Ormond powerlifter's best sets a record

Matt Karparis has again raised the bar -- literally and figuratively.

The Ormond Beach police officer, competing recently in Rhode Island, captured the 275-pound weight class with a two-lift effort of 1,150 pounds (450 bench press, 700 deadlift), then used a final attempt to increase his deadlift to a new personal-best of 725 pounds.

"I had done 700 before, but 725 was gonna be a personal best for me," said the 31-year-old Karparis, a former Seabreeze High weightlifter. "I decided to just put it on and go see what happens."

Karparis' efforts not only brought him a win in the New England Revolution Powerlifting meet in Johnston, R.I., but the 725 lift set a record for the sanctioning body -- Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate.

"I actually was surprised," he said of the record-setting deadlift. "There's the calm before the storm, then you complete the lift -- it's over, you're happy, and it finally sets in a couple minutes later, 'I've never done that before.' It's a great feeling."

Though he has no meets scheduled for the immediate future, Karparis knows he will continue competing, and like all competitive lifters, he has at least one lofty and ultimate goal.

"Now, it's kind of a, 'Where do I go from here?' " he said. "The deadlift has opened me up to bigger and better things, so I need to go find something. When you get higher numbers, you get to compete in bigger meets.

"I always wanted to be a big bencher, but maybe it's not my forte. I would like to one day do an 800-pound deadlift. That might be the next plateau or goal for me."