Four Reigning Champions Out Of USAPL Men's Nationals

The USAPL Men's Nationals, which will be held June 13-15 in Killeen, Texas, will have a distinctly different look in 2008. Absent will be at least four of last year's ten class winners. Reports are that Mike Bridges (198), Jason Beck (220), Tony Harris (242), and Brad Gillingham (shw) will not be competing. Bridges, Harris, and Gillingham are coming off of wins at the Masters Nationals a couple of weekend's ago. Beck's wife is expecting a child around the date of the meet.

How this will effect the men's World team has yet to be determined. In 2007, Bridges declined his position on the team so didn't represent the U.S. anyway. Superheavyweight Brian Siders is eligible to compete once again and will likely make a run at Gillingham's spot.

New star Mike Tuchsherer, coming off his victory over reigning American and World Champion Tony Cardella at 275, will compete at his first Open Nationals. However, he and Cardella cannot both win spots on the team at the event. The only way the U.S. could take both lifters is if one of the Nationals weight class winners were to decline their spot on the team and Cardella or Tuchsherer's Wilks were the highest of all non-winners.