Kendrick Farris (85kg weight class/Shreveport, La.) and Cheryl Haworth (75+kg weight class/Savannah, Ga./Colorado Springs, Colo.) snagged Best Lifter honors at this weekend’s event, which was held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. Farris broke his own American record in the clean and jerk, lifting 200 kg (440.7 lbs.) to highlight the event. Farris snatched a total of 155kg to post an event total of 355kg. Haworth’s top lifts were a snatch of 125kg and a clean and jerk of 155kg for a total of 280kg.

Farris and Haworth will lead the United States into the 2007 Pan American Games in July and then in September to the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships, the final 2008 Olympic qualifying event.

For the Pan American Games, the United States Team will consist of nine athletes (five men and four women). The 2007 Pan American Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 13-29. The weightlifting competition is scheduled to take place July 14-18.

The 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championships served as the primary qualifier for the 2007 U.S. Pan American Games Team. Performances at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships (September 29 to October 7) and the 2006 American Open (December 1-3) were opportunities for athletes to post secondary qualifier marks.

The athletes qualified for nomination to the 2007 United States Pan American Games Team are:
(Nominations to the Pan American Games Team are subject to final approval by the United States Olympic Committee)

2007 United States Pan American Games Team

Women
Cheryl Haworth (Savannah, Ga., Colorado Springs, Colo.), 75+kg Weight Class
Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 63kg Weight Class
Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash.), 53kg Weight Class
Emmy Vargas (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 75+kg Weight Class

Men
Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La.), 85kg Weight Class
Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla.), 77kg Weight Class
Matt Bruce (Baton Rouge, La.), 77kg Weight Class
Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 105+kg Weight Class
Jeff Wittmer (Florissant, Mo.), 94kg Weight Class

For the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships, the United States will send a full team of 15 (seven women and eight men). The World Championships will be held in Chang Mai, Thailand, September 11-25. This will be the second and final 2008 Olympic Games Qualifying event. The 2006 World Weightlifting Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic were the first portion of the Olympic Qualification formula.

The 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championships served as the primary qualifier for the 2007 USA Weightlifting World Championships Team. USA Weightlifting hosted the U.S. World Championships Team Secondary Qualifying event, March 2, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio. This event allowed athletes to post an initial mark staking their claim for a spot on the 2007 World Championships Team. Following these two qualifying events, the 2007 USA Weightlifting World Championships Team looks as follows:

2007 USA Weightlifting World Championships Team

Women
Cheryl Haworth (Savannah, Ga., Colorado Springs, Colo.), 75+kg Weight Class
Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 63kg Weight Class
Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash.), 53kg Weight Class
Doreen Fullhart (Lisco, Neb./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 75kg Weight Class
Emmy Vargas (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 75+kg Weight Class
Stacey Suyama (Torrance, Calif.), 48kg Weight Class
Carissa Gump (Essex Junction, Vt./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 63kg Weight Class

Men
Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La.), 85kg Weight Class
Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 105+kg Weight Class
Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla.), 77kg Weight Class
Phil “Jake” Johnson (Saint John, Ind.), 69kg Weight Class
Henry Brower (Bloomingdale, Ga.), 69kg Weight Class
Matt Bruce (Baton Rouge, La.), 77kg Weight Class
Cody Gibbs (Shreveport, La.), 105kg Weight Class
Zach Schluender (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 105+Weight Class

For the complete results from the 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championships, please visit www.usaweightlifting.org.

For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, USOC Manager of NGB Media Services in the USOC Media & Public Relations Division at 719-866-4608. This press release is also available on the USOC’s media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.