The women took the stage this afternoon at the Arnold Weightlifting Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Ten female lifters ranging in weight classes from 53- to 75+ kgs competed for just two slots on Team USA at the Pan Am Games in Toronto July 10-26.

 

In the end, Geralee Vega and Holley Mangold claimed the Nos. 1 and 2 slots, with 215-kg and 244-kg totals, respectively.

 

In front of a packed house, the three lifters in the 53-kg class - Alyssa Ritchey, Samantha Lower and Ellen Kercher -- made quick work of their attempts. Ritchey made all three of her snatch attempts, with a 74-kg snatch; she also made all three of her attempts at the clean and jerk, hitting a high of 96 kgs for a total of 170 kgs. Lower hit six for six, easily snatching 75 kgs and clean and jerking 93 kgs for a total of 168 kgs. Kercher failed her third attempt and ended with a 75-kg snatch and missed her first two attempts at the clean and jerk, recovering for a 93-kg clean and jerk and a total of 168 kgs.

 

Jackie Black, competing in the 58-kg class, completed a successful first lift with a 74-kg snatch, but her second and third lifts were ruled no lifts by the judges. Black made her first two attempts at the clean and jerk with a 94-kg lift, but failed her third attempt for a total of 168 kgs. Also competing in the 58-kg weight class and dressed in a Wonder Woman singlet, Cortney Batchelor failed her all three of her attempts at 84-kgs and could not earn a total.

 

From Palo Alto Barbell, Mary Peck struggled in the slot on her second and third attempts at the snatch, but was able to recover for a 90-kg lift. The 63-kg competitor went for 112-kg clean and jerk, hitting the weight on her third attempt to move into the No. 2 slot for the Pan Am team.

 

Also competing in the 63-kg weight class, Leslie Mayville snatched 80 kgs on her third attempt and hit 100 kgs on her clean and jerk for a total of 180 kgs.

 

Ariel Stephens, representing Muscle Driver USA and competing in the 69-kg weight class, failed her first attempt, but recovered for a 91-kg snatch on her third attempt. Stephens opened with a 115-kg clean and jerk and attempted to knock Peck out of contention with a 122-kg clean and jerk, but failed the lift in her second and third attempts. Her total was 206 kgs.

 

Vega, already favored to make the Pan Am team, made all three of her snatches with a 95-kg lift on her third attempt. Vega opened with a 114-kg clean and jerk, solidifying her place on the team, and she improved her stats with a 120-kg lift on her third attempt for a total of 215 kgs.

 

Local celebrity and 2012 Olympic qualifier Mangold was the lone competitor in the 75+ weight class, completing a 104-kg snatch on her second attempt before failing her third attempt. The 2016 Olympic hopeful knocked Peck out of the No. 2 slot for the team with a 140-kg clean and jerk for a total of 244 kgs.

Read the Men's Session 1 Recap Here

Catch all of the lifts here.