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Heppner happenin' as hefter Photo by Jim Craven Nick Heppner, who will be a freshman at Eagle Point in the fall, plans to move up in class Sets world record for age group by dead lifting more than 450 pounds By Don Hunt Sam Pecktol remembers the first time Nick Heppner showed up at the Superior Gym and Fitness weight-lifting area. "The kid had the worst technique and the worst posture of anybody I�ve ever trained," Pecktol says. Unbeknownst to Pecktol � perhaps the Rogue Valley�s foremost power-lifting guru � Heppner also had the work ethic of a Greek warrior. And one year later, Heppner has a world record. Competing in the 13-15 age group in the 220-pound weight class, the Eagle Point High freshman-to-be hoisted 457 pounds in the dead lift on June 4 in Springfield. The weight total broke the previous record of 435 held by another Pecktol protege, Jordan Cam. "I had my doubts when he first came to the gym," Pecktol says of Heppner. "He was a shy kid who really had no clue what he was doing and didn�t seem receptive to any kind of criticism." "I let him do his own thing for several weeks and then one day I checked to see how much he could lift. He did the best-looking 450 I�ve ever seen (in the dead lift). "That�s when we rewrote his (training) program." Heppner just missed hoisting 485 pounds. He lifted the bar to its proper destination but the judges ruled it shook too much at the top to be deemed legal. Heppner is now moving up to the 242-275 weight class, where the dead lift world mark is 501 pounds. He hopes to break that record at the World Association of Bench Press and Dead Lift world meet Nov. 16-19 in Reno, Nev. "It�s realistic," the 15-year-old Heppner says of the 500-pound barrier. "I didn�t think I�d ever get to 450 when I first started lifting, but now that�s how much I work out with." Although Heppner and Cam don�t often work out together, they support one another. Cam, in fact, was one of the first ones to congratulate Heppner for breaking his dead lift record. "He seemed genuinely happy for me," Heppner says. " Pecktol says Heppner, who stands a shade over 6-foot-1, doesn�t possess the natural strength or ability of Cam, but his relentless work ethic can still carry him a long way. "If he keeps working and keeps the excitement going, then I see him (Heppner) as a national champion and possibly even a world champion,�� Pecktol says. "The hardest workers often go the furthest, even though they might lack the athleticism that some guys have." Heppner is also competitive on the squat rack, where he�s done 370 pounds, and in the bench press, where he�s cleared 290. He works out four days a week for up to two hours per session. Pecktol, whose clientele has reached about 70 lifters, puts them through 10-week sessions. Pecktol says Heppner has never missed a workout and is eager to complete his sets. "I�ve actually had to slow him down at times," Pecktol says. "Getting stronger is a long process. If you try to do too much too soon, then you�re looking at injuries and possibly going backwards. "But I�d much rather have a kid like Nick than someone you�re always having to motivate." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA