On the first day of the USA Weightlifting National Championships two divisions decided their national champions. In the men’s 56kg division Darren Barnes was the national champion fairly easily lifting 110kg in the snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk to total 240kg and win by 25kg over Brey Kobashigawa and Andrew Cheung. Jacob Horst was the winner in the men’s 62kg division leading the field by 4kg after a 106kg snatch and then lifting 132kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a 238kg score and defeat Dillon Casillas by 9kg.

Caleb Williams was the top competitor in the men’s 69kg division with a total score of 295kg though he’s not expected to stay atop the standings once the Olympic trials happen on Sunday. The same story is true in the women’s 48kg division where Hayley Reichardt and Megan Seegert both scored 157kg and in the women’s 58kg division where Sarabeth Phillips scored a 196kg total.

There could be some intrigue on Sunday in the women’s 53kg division as Caitlin Hogan hit every lift she attempted topping out at 77kg on the snatch and 105kg on the clean and jerk to post a big score of 182kg. That score matches the top qualifying score that has Cortney Batchelor competing in the trials on Sunday so if she struggles some Hogan has a real shot at the national championship.

Saturday will feature the men’s 77kg, 85kg, and 94kg divisions, along with the women’s 63kg and 69kg divisions. All these divisions have competitors in the Olympic trials on Sunday so national champions will not be decided on Saturday.

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