FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Thomas Fields' and Marcie Nemtzow's stamina garnered them top honors as the overall men's and women's winners of the second powerlifting competition here March 6.

Fields' deadlift, bench and squat totaled 1,135 pounds while Nemtzow claimed a total of 425 pounds combined from the three events.

Eight powerlifters competed at the Fort Rucker Physical Fitness Facility while Families and friends cheered them on.

In the 165-180-pound weight class, Fields deadlifted and squatted 405 pounds, and benched 325 pounds. In the 164 pounds and above weight class, Nemtzow deadlifted 180 pounds, benched 160 pounds and squatted 85 pounds.

Currently a student-pilot, the 36-year-old National Guardsman said he improved on all three events since last year's competition here.

The deadlift was the hardest for Fields because he said he hasn't been training in the event as much, but "will pick that up for the next competition. The easiest was the squat because I have been training really hard on it and going really low on squats. I thought emphasizing on training for squats would make up for the deadlift but the deadlift uses different muscle groups. The deadlift uses the entire body, which is why everyone is a little weaker - burnt out from the other two events."

He added he will increase his deadlift training for the post's upcoming summer meet.

Fields and his stepson, Michael Green, competed together. In the 132-147 pound weight class in his first meet, the 17-year-old placed first in the squat with 215 pounds, tied second in the bench with 150 pounds with John Silivant and placed second in the deadlift with 290 pounds.

"The bench press was the hardest because I struggled and stalled on the pause," Green said. "The easiest was the deadlift because I do a lot of leg training."

The Daleville High School 11th grader noted the experience taught him to listen to the judge, focus on his lifts and train harder to improve for the next installation competition this summer.

Nemtzow was one of two women who competed March 6.

A member of the 98th Army Band, the 48-year-old pitted her physical prowess against 50-year-old Floria Hudson, the oldest competitor at the meet.

"It (was) nice to have another woman in the competition because there (was) an opportunity for more camaraderie," Nemtzow said.

She said winning her second competition motivated her "to want to work more on squats and learn how to do them better and keep training. I'm bad at them, and I should be able to do well over 100 pounds. I want to be able to see progress for when I'm in another competition."

Because she loves bench pressing, Nemtzow began training for the sport and entered her first competition in Iraq where she placed fourth among four women.

Master winner Hudson squatted 95 pounds, benched 105 and deadlifted 150 in her first powerlifting meet.

An Army Fleet Support member, the retired Air National Guardsman said she wanted to begin participating in the sport again. She benched in 1993, but an injury sidelined her.

"I've been saying I wanted to do it and today's event was my start," Hudson said. "It was an exhilarating experience - good adrenaline rush. I'll do it again."

Squats were the hardest for her because of her injury and the deadlift was the easiest "because I was able to use proper form."

Caroline Driscoll, a Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation personal trainer, said she thinks the sport will catch on here.

"It went great. We had new people, very strong people," she said.