The first-ever bench-only APO meet in California is officially in the books and it couldn’t have gone any better.
Hosted at Grinder Gym, the APO Bench Clash brought together a small but fierce group of lifters who made it clear that California has some serious bench strength. Every lifter who took home 1st place walked away with a brand new California state record.
But it wasn’t just the wins that stood out. It was the intensity, the grit, and the way lifters kept stepping up for more.
Derek Baker, representing Hillside Power, pulled off one of the most impressive performances of the day, claiming 1st place in both the 110kg raw open division and the 110kg raw masters 40–44 class with a powerful 157.5kg bench. Ricardo Quiroz delivered a consistent and noteworthy performance placing 2nd in both classes with a 142.5kg bench.
Nancy Alba, lifting for House of Power, crushed her 120kg attempt to take home the title in the 82.5kg single-ply sub-master division. Calm, confident, and technically sound.
AJ Roberts’ Westside Militia came deep and left stacked with wins. David Pat took home two titles as well, winning both the 125kg raw open and 125kg raw sub-master divisions with a rock-solid 190kg press using a reverse grip! Andres Cuadros, benched that same 190kg but in the 90kg multi-ply open class, where his explosive shirted press secured the win. Adam Heney claimed the 100kg raw open division with 177.5kg. On the women’s side for Westside Militia, California’s Strongest Woman, Jennie Roberts, pressed a powerful 92.5kg to win both the 82.5kg raw open and masters 40–44 division, making her double win look effortless. Amber Spindelman followed suit, also doubling up with two first-place finishes by pressing 90kg in both the 75kg raw open and sub-master (33–39) divisions. Melissa Valdez added to Westside’s tally with an 80kg lift in the 67.5kg raw open, closing out a dominant showing from the team.
Continuing on, many other lifters also rose to the occasion.
Glenn Mutz hit 140kg raw to win the 90kg open. Darren Nguyen showed raw power with a 130kg lift to win the 110kg raw teen (16–17) division. Jonatan Fuentes Vazquez followed in the 90kg raw teen class with a winning 117.5kg.
In the women’s divisions, Jennifer Crawford showed poise and experience in the 125kg raw open class, pressing 90kg for the win, while Gabriela Plazola secured the top spot in the 100kg raw open women’s class with a clean 55kg lift.
And then came the teens — and honestly, they stole the show in their own way.
It was incredible to see such young athletes stepping onto the platform with confidence and composure. Andres Mendoza claimed the 67.5kg raw teen boys division with an 80kg bench, and Nikola Dragovic followed with a strong 70kg to win the 56kg raw teen boys class.
Watching these young men push themselves on the same platform as seasoned lifters was a powerful reminder: the future of this sport is in very good hands.
Every lifter brought something special to the platform and whether they left with one medal or two, they made this first California APO Bench Clash one to remember.
Next stop: APO / WPO Bench Wars at Mr. Olympia, happening October 10–11.
We expect to see many of these lifters there, pushing even heavier numbers.
