Congratulations to MSOE’s Powerlifting Team, which recently won first place at the Natural Athlete Strength Association (NASA)/MSOE Powerlifting Championships held at MSOE on Sept. 11. The team also won first place at the NASA State Championships held on Oct. 2 in Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
At the Powerlifting Championships, lifter Pat Schaefer and brothers Dave and Tim Aldag won their divisions. Schaefer entered the Open Unequipped Push/Pull division and was successful on five of his six attempts, including a bench press of 303 lbs and a dead-lift of 568 lbs. Dave Aldag won the Masters II Curl Only division with a lift of 105 lbs, while Tim Aldag won the Masters V Equipped Bench Only division with a lift of 303 lbs.
Nick Balk of Kenosha, Wis., who entered the Youth Push/Pull division, was successful with a bench press of 83 lbs and a dead-lift of 198 lbs. Valentino Harris of Milwaukee won the Open Curl and Unequipped Bench-Press divisions with a curl of 187 lbs and a bench-press of 387 lbs.
The MSOE Powerlifting Team’s Assistant Coach Mike Jasperson was successful on all six of his attempts, which were State records. While lifting in the Open Unequipped division, Jasperson benched 353 lbs and pulled 424 lbs.
Each of these lifters went on to compete in the NASA State Meet held at the Sheboygan Falls YMCA. Jasperson, a senior biomedical engineering major, entered the Open Quadralifting division, the Unequipped Powerlifting division, and finished with the highest coefficient of this meet. With a strict curl of 143 lbs, a squat of 417 lbs, a bench-press of 358 lbs and a dead-lift of 478 lbs, he not only won first place, but also tied the State record for the strict curl and broke the State records for the squat, the bench-press, and the dead-lift.
In addition, mechanical engineering senior Sam Bramstedt took second place in the Open Push/Pull division with a bench-press of 270 lbs and a dead-lift of 386 lbs. Brad Aldag also took first place in the Open Curl Only division with a strict curl of 110 lbs.
MSOE Powerlifting, a club sport founded by Milwaukee’s Ken Dragotta in 1981, was on hiatus until the 2008-2009 school year when Brad Aldag began his studies at the university. Aldag, currently a third-year mechanical engineering major, is the head coach of MSOE Powerlifting and was the meet director of the NASA/MSOE Powerlifting Championships. Without the assistance of volunteers Dan Wick, Jim Tabbert, Dale Alsteen, Asher Sharon, Denny and Sherry Johnson, Ken Dragotta, and the Hou-Seyes (Job, Wendy, and Samson), this meet would not have been possible.
The MSOE Powerlifting Team’s purpose is to amass considerable diligence and self-discipline reflective in the sport and in life itself, and to relieve stress, have fun and enjoy a healthy, rewarding experience. All of the above lifters clearly embodied these words of wisdom through their efforts in NASA Powerlifting. While MSOE and NASA set very high standards for all who compete, it is evident that for those who put in the appropriate time, dedication and diligence for any aspect of life will achieve their goals with perseverance and resolve.
Photo: (Left to right:) Dave Aldag, Mike Jasperson, Brad Aldag and Sam Bramstedt. Photo courtesy of Donna Zellmer.