26 February 28 • 2019
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New Age Group, Same
Success for Weightlifter
W
eightlifter Jeff Ellis moved
into a new age group for
competitions this year. but
he’
s still collecting medals and breaking
records.
Ellis, who will turn 60 on May
1, won his 16th Michigan Senior
Olympics gold medal in 18 years —
to go along with one silver medal
and one bronze medal — earlier this
month when he took first place in the
age 60-64 198-pound division in the
Winter Games at the Strength Depot
in Plymouth.
The West Bloomfield resident broke
the division record of 253.5 pounds
on his first bench press, lifting 255
pounds. Then he broke his own record
on his second bench press, lifting 265
pounds.
His third and final bench press, at
270 pounds, didn’
t happen because
Ellis re-injured his shoulder while he
was starting the lift.
“I had an inflamed rotator cuff that
prevented me from training for three
weeks,
” Ellis said. “I began training
again only a week before the Senior
Olympics. I took off about a week and
half after the Senior Olympics and I’
m
feeling better now. I’
ve resumed my
regular workouts.
”
While his last bench press at the
Senior Olympics was disappointing,
Ellis achieved his goals of winning a
gold medal and breaking the division
record.
Ellis won a gold medal at a national
competition last year, taking first place
in the age 55-59 198-pound division
with a 275-pound bench press at
the American Amateur Powerlifting
Federation nationals in Grand Rapids.
It was a particularly satisfying
achievement for Ellis because he had
qualified for the 2016 and 2017 AAPF
nationals, only to miss both because of
an injury.
He’
s qualified for the 2019 AAPF
nationals April 12-14 in Myrtle Beach,
S.C., but he won’
t go. Not because of
his latest injury, but because the com-
petition is being held during the final
weekend of income tax season and
Ellis is a certified public accountant.
Income tax season doesn’
t put a halt
to Ellis’
regular workouts.
“My workouts are always a priority,
especially during income tax season,
”
he said. “I want to keep training and
competing.
”
His next weightlifting competition
is the Michigan Senior Olympics
Summer Games in August.
POKER ON PURIM
B’
nai B’
rith Great Lakes Region and the
Temple Israel Brotherhood are teaming
up once again for a fundraising Texas
Hold’
Em poker tournament during
Purim.
The appropriately named Shusan
Hold’
Em tournament will be held
Sunday, March 10, at Temple Israel,
with proceeds benefiting both spon-
soring organizations.
B’
nai B’
rith’
s share of the tourna-
ment proceeds will benefit the Great
Lakes Region’
s scholarship fund and
pay for expenses for the International
Jewish Men’
s Slo-Pitch softball tourna-
ment that the Pisgah Zeiger Sports &
Entertainment Lodge is hosting over
Labor Day weekend.
Cost for an advance buy-in for the
poker tournament is $50. It’
s $60 at the
door and a re-buy is $25. An optional
deli dinner is $10. Deadline is Monday,
March 4, to purchase dinner.
For information, contact Rick
Sherline from B’
nai B’
rith at (248) 613-
5400 or rsherline@divbenefits.com or
Steve Achtman from Temple Israel at
(248) 505-3939 or sssbrm@ameritech.
net. ■
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sports
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jeff Ellis shows off his latest Michigan Senior
Olympics gold medal.
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