Powerlifting

Powerlifter Christy Birch captures gold in Poland

Jun 10, 2026

Last year, local powerlifter Christy Birch won a silver medal with a lift of 215 pounds at the IPF World Classic Bench Press Championship in Drammen, Norway. Birch has officially upgraded her silver to gold, capturing her first world title at this year’s championship in Warsaw, Poland. Birch,...

Birch will chase gold at World Bench Press Championship in Poland

May 20, 2026

Local powerlifter Christy Birch (formerly Rice) is headed to Warsaw, Poland, to represent the United States at the IPF World Classic Bench Press Championship, running from May 19 through May 29. This marks Birch’s second consecutive appearance at Bench Worlds. Last year, in Drammen, Norway, she...

Rice breaks record at Bench Nationals on way to qualifying again for Worlds

Jan 21, 2026

Christy Rice of Lake City returned from Powerlifting America’s Bench Nationals held on Jan. 9 and notched her fifth Nationals first place finish. The win gives Rice another run at IPF Bench Worlds 2026. At Nationals she successfully completed her third attempt of 226 lbs. at a body weight of 135...

Area lifters place high at nationals

Jun 22, 2022

Two Lake City residents took home medals in the USA Powerlifting Nationals competition. The event was held June 6-12 in Las Vegas. Christy Rice earned 1st place medals in both the Women’s Open and the Masters I division. Matt Smith came in 2nd in the Masters II division. Both Christy and Matt got...

Rice places fourth at bench press nationals

Sep 12, 2019

Christy Rice of Lake City placed fourth in her weight class at the U.S.A. Powerlifting Bench National Championship on Aug. 31 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Rice is part of the Lake City Anytime Fitness powerlifting team and coached by Jeff Bissonnette.

After successful lift, plans for another rep

Aug 14, 2019

The Lake City Push-Pull powerlifting meet attracted 32 competitors and about 100 spectators to the Lincoln High School auditorium on Saturday, Aug. 10, according to Teri Bissonnette of event sponsor Anytime Fitness. Bissonnette said Anytime Fitness plans to work with USA Powerlifting to bring...

Powerlifters compete here Saturday

Aug 8, 2019

Jeff Bissonnette got into coaching powerlifting almost by accident. Some members at his Anytime Fitness club in Lake City were interested, so he helped them out. Eventually the club formed its own team, with Bissonnette, a former strongman competitor, as coach. On Saturday he’s helping to bring...

Powerlifter Watters qualifies for national championship

Jul 17, 2019

Jeremy Watters set four personal records and lifted a total of 1,320 pounds at the USA Powerlifting Central Regionals Championship in Bloomington, Minn. on Sunday, July 14. Jeremy’s scores qualified him for a spot at the USA Powerlifting National Championship this September in Chicago. Jeremy...

powerlifter competes in Alexandria

Aug 29, 2018

On Aug. 18, Lake City mother and daughter, Kristi and Lydia Gross, competed at the Noonan Barbell Raw Competition in Alexandria, Minn. Kristi did her first powerlifting competition this June in Rochester. Lydia went along to offer encouragement, and it was there she decided she wanted to compete...

Rice finishes first at USA Powerlifiting

Jun 20, 2018

Christy Rice of Lake City finished in first place out of four competitors in the 63 kg weight class at the USA Powerlifting Twins Cities Open held Saturday, June 9, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. She also finished in first place last August at the USAPL Minnesota Push Pull Classic in...