Coast Guard members powerlift to victory.

Four Coast Guard members from across the country met just outside San Diego, Calif., on June 18 and 19 for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), North American Powerlifting Championships. The AAU is the host organization for the Junior Olympics and one of the few powerlifting federations that require stringent drug testing. In short, it was the perfect stage for the Coast Guard to compete against the country's best amateur fillers.

After months of training, Boatswain Mate First Class Greg Babst from Coast Guard Station Chetco River, Ore., was convinced tiffs would be the day to break the 650-pound deadlift mark. A seasoned surfman and powerlifter, the 242-pound Babst ripped an astonishing 622 pounds on his second attempt to win the gold medal. For his final attempt, he nearly completed a 650-pound lift, but his previous lift was still good enough to earn him the Best Deadlifter Award.

Also in the 242-pound class, Storekeeper Third Class Jason Parrish from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., competed in his first international powerlifting event. Parrish benched a strong 330 pounds and deadlifted an easy 534 pounds. His 864-pound push-pull (bench and deadlift) total earned him first place in the military division. A natural powerlifter, Parrish hopes to break the 1,000-pound push-pull total by year's end.

At 275 pounds, Chief Warrant Officer Bob Cuddeback of Coast Guard Marine Safety Office San Francisco, Calif., deadlifted a strong 573 pounds to capture the gold medal in the military division. A regular on the powerlifting circuit for the past decade, Cuddeback already holds the AAU military bench press record with a 430-pound raw lift.

Lieutenant Adam Chorale, from the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, N.J., also competed in the event. He pressed 36,3 pounds to set a new AAU military record iii the 165 pound raw division. Chamie was named the meet's best lifter in the military/law enforcement division.

Despite having only four members on the Coast Guard team, they outscored the other military lifters to capture the team trophy in the military division. This was the second title for the Coast Guard in the past year.

The team is now preparing fin" the World Powerlifting Federation's "World Championships in Chihuahua, Mexico in November.