The accomplishments of two powerlifting Michaels from Whitehall may allow them to to be called Iron Mike from on...

Competing in his first sanctioned meet, Mike Tsamutalis, a 16-year-old Zephyr sophomore, took first place in the teen 15-16-year-old division, 181-pound class at the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Northeastern USA Regional Championships in Oaks last Saturday, Dec. 1.

Weighing in at 171 pounds, a full 10 pounds under the class limit, young Mike squatted 352 pounds, benched pressed 198 pounds, and deadlifted 402 for a 952-pound total. His squat and deadlift were personal bests.

His counterpart, veteran lifter Mike Kuhns, 27, won the 132-pound class with a 529-pound squat, 303-pound bench press and 380-pound deadlift for a 1,212 total. Kuhns' squat was an American record and he became the first in the USAPL to achieve a four-times bodyweight "raw" (no wraps) squat lift. His efforts earned him the Best Lifter Award out of the 209 competitors in 10 weight classes.

Both Mikes' gold-medal placings provided the maximum team points that helped their team, Twin City Powerlifting Club, outpoint three other teams and claim the prestigious team title award. All USAPL competitions are drug-tested for steroids and other performance enhancers.