BREWER -- The Maine Games State Powerlifting Championships are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25, at the Brewer Auditorium.

This year's powerlifting event kicks off year number five for the Maine Games and with the third annual state powerlifting championships and several state and national records could be challenged by athletes of all ages and sizes. Many current Maine Games records are expected to fall by the wayside when athletes gather for this meet.

All medalists for the 2007 Maine Games State Powerlifting Championships qualify for the 2009 State Games of America, scheduled for Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Saturday's meet is an unsanctioned meet for Sub-Open and Open category lifters who are not members of the United States Powerlifting Association. Many first-time lifters are expected to take part in this division, as well as some seasoned veterans. Sunday's meet is sanctioned by the USAPL, and all athletes competing in this meet must be USAPL members (membership available at the event). The USAPL sanctioning means that this meet is a drug-free event and random drug testing will be conducted following the event.

Several athletes to watch for this meet include Ginny Brockway, of Waterville, who last year, in her first Maine Games meet, set event records in the women's Open division at the 123-pound category in the squat (275 pounds),

Randi Kaplan, of Embden, 14-U Female lifter of the meet in 2006; photo by Steven Sharp.

bench press (143 pounds) and dead lift (270 pounds) for a total three-lift record of 688 pounds. Brockway was named the female lifter of the meet for her performance, making her, pound-for-pound, the strongest women in Maine.

Fourteen year old Randi Kaplan, of Embden, will also be competing. Kaplan was named the Sub-Open division female lifter of the meet last year with her performance at the bar.  Competing in the 148-pound weight class of the Women's 14U division, she set meet records in the squat (275), bench press (132), and deadlift (275), for a three-lift total of 683 pounds.

Chris Page, of Hermon is competing for his third straight year. He is the Maine Games record holder in the Men's Open 220-pound weight class, with a record squat of 601 pounds, and a deadlift of 606 pounds. His combined three-lift total in 2006 was also a record at 1,590 pounds.

Chris Page, of Hermon; photo by Steven Sharp.

Local favorite, Joe Coffin, who works for the Brewer Parks and Recreation Department, will also be competing in his third straight Maine Games. Coffin is the meet record holder in all three lifts (squat, 397; bench press, 270; and deadlift, 424; total 1,091 pounds) in the Men's 198-pound weight class of the Men's Grandmaster (ages 50-59) division.

The overall Maine Games meet records for male athletes are owned by Michael Kalter, of Saco, whose three-lift combined total is 1,786 pounds (squat, 661; bench press, 408; and deadlift, 716). Female overall meet records for this meet are owned by Karen Campbell, of Winterport in the bench press (385 pounds), and by Elaine Morey, of Bucksport, in the squat (292), deadlift (353) and three-lift total (805).

Doors open to the public for this event at 9:00 a.m. and the competition begins at 10:00 a.m. on both days.

This meet is hosted by Union Street Athletics, of Bangor, and the event commissioner is Louie Morrison, of Bangor.

The Black Bear Inn of Orono is the host hotel for this meet and athletes are encouraged to stay overnight if traveling from a great distance to be on hand early.

For more information about this meet, and other Maine Games events this year, log on to the Maine Games website: www.mainegames.org.