From left, Siu Whitehead, Craig DeSoto, Liz Cabe and Colleen Loo train with the West Maui Powerlifters.

WEST MAUI – Sonny’s ninth annual WABDL bench and deadlift contest was held recently at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

Representing Maui were four of the strongest women in the State of Hawaii.

Darnell Cristie, competing in the 148-pound weight class, won the Open and Master Division benchpress with a press of 198 pounds. Darnell set a Master Division state record and won the best master lifter benchpress award.

Siu Whitehead, back after a two-year break from the sport, took first in the Open and Master Division deadlift, setting a new state Master, 114-pound weight class deadlift record with a lift of 265 pounds. Siu also currently holds the 123-pound Master Division state record of 303 pounds.

Ex-Maui girl Colleen Loo, now living in Henderson, Nevada, set a new Nevada deadlift record in the 105-pound Open Division with a winning lift of 319 pounds. Colleen, who has a deadlift best of 333 pounds, hopes to better that mark at the world championships in November.

Five-time, 97-pound weight class, World Open and Master Division deadlift champion Liz Cabe broke her own Open and Master Division deadlift world record by pulling 333 pounds. Liz, competing at a body weight of 94 pounds, is currently one of only a few women in the world to pull three-and-a-half times their body weight. Cabe also won the best Open and Master Division women’s deadlifter award.

All four girls compete for West Maui Powerlifters and are coached by Craig DeSoto.

Next up is the WABDL World Championships in Reno, Nevada, on Nov. 6-12, 2013.