Apparently big things do come in small packages. At least that’s the lesson behind Shaun Rostron. The 123-pound sophomore has recently pumped up his résumé with some impressive records. In February Rostron won the National Collegiate Weightlifting Championship in Shreveport, La., with a two-lift total of 150 kilograms, or 330.6 pounds. The heavy lifting smashed three U.S. collegiate weightlifting records and his own personal records.
“This was my first meet, so it was an experience to say the least,” says Rostron. “I wanted to go down there and put up my personal best. It didn’t even hit me until I discovered that I broke three records.”
The records came from the combination of two lifts—65 kilograms in the snatch, in which the barbell is lifted from the ground to above the head, and 85 kilograms in the clean-and-jerk, in which the barbell is first lifted to the shoulders before being pushed overhead. All of which was great—while it lasted. The following week in another meet, he bested his snatch record by another 2.5 kilograms.
Rostron shatters the dunderheaded, testosterone-charged stereotype behind weightlifting, too. He has a 3.0 GPA in the University scholars program, is a varsity cheerleader and has a double major in criminal justice and natural science. He aspires to a career in forensic science.
He also aspires to one day snatch double his body weight, an elusive goal for most weightlifters. If he seems highly motivated, though, he is. He’s only been training a year and has just two competitions under his belt.
