The first ever APO meet in Northern California is officially in the books, and the APO West Coast War made a statement right out of the gate. Held in Oroville, California at Joel Anderson’s Relentless Barbell, this meet brought together lifters from across California, Oregon, and beyond for a hard fought day of powerlifting.
For a first-time APO event in Northern California, the turnout was outstanding. The platform saw raw, raw with wraps, single-ply, and multi-ply lifters all step up and put numbers on the board. More importantly, the meet had the kind of energy that tells you this area is ready for more. Lifters showed up prepared, coaches were locked in, and the record board took an absolute beating from start to finish.
One of the biggest things that stood out was the team presence. North State Barbell Club brought the largest crew of the meet, with Adam DiMaggio, Alterick Clark, Andrew Buccola, Brooke Quiring, Christopher Johnson, Daniel Guillermo Guardado Delao, Holly Schmunk, James Bender, Jason McGuire, Laura Morris, and Michael Headley all representing the squad. The host gym, Relentless Barbell, had Nathanael Seidenglanz, Zach Bates, and John Cary defending the home platform. Diablo Barbell was represented by Karen Halm and Jon Medina, while Untamed Strength brought Robert Koski and Yael Mourad. Along with several strong independent lifters, this gave the meet the feel of a true West Coast battle. It was not just lifters taking attempts. It was teams, coaches, handlers, families, and training partners all bringing energy into the room.
The biggest headline of the meet belonged to Shawn Doyle from Oregon. Shawn is usually known for competing raw, but he crossed over into multi-ply for this one and made the most of it. After missing his opening squat at 435 kg, he came right back, corrected the lift, and then finished with a massive 467.5 kg squat. From there he added a 300 kg bench press and a 372.5 kg deadlift to build the biggest total of the entire meet: 1140 kg, just over 2513 lbs. It was not just the top multi-ply performance of the day. It was the biggest total in the building.
The geared lifting did not stop there. Nathanael Seidenglanz had a strong day in the tested multi-ply junior division, going 337.5 kg squat, 235 kg bench, 232.5 kg deadlift, and finishing with an 805 kg total while collecting four state records. Alexander Mederos also made a huge statement in the tested single-ply junior division. At 82.5 kg bodyweight, he squatted 300 kg, benched 205 kg, deadlifted 300 kg, and totaled 805 kg. His 300 kg squat earned him a state record and was one of the standout lifts of the meet.
In the men’s multi-ply open division, Robert Koski finished with a strong 677.5 kg total, built from a 237.5 kg squat, 187.5 kg bench, and 252.5 kg deadlift. Jon Medina also stepped onto the multi-ply platform and finished with a 550 kg total, giving the equipped side of the meet even more depth.
On the men’s raw side, there was no shortage of big totals and record-setting performances. Zach Bates led the tested raw junior 20-23 division with a 742.5 kg total, built from a 287.5 kg squat, 175 kg bench, and 280 kg deadlift. That performance gave him four state records. Adam DiMaggio put together a strong tested raw open performance with a 700 kg total and four state records, while Daniel Guillermo Guardado Delao followed with a 685 kg total and four state records of his own.
The youth movement was real at this meet. Andrew Buccola, only 16, went 245 kg squat, 137.5 kg bench, 250 kg deadlift, and totaled 632.5 kg for four state records. Peyton Kerr, at 17, finished with a 487.5 kg total and also claimed four state records. These younger lifters did not just show up for experience. They came to compete, and they left with their names in the record book.
The raw men kept stacking records all day. John Cary finished with a 542.5 kg total and four state records in the tested raw sub-master division. Christopher Johnson went 137.5 kg squat, 115 kg bench, 192.5 kg deadlift, totaling 445 kg and earning four state records. Jason McGuire put up a 527.5 kg total and secured four state records, while Joseph Henry added another four state records with a 390 kg total in the raw master 55-59 class.
James Bender doubled up in both the raw open and raw sub-master divisions, totaling 662.5 kg and walking away with eight state records, four in each division. Casey A. Longaker represented raw with wraps, going 237.5 kg squat, 170 kg bench, 255 kg deadlift, totaling 662.5 kg, and earning four state records.
The push-pull and single-lift lifters also made their presence felt. Alterick Clark benched 187.5 kg, deadlifted 255 kg, and finished with a 442.5 kg push-pull total, good for two state records. Morris Angel hit a 137.5 kg bench press for a state record. Michael Headley pulled 212.5 kg in deadlift only for a state record, and Karen Halm added a 140 kg deadlift for a state record in the women’s multi-ply master deadlift-only division.
The women’s side of the platform was one of the biggest highlights of the entire meet. Kristina Esparza had a monster day, competing in both the tested raw master and tested raw open divisions. She squatted 177.5 kg, benched 82.5 kg, deadlifted 197.5 kg, and totaled 457.5 kg. That performance earned her eight state records, four in each division, along with a national record squat.
Laura Morris was another major standout. Competing in the women’s tested raw master 40-44 division at 55 kg bodyweight, she went 102.5 kg squat, 62.5 kg bench, 115 kg deadlift, and totaled 280 kg. Laura earned four state records, plus national records in the squat and bench.
Holly Schmunk turned in a strong master performance as well, finishing with a 282.5 kg total after a 110 kg squat, 62.5 kg bench, and 110 kg deadlift. Holly earned four state records and added national records to her day. Brooke Quiring, competing as a 17-year-old tested raw junior, went 135 kg squat, 65 kg bench, 150 kg deadlift, and totaled 350 kg. Brooke also earned four state records and national records, making her one of the young lifters to watch moving forward.
Yael Mourad competed in bench only and made her attempts count, hitting a 95 kg bench press and earning two state records, one in each division she entered.
When the dust settled, the record list told the story of the meet. Nathanael Seidenglanz, Andrew Buccola, Peyton Kerr, Zach Bates, Adam DiMaggio, Daniel Guillermo Guardado Delao, John Cary, Christopher Johnson, Jason McGuire, Joseph Henry, Casey A. Longaker, Laura Morris, Holly Schmunk, and Brooke Quiring each walked away with four state records. Alterick Clark and Yael Mourad each earned two state records. Morris Angel, Karen Halm, Michael Headley, and Alexander Mederos each added one. James Bender and Kristina Esparza were the double-division wrecking crew, each taking home eight state records.
By the end of the day, the APO West Coast War produced 80 state records, along with multiple national records. For a first APO meet in Northern California, that is not just a successful debut. That is a statement.
The meet was a success because the lifters made it one. They showed up, trusted the platform, attacked their attempts, and gave the crowd a real powerlifting show. Oroville proved that Northern California has the lifters, the energy, and the support to make APO powerlifting thrive in this part of the state.
A huge thank you goes out to Joel Anderson and Relentless Barbell for hosting, along with the spotters, loaders, judges, coaches, handlers, volunteers, families, and every lifter who helped make the first APO West Coast War possible. A meet like this does not happen because of one person. It happens because a whole room buys in, and this room bought in from start to finish.
And this is only the beginning.
After the success of the APO West Coast War, APO will be returning to Oroville in 2027 for the 1st APO California State Championships. If this first Northern California meet was any indication, the next one is going to be even bigger. The bar has been set, the records have started falling, and APO powerlifting has officially arrived in Northern California.
