Nichols' 335-lb clean & jerk leads Phoenix in NPGL playoffs

Nichols' 335-lb clean & jerk leads Phoenix in NPGL playoffs

Sep 29, 2014 by Joe Battaglia
Nichols' 335-lb clean & jerk leads Phoenix in NPGL playoffs
By Andrea Signor

Danny Nichols knew he was behind going into the final movement of the quarterfinal match of the Grid League Playoffs in Charlotte, NC.

For 10 races athletes from the Phoenix Rise and the New York Rhinos swapped wins and claim for the last slot in the semifinals. Before the final race, one point separated the two teams.

The last event -- a sprint relay -- came down to the final competitors.

“My teammates set me up for the final lift,” said Nichols, a member of the Phoenix Rise in a Sept. 25 video posted by Grid. “I needed to be close and I knew if I was a little behind that I could catch up, but I needed to be right there and with their help, we made that happen.”

Nichols overtook his opponent — New York Rhinos Andrew Rape — by performing two touch-and-go 335-pound clean and jerks to clinch the win and advance his team.

“I (had) a tiny bit of idea of what’s going on on the other side of the gym just because I can hear the barbell,” he said. “I heard it drop and I knew that’s when I could make my move.”

After edging out Rape on the clean and jerks, Nichols sprinted to the finish line, just two seconds ahead of his competitor.

The Phoenix Rise advanced to the semifinals, but were knocked out by the San Francisco Fire. For more Grid action, including Wednesday’s finals.