Big Benches and Record Attempts Highlight USA Powerlifting Open & Masters Bench Bash at the 2026 Arnold

Arnold Sports Festival, Columbus, Ohio

The USA Powerlifting Open & Masters Bench Bash at the Arnold Sports Festival delivered a showcase of elite bench pressing across age groups and equipment divisions, with multiple all-time records falling and outstanding performances in both raw and equipped competitions. Winners were determined by DOTS scoring (bodyweight-adjusted points). Below is a rundown of the top results and noteworthy feats in each category.

Raw Challenge Women’s Champion Jennifer Thompson

Men’s Open Bench Bash

Raw: Indiana’s Aaron Letinski emerged as the men’s raw open champion with a towering 252.5 kg bench press (≈557 lbs). At 125.9 kg body weight (~277 lbs), Letinski’s lift earned the highest DOTS of the meet, making it both the heaviest raw press and the best pound-for-pound performance. Hot on his heels was Daryl Funk, who pressed 250.0 kg (551 lbs) to claim the runner-up spot by formula. Funk’s near-limit lift, coming from a Masters lifter, underlined that age was no barrier as he pushed the open winner to the limit. Third place went to Darrick Gagnon with 225.0 kg, rounding out a fiercely competitive raw field.

Equipped: In the single-ply equipped division, Nick Benerakis delivered a commanding victory. Benerakis bench pressed 295.0 kg (650 lbs) to secure the men’s equipped open title, outpacing the field by an astonishing 80 kg margin. The veteran bencher’s huge press was the largest of the entire meet. The next best lifts were a distant 215.0 kg (474 lbs) posted by Derek Gottschalk (the equipped runner-up) and an equal 215.0 kg by Tate Hernandez (third, by virtue of bodyweight) – underscoring just how dominant Benerakis’s performance was. Benerakis, a past Arnold Bench Bash champion, thus added another gold to his resume with one of the biggest equipped benches in recent Arnold history.

Women’s Open Bench Bash

Raw: Powerlifting legend Jennifer Thompson proved once again why she is regarded as one of the greatest bench pressers of all time. Thompson claimed the women’s raw open crown with a 132.5 kg bench (292 lbs) at 65.3 kg body weight, posting the top DOTS score among all women. In fact, Thompson not only won the open category – she also competed as a Master and handily won that too (details below). In the open rankings, she edged out Marissa Weidner, who matched Thompson’s 132.5 kg lift but at a heavier bodyweight (70.0 kg) for second place. The day’s heaviest raw bench for the women, however, came from Shelby Morse, who pressed 136.5 kg (301 lbs) in the heavyweight class. Morse’s 136.5 kg was over the 300-pound milestone, but her higher bodyweight meant her DOTS score placed her third overall. After securing victory, Thompson even went on to astonish the crowd with an unofficial fourth attempt: she broke her own Masters world record by pressing 142.5 kg (314 lbs) before narrowly missing a 145 kg attempt. The 11-time world champion’s record-breaking lift was a testament to her enduring dominance.

Equipped: The women’s equipped open division saw a show-stopping performance from Natalie Richardson. Richardson bench pressed 180.0 kg (396.8 lbs) to win the equipped title, a lift just shy of 400 pounds that gave her the highest DOTS among equipped females. Competing in the 84 kg class, she was head-and-shoulders above the competition – the next-best press was 137.5 kg by Allison Shupp. In fact, Richardson’s 180 kg was so substantial that after clinching the win, she took a fourth attempt and nailed a 183.0 kg (403.5 lbs) press to set a new American record for equipped bench. That record lift was both the biggest female bench of the meet and earned Richardson the Best Lifter honors in equipped. Behind her, Rachael Hannan (132.5 kg) and Allison Shupp (137.5 kg) battled for the podium, but neither could come close to Richardson’s massive press which secured her status as Arnold Bench Bash champion.

Men’s Masters Bench Bash

Raw (Masters Age 40+): Experience proved powerful in the men’s masters raw division, which was scored on DOTS with age adjustment. Daryl Funk took the Masters overall gold with a 250.0 kg bench press and an outstanding adjusted score. Funk, who had placed second in the Open, benefited from the additional age coefficient to carry him to the top of the Masters podium. The silver went to David Sneen who pressed 191.0 kg (421 lbs). Close behind in third was Howard Aaron with a 151.0 kg (333 lbs) bench. More impressively, Howard Aaron’s 151 kg press was reportedly a new Masters IV (70+ age) American record in the 93 kg class. The crowd gave a standing ovation to Aaron, exemplifying the “ageless strength” theme of the Masters meet.

Equipped (Masters): One of the most impressive wins of the weekend came in the men’s equipped masters category where Robert Evans claimed victory. Evans pressed 130.0 kg (286 lbs) in a bench shirt to secure first place. The runner-up, Jeff Sussman, had actually put up a much heavier 192.5 kg bench, but on formula Evans prevailed. In third was Brian Scott with a 190.0 kg press. Evans’ win underscored the spirit of the Masters: his consistency and longevity triumphed over sheer weight, drawing loud cheers from the audience as he set an unofficial milestone for the eldest champion.

Women’s Masters Bench Bash

Raw: In the women’s masters raw division, the story was once again Jennifer Thompson. Thompson not only dominated the Open, but also easily won the Masters category for ages 40+ by a massive margin. Her 132.5 kg bench was by far the highest of any Master woman and gave her an adjusted DOTS+Age score that no one else approached. For context, the Masters raw runner-up, Briana Boardman bench pressed 90.0 kg (198 lbs) – a strong lift in its own right – but still finished over 40 points behind Thompson once coefficients were factored. Third place went to Dorene Munoz with a 90.0 kg press as well.

Equipped: The women’s equipped masters division saw Elizabeth Richardson winning the Masters equipped title with a 102.5 kg (226 lbs) bench press. Richardson’s lift, over double her bodyweight, gave her a comfortable victory on formula. Not only did she break the 100-kg barrier, but she did so in the glare of the Arnold stage – a remarkable feat of longevity and strength. The Masters equipped runner-up was Joy Black with an 82.5 kg bench, and third went to Leigh Haines with 62.5 kg. Richardson’s winning press was the only Masters equipped female lift to top 100 kg, underscoring her dominance. Together with Natalie Richardson’s Open win, the two Richardsons (unrelated except in success) gave coach Matt Hartman’s team a sweep of the equipped women’s crowns.