Meet Recap: PLU The Bar Showdown

Crestview, Florida – March 14, 2026

Powerlifting United‘s The Bar Showdown on March 14 brought together a deep roster of lifters across multiple weight classes and experience levels. From elite-level totals to strong breakout performances, the meet had some of everything: high-level competition, deep talent, big numbers, and some standout individual showings.

Headline Performances

The Men’s division delivered some massive totals.

Zac Meyers led the pack with an impressive 1062.5 kg total in the 140 kg class—the biggest total of the day.
Close behind, Phillip Herndon put up 1037.5 kg in the 125 kg class, showing strong all-around consistency.
Perhaps the most notable performance pound-for-pound came from John Haack, totaling 1012.5 kg at 100 kg bodyweight, pairing elite strength with efficiency.

Top 3 Men's Division lifters Phillip Herndon, John Haack, and Zac Meyers at the the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown powerlifting meet. — Top 3 Men’s Division lifters **Phillip Herndon**, **John Haack**, and **Zac Meyers** at the the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown powerlifting meet.

In the Women’s division, Samantha Rice clearly stole the show:

She totaled 720 kg at 90 kg bodyweight, and posted the highest DOTS score of the entire meet (656.66).

Samantha Rice at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Samantha Rice** at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

Best Pound-for-Pound

DOTS scoring highlighted the lifters who maximized strength relative to bodyweight:

Samantha Rice – 656.66 (clear standout of the meet)
John Haack – 625.12 (elite-level efficiency as expected)
Zac Meyers and Phillip Herndon followed, combining high totals with strong coefficients
Keri Smith also cracked the top tier with a 576 DOTS and a 515 kg total at 60 kg

Women’s Division Highlights

Beyond Samantha Rice’s impressive showing, the women’s division had strong depth:

Naz Salman totaled 585 kg in the 100 kg class
Keri Smith (60 kg) and Robin Milton (82.5 kg) both crossed the 500 kg mark
Ayelén Noguera added a solid 462.5 kg total at 56 kg, showing strong lightweight competitiveness

Naz Salman deadlifts 485lbs at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Naz Salman** deadlifts 220 kgs at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

Keri Smith's 485.02lbs deadlift at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Keri Smith**‘s 210 kgs deadlift at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

Robin Milton's 462.97lbs deadlift at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Robin Milton**‘s 210 kgs deadlift at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

Ayelén Noguera's 418.8lbs deadlift at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Ayelén Noguera**‘s 190 kgs deadlift at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

Heavyweight Power and Depth

Daniel Page squats an insane 410kg at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Daniel Page** squats an insane
410 kgs at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

Brandan Sullivan squats 848lbs at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown — **Brandan Sullivan** squats big with
372.5 kgs in the 110 kg bodyweight class at the 2026 PLU The Bar Showdown

The heavier men’s classes brought the biggest numbers of the day:

Multiple lifters exceeded 900 kg totals, including Daniel Page (937.5 kg) and Brandan Sullivan (935 kg)
The spread of 900+ kg totals shows real depth in the upper weight classes

The meet featured a strong mix of elite-level lifters and rising competitors. Top-end strength was on full display, with multiple 1000+ kg totals. Pound-for-pound excellence, especially from Samantha Rice and John Haack, added another layer of competition