Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 27, 1990 TAG: 9006270020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bob Teitlebaum Sportswriter
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Shawn Franklin got a call from a friend two years ago to go lift weights and from that day on, he's been a confirmed advocate of powerlifting.
Franklin, 16, and his friend went to Mike's Olympic Gym in Mechanicsville. That experience was enough to make him give up the traditional sports of football and wrestling.
Franklin is one of the headliners who will participate in the powerlifting competition of the Virginia CorEast State Games. The powerlifting competition will be held Saturday, July 7, at Northside High starting at 10 a.m.
Franklin won the American Powerlifting Federation Championship, setting a world record for the squat, dead lift and total for his weight division (132 pounds) and age group at the time (14-15).
He also holds the state men's open squat record.
Going to Mike's Olympic Gym might have tweaked his interest, but it wasn't his first experience in powerlifting, and it was there were he found his guru, Mike Cravens.
"I had always lifted, but when I went to the gym that day, I liked the environment and kept going back," Franklin said.
Franklin actually began lifting four years ago, "messing around" with weights as he says.
"I moved into this neighborhood and there weren't that many kids. So I stayed home and lifted weights. Now it's like a career. I look forward to competing. The feeling of winning is nothing like I've been through before."
Franklin was on an unbeaten junior high wrestling team. He gave up wrestling and recreation football for powerlifting.
"It was a big decision and my teammates didn't understand. Once I started winning and going to better meets, they were very supportive."
At Northside, there will be divisions for ages 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-39 and 40-and-over for male and female entrants. Those groups will be divided into different weight classes with about 11 in each age division.
There are three basic lifts - the squat, bench press and deadlift. Competitors have the opportunity to do three of each lift and the best one will be taken to add up to a total score. Unless there is a state or national record on the line, only the total score counts.
by CNB