland competitors who broke national records at the annual contest at the Kingsgate Hotel on Saturday.
The Kerikeri 18-year-old, who did not compete last year due to injury, has recovered stronger than ever and comfortably broke the sub junior (under-18) 90kg record of 147.5kg.
Wright eased his way into the competition with a first lift of 145kg, and then broke the NZ record on his second lift of an impressive 150kg, which also qualified him to compete in next year's World Powerlifting Junior Championships in Austria.
On his third and final lift, Wright tried to better the record weight by 7.5kg, but struggled to convince the judges it was a correct lift.
"I thought I had it in the first half of the lift but I didn't quite get the top half," the Kerikeri High student said.
While pleased with the effort, especially after dropping to 88kg since his last competition where he lifted at 92kg, it is back to his home town gym Community Fitness Kerikeri to train under the direction of his trainer Anthony Warren for his next major competition - the 2010 Oceania Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships in Apia during December.
"I'm aiming for the Oceanias in a few months where I want to crack the Oceania record of 162kg before I think about the World Champs," he said.
More national records fell as the 44 competitors battled it out.
Northland's juniors did the region proud, with Shaun Wordley setting a NZ record in the sub junior 125kg class, lifting 140kg, while Nikita Kneebone cranked 121kg in the sub junior 75kg category to set a new national record.
Kerikeri's Laura Johnston added to the record books with her lift of 73kg in the sub junior 67.5kg class.
Kaitaia's Taari Murray lifted a huge 110kg in the master 40 plus women's 82.5kg class while an interesting tussle developed between Marie Soffe and Debbie Turner in the master 50 plus women's 67.5kg class. Otago's Soffe set a new national record by heaving 90kg on her second lift, which Waikato/Bay of Plenty lifter Turner bettered when she hoisted 92.5kg.
Soffe tried to bench 93kg on her third attempt but failed, leaving Turner to claim national title holder status.
Rennie Soffe, also from Otago, set a new record in the master men's 50 plus 100kg division, pumping 217.5kg of iron.
The only open division record to fall was the men's 60kg class, where Adam Keen hoisted 105kg.
Meanwhile, Bernard Sanders and Douglas Mienie showed the youngsters how it should be done, with Sanders from Canterbury contesting the masters 70 plus 82.5kg lifting 110kg, which was a national and Oceania record, while Mienie, in the masters 70 plus 100kg class, lifted 117.5kg.