As we close out 2024, we would like to recognize the Mountain South “Athletes of the Year”, and also announce that our 2024 WSO Ranking lists are out! Ranking lists and certificates are found HERE
2024 Athletes of the Year
OPEN MEN: Xavier Borde, ALEE Athletics (AZ)
Congratulations to Xavier Borde, our 2024 Mountain South Open Men Athlete of the Year! Xavier had an amazing year first sweeping bronze at the 2024 National Championship, and was the Snatch bronze medalist at the 2024 North American Open Series 2. Xavier finished up 2024 in epic style sweeping gold at the North American Open Finals in Tucson AZ where he had the heaviest lift of the meet and earned overall Best Male Lifter award while setting new WSO records across the board and putting up the Mountain South WSO #2 all-time top performance! In 2024 Xavier has set 10 new Open Men WSO Records, and achieved the USAW National Team Program “B” Standard!
OPEN WOMEN: Gretchen Villa, ALEE Athletics (AZ)
Congratulations to Gretchen Villa, our 2024 Mountain South Open Women Athlete of the Year! Gretchen was the 45kg Open Women’s Silver Medalist at the 2024 North American Open Series 2, and put up her best performance of the year at the 2024 North American Open Finals, sweeping Silver with a 144kg Total! Gretchen is no stranger to the sport of Weightlifting, having competed in her first meet 10-years ago, and has since gone on to compete at 17 National Level meets, which including winning the Women’s 45kg Class at the 2023 & 2019 National Championships, and Silver Medal finishes at the 2022 NAO Series 1, 2021 NAO Finals, 2021 NAO Series 2, 2019 NAO Series 2, 2018 American Open Finals. Gretchen is the current Mountain South record holder for 45kg Open Women, and has the #4 All-Time Top Performance!
JUNIOR & YOUTH MEN: Lincoln Dana, Zion Barbell (UT)
Lincoln Dana is your Youth & Junior Men Athlete of the Year and was the 2024 NAO Series 1 Youth Gold Medalists and 2024 Youth National Bronze Medalist putting up a 219kg Total in the 67kg category! He would be ranked and invited to the 2024 Youth Pan-Am Team but was unable to compete. Lincoln started lifting at age 11 and and went on the become the 2021 Youth National Champion, a Gold Medalist at the 2023 NAO Series 2, and Silver Medalist at the 2022 & 2023 Youth Nationals, 2023 NAO Series 1, and 2023 NAO Finals. In 2024 Lincoln set 5 Youth WSO Records and 5 Junior WSO Records, and h holds all the Youth Men 16-17 & Junior Men WSO Records in the 61kg & 67kg categories!
JUNIOR WOMEN: Kaylee Landa, Power & Grace Performance (AZ)
2024 marked the comeback for Kaylee after injury and surgery that had her sidelined from weightlifting for most of 2023. Kaylee had competed at 2022 IWF Youth Worlds where she placed 5th, and was the Arizona D1 State Champion in Discus and Shot Put during her High School Track & Field career. Kaylee got back on the national stage in Pittsburgh, PA to become the 2024 Junior National Champion, was the Mountain South WSO Open and Junior Champion, and went on to sweep gold at the 2024 NAO Finals in Tucson, AZ. In 2024 Kaylee set a total of 7 Junior 87kg WSO Records, and currently holds all of the Youth & Junior 81kg WSO Records, including the highest total of any Youth female! Kaylee finishes 2024 as the #1 ranked Junior 87kg lifter in the U.S., and her performance at the NAO Finals also earned her two international Team USA spots, as she is set to compete at the 2025 Junior Pan-American Championship in Havana, Cuba, and at the 2025 IWF Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru!
YOUTH WOMEN: Amelia Phillips, Power & Grace Performance (AZ)
Amelia, only age 15, had a standout year starting out 2024 with the Youth World Team preparation camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. She would go on to sweep gold in three 2024 National events – the NAO Series 1, Youth Nationals where she was National Champion, and at the NAO Finals. Amelia had her international debut at IWF Youth Worlds in Lima, Peru back in May as the youngest member of Team USA at that event, and then would go on the become the 2024 Youth Pan-American Champion sweeping gold in Guayaquil, Ecuador this last August putting up her top performance of the year with a 144kg total! In 2024 Amelia set a total of 8 Open, 8 Junior, and 18 Youth WSO Records, and made her mark on the WSO All-Time Top Performance lists with the #1 U15, #2 U17, and #5 Junior All-Time Performances, and is the youngest athlete in the Open Women (all ages) Top 50 All-time Performances landing at #23! Amelia ends 2024 as the #1 ranked u15 49kg lifter in the U.S., and earned a spot on the 2025 Youth World Team that will compete this coming May in Lima, Peru!
MASTERS MEN: William Bybee, Las Vegas Barbell (NV)
Billy Bybee has been competing in Weightlifting for 12 Years and was 2024 Masters National Champion in March this year, putting up the #3 All-Time Top Performance for a masters men. Billy was also the 2022 Masters World Champion, and 2022 Masters National Champion, and is a key part of the highly successful Las Vegas Barbell Club as both an athlete and Head Coach!
MASTERS WOMEN: Jenny Clouse, Performance One Weightlifting (AZ)
Jenny Clouse earned Masters Women Athlete of the Year with her 159kg Total in the 64kg Masters Women 45-49 division at the Mountain South Championship in Tempe, AZ! Jenny has been competing for 11 years, and was the 2021 Masters World Champion, 2019 & 2020 Masters Pan-Am Champion, 2018, 2020, 2021 & 2023 Masters Nationals Champion, and was a medalist at 2022 Masters Worlds, 2016 Masters Pan-Ams, 2016 & 2022 Masters Nationals. Jenny currently has the the Mountain South #1 All-Time Top Performance for Masters Women, and holds all of the Masters Women 45-49 64kg WSO Records!
Congrats to all these a lifters, and a shout out to all of the great athletes and coaches in the Mountain South WSO as we are all excited to see what 2025 will bring!
-Eric Bramwell, Mountain South WSO Representative (AZ)