Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Anna Cororaton/DP Senior Photographer Competitors in various weight classes face off during a benchpress competition at the Pottruck Fitness Center yesterday evening. HUP employee Richard Scarlett won the overall event, lifting a 425 lb weight. [Click to enlarge]

A baby elephant, on average, weighs 230 lbs.

Last night, Richard Scarlett benchpressed about one and a half baby elephants: 425 lbs. at Pottruck's benchpress competition.

The hour-long event, open to anyone in the Philadelphia community, started at 7 p.m. after the 30 participants weighed in to determine their respective weight classes.

Each lifter had to maintain four points of contact at all times, and feet could not come off the ground. In addition, no arching of the back was allowed, and the lifted bar could not sink or bounce during the lift.

Because only two women participated in the competition, they were in the same weight class, and College senior Kaelin Ainley proved victorious, pressing 95 lbs.

Still, Ainley seemed a bit disappointed in herself.

"I thought it sucked. I only did 95 lbs. … I usually do 125, and I thought I'd have to go that high," she said.

The 28 men were divided up into four different weight classes that varied by 25-lb. increments.

Engineering junior Michael Provenzano won the under-150-lb. grouping, bench pressing 235 lbs.

His friends all cheered loudly after his win, claiming Provenzano was a "descendant of Sparta" and had "more veins than a heroin addict."

Provenzano himself was a bit more humble, noting that he performed better than he thought he would.

"There was good competition, and the other guys were neck and neck," he said.

Penn facilities employee Michael Garr won the 150 to 175 weight class - the largest, with 14 participants.

Though it was his first time in the competition, Garr seemed confident.

"I knew I was going to win, 100 percent," he said.

Continued...

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