Powering up: Franklin lifters excel in Classic

Three young women from Franklin traveled to Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend to take part in the powerlifting competition at the prestigious Arnold Classic.

All three left with championships in their respective weight classes — and one exited with an unofficial world record as well.

Kloie Doublin, a 17-year-old junior at Franklin Community High School, claimed first place in the 155-pound junior division. Doublin posted a squat of 347 pounds, a bench press of 220 pounds and a deadlift of 407 pounds. Her 974-pound total established a new world best for her weight and age group.

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“It’s just really nice to see your work pay off,” Doublin said.

Doublin’s performance did not, however, count as an official record. The International Powerlifting Federation chose not to sanction the Arnold this year because there had been a high number of American lifters with failed drug tests recently.

Another Franklin student, senior Jennica Baldridge, set a pair of unofficial American records in winning the junior crown at 138 pounds. Baldridge squatted 297 pounds and benched 170, and her deadlift of 385 pounds and her total of 852 would have established new standards nationally — as did her total of 852.

Shelby Miles, a Franklin grad who is now a freshman at Indiana University, took first as a junior at 184 pounds despite weighing just 172. Miles finished with a winning total of 980 pounds (325 squat, 226 bench, 419 deadlift).

Miles and Doublin also finished third at their respective weights in the open (adult) division, while Baldridge was fourth in the open division at 138.

Doublin will get a chance to claim the record for real in June, when she travels to Belarus for the world championships — but she doesn’t expect her numbers from this past weekend to cut it there.

“I’m absolutely going to have to bump up my game,” Doublin said. “I have a tough girl from Sweden that is going to force me to do things I have never done before.”