Future Hog looking to improve on state record

Arkansas Razorbacks head football coach Bret Bielema talks with El Dorado High School's Bijhon Jackson, a Razorback commit, during a visit at El Dorado High School on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette new services- El Dorado High School defensive lineman, an Arkansas signee Bijhon Jackson will attempt to make the heaviest power clean in Arkansas high school history on Saturday at the Arkansas High School Weightlifting Championships.

He'll attempt to surpass the state record of 335 pounds he set last year.

According to El Dorado head football coach Scott Reed, Jackson will be shooting for a 350 pound power clean or more.

“Bijhon has already done 350 in practice, so he definitely wants to lift that much Saturday and would like to go even higher”, said Reed.

A power clean of 350 pounds or more is extremely rare at the high school level and only a small number of high school athletes nationally have ever been documented doing it. Many of those who have accomplished it have done so using an olympic style technique where the bar is not pulled as high off the ground and the lifter squats into a lower position to enhance the percentages of bringing the weight up to standing level.

Reed believes Jackson does not use the squat clean or split technique to help him get the weight to standing position.

“Bijhon just powers the weight up really high with his power and explosiveness," he said. "He doesn’t need to use those special techniques that olympic lifters use. His power clean looks more like a football player lifting than an olympic lifter”.

In February, Jackson received the Dan Hampton Award from the Little Rock Touchdown Club as the top high school defensive lineman in Arkansasand was regarded as one of the top recruits in the country, eventually signing with the Razorbacks.

This will be the 23rd year of the Arkansas High School Weightlifting Championships and will held at Dover High School this Saturday and hosted by Russellville High School and Cyclone Head Football Coach Jeff Holt. For more information call Jeff Holt @ (479) 264-9226

23rd Arkansas State High School

Weightlifting Meet

Saturday - April 5, 2014

Dover High School Gymnasium

Hosted by

Coach Jeff Holt & Russellville High School\

7:45 Weigh In

8:15 Coaches meeting

9:00 Lifting begins

12:00 Lifting Ends

1:00 Totals and Winners Announced

Classifications Participating 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A/7A (6A/7A Combined)

35-40 participating schools

10 weight Classes

123-

132-

148-

165-

181-

198-

220-

242-

259-

Heavyweight-

2013 State Champs:

2A Rison

3A Fountain Lake

4A Boonville

5A Nettleton

6A/7A Bryant