This past week was a very successful one for local powerlifters.

Five local lifers headed down to the North American Powerlifting Championships in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands last week and brought back five podium finishes, as well as four records.

Melanie Ziffle and Rhaea Stinn led the way for Moose Jaw as they each set records during the competition.

Moose Jaw's Aaron Ziffle competes in the deadlift at the North American Powerlifting Championships. (Submitted photo)

Ziffle won the 63-kilogram equipped division and came away with a Canadian and North American record in the bench press, lifting 116kg.

“I’m really pumped,” said Ziffle. “I executed my lifts really well... It was great, I had a great time and I lifted well.”

Ziffle had been putting in a lot of work overall, but specifically on the bench press and she’s happy with the result.

“It felt great, I had struggled with my bench at nationals in Regina in February, so to come back and put up a huge bench, it felt really good,” she said.

“I was really focused on a big bench and big deadlift, so I was able to hit one of my goals there.”

Ziffle ended up squatting 180kg and deadlifted 182.5kg, just missing on another North American record when she lost her grip on her lift of 190.5kg.

She said she’s looking forward to taking a little bit of break now before ramping training back up to head to the Open World Championship in Orlando in November.

“I’ll take about a week off and then get back into a program again,” said Ziffle. “We train about six days a week depending on work and kids and what not, but take some time off and then get right back in the gym.”

Stinn finished second in the 72kg equipped class and was able to set three national records in the process. She squatted 225kg, a record; benched 155kg, another record; and deadlifted 210kg for a 590kg total, which is also a record.

Her wilks of 578.33 was the best of any female in Canada.

Brittney Bergen won the classic 57kg division with a squat of 142.5kg, a bench of 82.5kg and a deadlift of 160kg for a total of 385kg and a wilks of 447.9, which was also good enough to win best female classic lifter of the championship.

Aaron Ziffle placed third in the 93kg equipped division after he squatted 310kg, benched 227.5kg and deadlifted 262.5kg. His bench was a personal best.

Ryan Stinn competed in the 120+kg equipped division, coming away with second place in the class. This was his first full competition of the year after dealing with some injuries and was able to squat 372.5kg, bench 280kg and deadlift 310kg.

There was also a local lifter in Kamloops, BC at the Western Canadian Championships over the weekend. Amee Mawson finished second in her 84+kg weight class. She squatted 135kg, benched 70kg and deadlifted 157.5kg.