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Fredericksburg powerlifters set world marks

June 11, 2004 5:55 am

Fredericksburg's Kelly Felske and Bonnie Graube both set world records in the benchpress at the International Powerlifting Association's Strength Spectacular, held in Bethlehem, Pa. over Memorial Day weekend.

Felske, 51, bench-pressed 300 pounds in the women's 165-pound masters 50-54 year-old age division.

Meet director Mike Miller, who is a national judge and once served as chairmain of Pennsylvania's IPA, said Felske's lift made her the first woman older than 50 to bench 300 pounds in any powerlifting federation or weight class.

Graube, 49, benched 305 pounds in the women's 45-49-year-old 165-pound masters. This was Graube's 15th world record lift and the second time she has benched over 300 pounds in a competition.

Felske and Graube train together at Sport & Health at Four-Mile Fork in Fredericksburg.

Orange County will be the site of this year's Virginia scholastic trapshooting championships Saturday, June 19 at 8:30 a.m. at Piedmont Sportsmen's Club on Scott Street.

Youth from all over Virginia will compete for the state trapshooting title as part of a national competition.

Teams will compete in junior and senior divisions, with the winners representing Virginia in the Scholastic Clay Target Program national championships in Vandalia, Ohio on Aug. 12-13.

The competition is for boys and girls in grades 12-and-under. The kids compete in trap, skeet and sporting clays, and can win as much as $81,000 in college scholarships.

For more information, call Dianne Vrablic at 203/426-1320.

This is Gordon Gay's time of year. The 60-year old Stafford County attorney is up to the same old tricks in water skiing.

USA Water Ski announced on Wednesday that Gay has been named to the United States World Senior Trophy Water Ski Team.

The veteran skier will be part of the Senior 3 Class, which features skiers 55-and-older.

Last summer, Gay helped the U.S. senior team earn a gold medal at the World Senior Trophy tournament in Balakovo, Russia.

Gay, the team captain, won silver medals in the Men's Senior 3 division in slalom (2.5 at 32-off), tricks (2,100 points), jumping (97.8 feet) and overall (2,696.76 points).

This time around, Gay was one of eight selected by USA Water Ski. The team will compete for the 2004 World Senior Trophy on July 21-25 in Moissac, France.

Team members were selected based on their tournament performances from July 1, 2003 to June 1, 2004.

Stafford County's Michael Helms took the dramatic approach in advancing to the Virginia State Golf Association's Amateur Championship.

Helms outdueled Fredericksburg's Richard Kerr in a playoff hole to advance. Both shot a combined 154 in the two-day, 36-hole qualifying tournament, held at Stafford's Augustine Golf Club.

Other locals who advanced are Chris Shuford, Chris Kinzer, Greg Henderson, Brian Johnson and Cam Strahm. Kerr and Spotsylvania's Nic Weiss were named alternates.

Kinzer, Henderson and Johnson also qualified for the SunTrust State Open. Kerr, Weiss and Jason Bonner of Fredericksburg were tabbed as alternates for the event.

The National Organization for the Advancement of Hispanics will host its 10th annual soccer tournament June 26-27 at Pratt Park. The registraton fee is $425 per team with a first place cash prize. The event is open to the public, and food and drinks will be available. There is no admission charge for spectators.

For more information, e-mail mitawanagi@aol.com or visit noah-va.org.

The Commonwealth Soccer League, the area's only adult soccer league, will be holding its league championships on Sunday, June 20, at Loriella Park in Spotsylvania.

All four of the league's divisions will play as the day kicks off with the Third Division final at 10 a.m. Following the first match will be the Second Division final at noon and the First Division final at 2 p.m. The day concludes with the Premier Division final at 4 p.m.

There is no admission to the event and food and drinks will be served. For more information, visit commonwealthsoccer.org.

To reach TAFT COGHILL JR.: 540/374-5526 tcoghill@freelancestar.com