2024 Saskatchewan Provincial Championships

Written By Daniel Heintz

SOME of the Bridge City Barbell Team.

Bridge City Barbell’s Success at the 2024 Saskatchewan Provincial Powerlifting Championships

This past weekend, the Bridge City Barbell Powerlifting Team made its mark at the 2024 Saskatchewan Provincial Championships in Martensville, SK. The event brought together the province’s strongest athletes, and we are incredibly proud of the team’s accomplishments.

Team Highlights

Our athletes showcased months of hard work, discipline, and dedication. Here are some of the standout performances from the weekend:

  • JAKE PACZKO, one of our long time athletes working with Thomas Johnston, competed in the OPEN 93kg class, Squatted 272.5kg (601lbs), broke one of the longest standing open records in Saskatchewan Powerlifting with a Bench Press of 185.5kg (409lbs) and Deadlifted 282.5kg (622lbs) breaking the 93kg TOTAL record, took home 1st place and won BEST OVERALL in the Men’s OPEN Division with 740.5kg (1,632lbs) scoring 97.14 GL Points.

  • SARAH NOVECOSKY, whose been working the Danny Heintz for the past year, competed in the OPEN +84kg, Squatted 185kg (407lbs), Bench Pressed 87.5kg (192lbs) and Deadlifted 195kg (429lbs), bringing her Total to 467.5kg (1,030lbs) to secure 1st place in a competitive weight class and BEST OVERALL in the Women’s OPEN Division scoring 81.36 GL Points.

  • JALEN NELSON, a long time athlete, working with Danny Heintz, competed Bench-Only in the OPEN 66kg class, putting up an impressive 147.5kg (325lbs) Bench Press, taking home the BEST OVERALL Men’s Bench Press scoring 84.29 GL Points.

  • KELSEY GUDMUNDSON (Coach), made her Bench-Only debut, working with Danny Heintz for the past year, battling some significant injuries, was able to hit 80kg (176lbs), securing BEST OVERALL Women’s Bench Press with a score of 64.69 GL Points.

  • MATT BUDNEY, has been working with Danny Heintz for the past year, competed in the OPEN 120kg class, and hit a Deadlift of 342.5kg (755lbs) breaking the provincial Deadlift record by 2.5kg, and with it, the TOTAL record, totaling 802.5kg (1,769lbs). This lift is also the heaviest lift in Saskatchewan Classic Powerlifting history!

  • THOMAS JOHNSTON (Coach), battled injury after injury leading into this competition, but kept a cool head and adjusted his training, to allow for recovery and progression throughout the weeks approaching the meet. He Squatted 275kg (606lbs) which was a 27.5kg (60lbs) PR!

The team competed in the Club Championships as well, where we take the total GL Points from x1 Classic Bench-Only Athlete, x1 Equipped Bench-Only Athlete, 2 Classic Powerlifting Athletes, and x1 Equipped Powerlifting Athlete. With a total of 421.9 GL Points, we won BEST CLUB for the 3rd year in a row!

Coaching and Community

Our success is not just about the numbers on the bar—it’s about the community we’ve built. From our first-time competitors to our seasoned lifters, the support within the Bridge City Barbell family is unmatched. Coaches Danny, Thomas, Kelsey, Tim, Dean and Amanda were on hand to guide athletes through every attempt, ensuring they performed their best on the platform.

A Look Ahead

While we celebrate these achievements, we’re already looking forward to what’s next. With nationals on the horizon in our home province, our athletes will continue to train hard and represent Bridge City Barbell with the same determination and passion.

Thank You to Our Supporters

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors of the Saskatchewan Provincial Powerlifting Championships for putting on such a fantastic event. To our friends, family, and supporters who came out and endured the snow to cheer us on, your encouragement means the world to us!

If you’re interested in joining a community that values strength, support, and success, Bridge City Barbell is here for you!

Daniel Heintz