On Sunday April 26th, the Palmerton football team hosted its 11th annual Blue Bomber Invitational Weightlifting Meet at the high school gymnasium.

A record 144 football players representing Palmerton, Panther Valley, Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua, Palisades, Northampton, Souderton and Whitehall high schools participated.For the fourth consecutive year, Whitehall captured the team championship. The 36 team points earned by the Zephyrs were enough to better second place Tamaqua's 27 and third place Palisades' 22 points for the team title.Most outstanding lifters were awarded to the best performance in the 14-15 and 16-18 year old divisions by adding the lifters best bench and squat attempts then dividing it by their body weight. The most outstanding lifter in the 16-18 year old division was Jared Scott of Palisades who lifted in the 165 pound class. He benched 240 pounds and squatted 420 pounds for a 660 pound total. Mike Ajami from Whitehall won the 14-15 year old division most outstanding lifter by bench pressing 255 pounds and squatting 340 pounds for a total of 595 pounds in the 180 pound weight class.One meet record was tied on the day as Palisades' Jared Scott in the 165 pound weight class and in the 16-18 year old division tied fellow Pirate Tyler Saxton's 2009 record of a 660 pound total.Listed below are the medal winners with their overall total along with squat and bench lifts in parenthesis. The lifts were performed 'raw' meaning no knee wraps, bench shirts, or wrist wraps.TEAM STANDINGSWhitehall 36 points; Tamaqua 27; Palisades 22; Souderton 18; Northampton 16; Palmerton 10; Jim Thorpe 6; Panther Valley 5.14-15 year old division120-pound weight classGOLD: Jhodari Reid, Whitehall, 345 (200/145)SILVER: Tanner Burnett, Palmerton135 poundsGOLD: Jared Colletti, Palisades 440 (265/175)SILVER: Trey Gretzinger, PalisadesBRONZE: Cody Waterhouse, Palmerton150 poundsGOLD: Trace Hermany, Tamaqua 480 (285/195)SILVER: DJ Cofield, WhitehallBRONZE: Tavion George, Whitehall165 poundsGOLD: Dez Boykin, Whitehall 550 (325, 225)SILVER: Cole George, PalmertonBRONZE: Braxton Marrero, Whitehall180 poundsGOLD: Mike Ajami, Whitehall 595 (340/255)SILVER: Dajone, Averett, SoudertonBRONZE: Roy Reeves, Whitehall195 poundsGOLD: Jordan Georgis, Tamaqua 595 (385/210)SILVER: Jack Donnelly, PalisadesBRONZE: Matt Weaver, Tamaqua210 poundsGOLD: Tristan Blasko, Panther Valley 530 (315/215)SILVER: Jakob Hudak, WhitehallBRONZE: Markes Cruz, Whitehall225 poundsGOLD: Brett Legath, Whitehall 485 (320/165)SILVER: Joseph Barrasso, NorthamptonHWTGOLD: Jon Fikentscher, Jim Thorpe 660 (405/255)SILVER: James Jandris, NorthamptonBRONZE: Adam Klatka, Tamaqua16-18 year-old division150 poundsGOLD: Jovani Cordero, Northampton 580 (350/230)SILVER: Blake Cassalia, PalisadesBRONZE: Nick Blessing, Souderton165 poundsGOLD: Jared Scott, Palisades, 660 (420/240)SILVER: Chance Szabo, TamaquaBRONZE: Zach Force, Souderton180 poundsGOLD: RyanVoss, Soudeton 650 (410/240)SILVER:: Darius Mensah, WhitehallBRONZE: RobbieHeller, Jim Thorpe195 poundsGOLD: Phil Stolfi, Souderton 710 (425/285)SILVER: Adam Kuryona, NorthamptonBRONZE: Adrian Mieses, Whitehall210 poundsGOLD: Bud Moyer, Tamaqua 745 (445/300)SILVER:Jeff Miles, PalisadesBRONZE: Andrew Stein, Souderton225 poundsGOLD:Phil Reeves, Whitehall 750 (470/280)SILVER:Zac Merenda, TamaquaBRONZE: Anthony Tate, Souderton240 poundsGOLD: Shane Gibbs, Whithall 685 (385/300)SILVER: Aaron Rega, TamaquaBRONZE: Tanner Hamm, Tamaqua255 poundsGOLD: Tyler Meyers, Whitehall 295 (295/0)HWTGOLD: Owen Miller, Palmerton 765 (470, 295)SILVER: Logan Koehler, NorthamptonBRONZE: Colin Gerancher Northampton