USA Weightlifting, the organization that facilitates events for Olympic style weightlifting, is teaming up with GMTM to find the “Strongest High School Athlete in America.”

In their free virtual event, the High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine & Kilos, USA Weightlifting invites high school athletes - ages 13 to 18 - of any weight class to see how they measure up against their peers. Athletes can submit videos, engage with Olympic coaches, and share their stories, all in hopes of being named the strongest in their class.

Participating athletes are required to upload videos of three unique lifts - Bench Press, Back Squat, and a Full or Power Clean - as well as an introductory video sharing their story with USA Weightlifting coaches. Athletes will also need to record their body weight in order to be placed in a weight class. There are ten different weight classes for each gender.

Video submissions for the event will be accepted from October 1st to October 31st. The top performing athletes in each weight class will receive a prize and can claim the title - “Strongest High School Athlete In America.”

Besides personal recognition for the strongest athletes in America, USA Weightlifting will also be looking for the “Strongest School in America”. So, be sure to invite your friends and encourage your teammates to participate to get your high school on top of the leaderboard.

Award Winners

Team Awards

Individual Awards

Full results

What is the prize given to the strongest athletes in each weight class?

After all of the athlete videos are reviewed following the October 31st submission deadline, there will be a prize for the strongest athlete in each of the weight classes. There will be ten prize winners for the female weight classes and ten prize winners for the male weight classes.

The first prize for each weight class includes:

a trophy
a pair of Nike weightlifting shoes
a one-year USA Weightlifting membership
a t-shirt

What is the prize given to the strongest school?

The high school that has the best collection of athlete videos following the October 31st submission deadline will earn the title of “The Strongest High School In America”.

The prize for being named “The Strongest High School in America” includes:

a trophy
a Rogue Fitness barbell

The top three schools will also receive a banner from USA Weightlifting to hang in their school’s weight room.

What are the weight classes in the High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine & Kilos?

High school athletes from every state and weight class are invited to participate in this free virtual event. Athletes will be divided into ten weight classes and will be competing against other similar athletes in that class. One athlete from each weight class will be named "the Strongest High School Athlete In America."

The weight classes for each gender include:

Male: 119 lbs | 129 lbs | 139 lbs | 154 lbs | 169 lbs | 183 lbs | 199 lbs | 219 lbs | 238 lbs | +238 lbs
Female: 101 lbs | 110 lbs | 119 lbs | 129 lbs | 139 lbs | 154 lbs | 169 lbs | 183 lbs | 199 lbs | +199 lbs

What types of lifts need to be submitted by athletes?

Three types of lifts will be used to determine “The Strongest High School Athlete in America” and each competitor is required to submit a video documenting each one. Athletes will need to record one rep of each lift with the max weight.

The lifts include:

Wide or Narrow Grip Bench Press (Single Rep w/ Max Weight)
Back Squat (Single Rep w/ Max Weight)
Full Squat or Power Clean (Single Rep w/ Max Weight)

Athletes should record the Weigh-In video while wearing a singlet or t-shirt and shorts in order to get an accurate weight measurement.

Why should hopeful college athletes submit to the High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine & Kilos?

Athletes who participate in USA Weightlifting virtual events on GMTM are connecting with more coaches than just those involved with Olympic sports. By competing in this weightlifting event, coaches from colleges and other national teams will see the hard work you put in off the field to be better.

Strength and motivation are two of the most important attributes that college athletes and Olympians must possess. Participating in the High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine and Kilos helps show those coaches how committed an athlete is to becoming the best they can be.

Athletes should be sure to share their video submissions with their networks and participate in other virtual events on GMTM, so more coaches and trainers will be able to find them and connect.

How do I invite a teammate or classmate to participate in the High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine & Kilos?

After an athlete has completed their submission, they should invite their classmates to participate too. By inviting classmates from their school, athletes will help give their school a chance to be named USA Weightlifting’s “Strongest High School In America.”

To invite another athlete to participate, you can tag friends in the “Add Teammates” field in the Athlete Background activity - or - copy and paste the event link and share it via text or on social media.

How can high school athletes get more involved with USA Weightlifting?

Athletes can stay involved with USAW by reaching out to coaches via GMTM - or - by participating in other virtual events hosted by USA Weightlifting, like the USA Weightlifting Combine Series.

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2022 High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine and Kilos

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