The Pitt club powerlifting team won The Pitt News’ “Best Of” poll in the club category this year. The club was founded 2016, and many of the founding members have graduated. And as the final founders graduate this year, the club looks to strengthen its roster, sometimes hitting the gym twice a day to train.
The Pitt club powerlifting team practices early and often, starting its first daily practice at 7 a.m. and its second at 4:00 p.m. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
Rui Tanimura, a senior nutrition major and founding member of Pitt's club powerlifting team, trains for the deadlift. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
The team may practice daily, but competitions are infrequent. Senior Connor Hassinger, a chemical engineering major, will compete next week in Ohio — but he showed no signs of tapering Thursday’s workout. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
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Lifting is an individual activity, but training takes teamwork. Valeri Natole (right) helps fellow sophomore Tamara Thomas set up the bar to practice squats, one of three official lifts in competitive powerlifting, including the deadlift and the bench press. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
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Sophomore Tamara Thomas waits in between sets of squats. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
Tainmura readies herself for a deadlift Thursday morning, during a practice that focused on high-weight, low-repetition exercises. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
Sophomore Mia Knavish wraps her hands with supportive gloves, common among powerlifters. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
Everyone wears different shoes at training, but most wear rubber-soled trainers like senior mechanical engineering major Christian Fink's, pictured here. (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
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First year Zach Zamorski, current business manager of the powerlifting team, said he always wears moccasins at training. "Everyone on the team makes fun of me for it," he said, "but it really doesn't matter. They work pretty well." (Photo by Christian Snyder | Multimedia Editor)
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