2025 APO / WPO Bench Wars Recap
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October 10–11, 2025 – Olympia World Fitness Expo, Las Vegas, NV

What a weekend.

The inaugural APO / WPO Bench Wars powered by Inzer Advance Designs went down October 10–11 on the Olympia Expo floor, and it was everything I hoped it would be: heavy benches, loud crowds, and lifters from all over the country showing what this sport is really about.

APO Bench Wars

We kicked things off with fourteen APO lifters stepping onto the platform ready to battle.

Carina “Quadzilla” Davis set the tone early. Competing in both the Women’s Raw Master (40–44) 125 kg and Women’s Raw Open 125 kg classes, she pressed 155 kg to set a new APO National Record, and continue her legacy as one of the strongest female lifters ever. Every time she hits the platform, it’s a clinic in focus and ferocity.

Jeri Dines-Cook, representing Relentless Barbell, lifted in the Women’s Raw Open Tested 140 kg division and smashed another National Record with a 115 kg bench. She wasn’t done. On Saturday she jumped into the Bench-for-Reps challenge and repped out 60 kg for 33 reps and 102.5 kg for 8, an insane display of endurance and grit.

Makaio Espinoza, one of our young guns in the Men’s Raw Junior (20–23) 125 kg class, showed he’s a name to remember. He benched 235 kg and barely missed 247.5 kg, the kind of near-miss that guarantees a record the next time out.

Dwayne Nill in the Men’s Raw Master (50–54) 140 kg class went 3-for-3, finishing with a smooth 190 kg, every lift looked like a warm-up. Then he turned around and came back to compete again in Single Ply and nailed a 220kg press. That’s what I call commitment.

Roman Antonov, new to the U.S. from Ukraine, stepped into the Men’s Raw Open 100 kg class and lit it up with the biggest raw bench of the meet: 230 kg. First APO outing, first major impression. He’s going to be dangerous.

Eric Laubach, lifting in the Men’s Single Ply Master (50–54) Tested 90 kg class, had a rough start but found his groove and finished strong with a 155 kg National Record. I actually met Eric at the Shaw Classic earlier this year and invited him to compete, glad I did. His energy is infectious, and I hope to see him back next year.

Stephanie Spencer pulled double duty, competing in the Women’s Multi Ply Master (50–54) 82.5 kg and then the strict curl event also taking place a the Olympia. She literally set a World Record curl minutes before pressing 100 kg on the bench. That’s as hardcore as it gets.

Our lone local lifter, Harley Wright of Back Alley Barbell, showed out in front of the home crowd. He went a perfect 3-for-3, finishing with a strong 230 kg in the Men’s Multi Ply Open 110 kg class, and clearly had more in the tank.

Then came the Westside Militia crew, rolling deep with five lifters and representing hard:

Nancy Alba – Women’s Single Ply Sub-Master (35–39) 82.5 kg | 122.5 kg National Record

Andres Cuadros – Men’s Multi Ply Open 90 kg | 190 kg, not the day he wanted, but impressive nonetheless.

Rodrigo Schulz Fajardo – Men’s Single Ply Open 100 kg | 3-for-3 with 195 kg, fresh off deployment — unreal resilience.

Adam Heney – Men’s Multi Ply Open 100 kg | 237.5 kg, his first ever equipped meet — huge promise ahead.

David Pat – Men’s Multi Ply Open 125 kg | Missed 250 kg twice, then had the guts to jump to 272.5 kg and smoked it. Three white lights, biggest APO bench of the weekend, all with a reverse grip. The crowd went nuts.

Not everyone managed a successful lift, but that’s the game. Jerrid Kramer (Big Dawg Powerlifting) nailed his 225 kg opener in the Men’s Raw Open 140 kg class but jumped the rack-command. He’ll be back with a vengeance.

WPO Bench Wars

Saturday turned up the heat as the WPO pros took the stage, six of the strongest benchers on the planet throwing down.

5th went to Joel Anderson (Westside Militia)
Joel’s been nursing a few injuries but still pressed 207.5 kg, just shy of his best. The kind of perseverance that defines a lifter.

In 4th was Hunter Hernandez (Anderson Powerlifting)
Back after a long break, Hunter hit 192.5 kg at just 67.3 kg bodyweight, nearly triple bodyweight, and narrowly missed 200 kg. The comeback is real.

Taking 3rd was Jeff Johnson (Team Overkill / Pride Barbell)
A legend. Two decades deep in this sport and still benching 310 kg at 103.6 kg. Watching Jeff lift again in multiply reminded everyone why he’s one of the greats.

2nd place was captured by Jordan Harris (Westside Militia)
Stationed in Japan the past year, Jordan didn’t even have a shirt until days before the meet. Borrowed one, got in a single practice, and still hit 300 kg at 93.25 kg for silver. Raw strength and adaptability personified.

Taking top spot in 1st was Ryan Marble
At 99.7 kg, Ryan opened with a WPO World Record 365.5 kg, then came back to smash 377.5 kg, taking home the win, $1,000, and a spot in the Top 10 all-time multiply benches. Just an unbelievable performance.

And on the women’s side, Tara Webber, 2X WPO Champion, made the trip to Vegas from Canada. She hit her 175 kg opener and that was all she needed to walk away with another title and $1,000 prize money.

Closing Thoughts

To everyone who stepped on that platform, thank you.

To our judges, spotters, loaders, and volunteers, this couldn’t have taken place without you.

And to John Inzer and the Olympia Expo team, thank you for believing in this vision and giving us a world-class stage to showcase the APO and WPO.

The response has been incredible, and the talk about how to make next year’s event even bigger has already begun.

Bench Wars is here to stay.

See you all in 2026, heavier, louder, and stronger.

AJ Roberts
Mountain Regional Director