The first-ever USAPL Noonan Barbell Raw Open was held yesterday in Alexandria, MN. The official results have been posted and all records updated. A total of 15 men and 9 women from three states competed with several state records set. The women’s champion was Shari Lindsley with an impressive 435kg total; Isaac Svobodny was the men’s champion with a record-setting total of 552.5kg. State records were set by Isaac Svobodny, Tyson Eckel, Ken Leisinger, Steve Harstad, Micah Rodahl, and Donna Adams; these records can be viewed here. I was extremely impressed with how the meet ran under the direction of Steve Reishus. It was very efficient and well-organized which is a testament to Steve, the staff at Noonan Sports Specialists, and the platform crew. If Steve wishes to continue running this meet (which I hope he does), I expect it to grow and I think he has a facility which can handle a larger event. This meet represents the beginning of a plan to expand into new regions of the state with new meet directors in an attempt to reach new lifters and make USAPL events more accessible to those outside of the Twin Cities. Steve has set the bar high with yesterday’s event. Thank you to all who helped make this meet happen and congratulations to all of the lifters. It was a great event to be part of. Next up on the schedule is the Western Wisconsin Open (formerly known as the Hudson Natural Open). Though there is a new name and new meet directors, the border battle continues on October 31.