Back on Sunday, April 26, the Palmerton football team hosted their 11th annual Blue Bomber Invitational Weightlifting Meet at the high school gymnasium.

There were 144 football players representing Palmerton, Panther Valley, Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua, Palisades, Northampton, Souderton and Whitehall high schools along with their family members, friends and coaches.

For the fourth consecutive year, Whitehall captured the team championship. The 36 team points earned by the Zephyrs were enough to better second place Tamaqua's 27 and third place Palisades' 22 for the team title.

Most outstanding lifters were awarded to the best performance in the 14-15 and 16-18 year old divisions by adding the lifters best bench and squat attempts then dividing it by their body weight. The most outstanding lifter in the 16-18 year old division was Jared Scott of Palisades, who lifted in the 165 pound class. He benched 240 pounds and squatted 420 pounds for a 660 pound total.

Mike Ajami from Whitehall won the 14-15 year old division most outstanding lifter by bench pressing 255 pounds and squatting 340 pounds for a total of 595 pounds in the 180 pound weight class.

One meet record was tied on the day, Palisades Jared Scott weighed at 162.2 in the 16-18 year old division at 165 pound weight class tied fellow Pirate Tyler Saxton's 2009 record of a 660 pound total. The 144 lifters in attendance were a record number for the Blue Bomber Invitational.

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Whitehall 36; 2. Tamaqua 27; 3. Palisades 22; 4. Souderton 18; 5. Northampton 16; 6. Palmerton 10; 7. Jim Thorpe 6; 8. Panther Valley 5

Listed below are the medal winners with their overall total and squat and bench lifts in parenthesis. The lifts were performed 'raw' meaning no knee wraps, bench shirts or wrist wraps.

14-15 year old division

120 pounds

GOLD: Jhodari Reid, Whitehall, 345 (200/145)

SILVER: Tanner Burnett, Palmerton

135 pounds

GOLD: Jared Colletti, Palisades 440 (265/175)

SILVER: Trey Gretzinger, Palisades

BRONZE: Cody Waterhouse, Palmerton

150 pounds

GOLD: Trace Hermany, Tamaqua 480 (285/195)

SILVER: DJ Cofield, Whitehall

BRONZE: Tavion George, Whitehall

165 pounds

GOLD: Dez Boykin, Whitehall 550 (325, 225)

SILVER: Cole George, Palmerton

BRONZE: Braxton Marrero, Whitehall

180 pounds

GOLD: Mike Ajami, Whitehall 595 (340/255)

SILVER: Dajone, Averett, Souderton

BRONZE: Roy Reeves, Whitehall

195 pounds

GOLD: Jordan Georgis, Tamaqua 595 (385/210)

SILVER: Jack Donnelly, Palisades

BRONZE: Matt Weaver, Tamaqua

210 pounds

GOLD: Tristan Blasko, Panther Valley 530 (315/215)

SILVER: Jakob Hudak, Whitehall

BRONZE: Markes Cruz, Whitehall

225 pounds

GOLD: Brett Legath, Whitehall 485 (320/165)

SILVER: Joseph Barrasso, Northampton

HWT

GOLD: Jon Fikentscher, Jim Thorpe 660 (405/255)

SILVER: James Jandris, Northampton

BRONZE: Adam Klatka, Tamaqua

16-18 year-old division

150 pounds

GOLD: Jovani Datis-Cordero, Northampton 580 (350/230)

SILVER: Blake Cassalia, Palisades

BRONZE: Nick Blessing, Souderton

165 pounds

GOLD: Jared Scott, Palisades, 660 (420/240)

SILVER: Chance Szabo, Tamaqua

BRONZE: Zach Force, Souderton

180 pounds

GOLD: Ryan Voss, Soudeton 650 (410/240)

SILVER: Darius Mensah, Whitehall

BRONZE: Robbie Heller, Jim Thorpe

195 pounds

GOLD: Phil Stolfi, Souderton 710 (425/285)

SILVER: Adam Kuryona, Northampton

BRONZE: Adrian Mieses, Whitehall

210 pounds

GOLD: Bud Moyer, Tamaqua 745 (445/300)

SILVER: Jeff Miles, Palisades

BRONZE: Andrew Stein, Souderton

225 pounds

GOLD: Phil Reeves, Whitehall 750 (470/280)

SILVER: Zac Merenda, Tamaqua

BRONZE: Anthony Tate, Souderton

240 pounds

GOLD: Shane Gibbs, Whitehall 685 (385/300)

SILVER: Aaron Rega, Tamaqua

BRONZE: Tanner Hamm, Tamaqua

255 pounds

GOLD: Tyler Meyers, Whitehall 295 (295/0)

HWT

GOLD: Owen Miller, Palmerton 765 (470, 295)

SILVER: Logan Koehler, Northampton

BRONZE: Colin Gerancher Northampton