ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Four members of Team APG challenged themselves and excelled at a recent powerlifting competition in Columbia, Md.

Michael Bennett, of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command G3; Kelly Knapp of RDECOM's legal office; 1st Lt. Faith Evans, of the 22D Chemical Battalion (TE); and Nathan Cook of t he U.S. Army Public Health Command all medaled in their respective divisions during the 2013 Maryland U.S.A. Powerlifting Equinox Open held April 20-21.

Bennett has led APG Soldiers and civilians in training and competition statewide and regionally since he was a first sergeant with the former 143rd Ordnance Battalion and then a sergeant major with the former U.S. Army Ordnance Center and Schools, once located on the installation. He said the team members worked hard during regular group workouts at Hoyle Gym in APG South (Edgewood) and that the results surpassed their expectations.

"I told them that if they have the drive and determination to be the best they can be the results will take care of themselves," Bennett said. ""They should all be proud of what they accomplished. "

The competition consisted of three events; deadlift, bench press and squat lifting. Evans set the Maryland state bench record in her weight class with a 175-pound bench press. Weighing in at 138 pounds, Evans said she has been lifting weights since she was 18.

"This was my first competition and it was a good learning experience," she said. "I would tell other women interested in lifting to make sure you have a good foundation and form, learn the correct techniques early, get plenty of rest and don't be afraid to go heavy."

Knapp, a civilian paralegal and a lifelong lifter, said she began lifting seriously a year ago.

"I never squatted before so I had to learn real fast but there was enough time to learn it correctly," she said.

She placed second in the 165-pound weight class with a 226-pound squat, 137-pound bench press and a 303-pound deadlift, which didn't count for technical reasons, though her 265-pound lift did.

"I plan to make it count next time," she said. "My goal is to set a few state records."

In the men's division, Cook won third place in the 198-pound weight class with a 441-pound squat, 314-pound bench press and a 540-pound deadlift while Bennett came in first in the 220-pound weight class, setting state bench press and deadlift records in the 50-54-year-old age group with a squat of 502 pounds, a 425-pound bench press and a deadlift of 683 pounds.

View results at http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com.