USPA 2026 Missouri State Championships: Barnes Battles Back, Lee Dominates

March 21, 2026 — O’Fallon, Missouri

At the USPA 2026 Missouri State Championships Landon Barnes, Courtney Lee, Zachary Rutten, and James Kennedy each earned Best Lifter honors.

Landon Barnes had one of the most notable turnarounds of the meet. Competing in the Men’s Raw Powerlifting Open 100 kg division, he opened with a 240 kg squat, but missed both attempts at 258 kg on squat. Barnes stayed composed and secured a 120 kg bench press. By the time deadlifts came around, he pulled 282.5 kg, bringing his total to 697.5 kg and securing the division win along with Best Lifter in the Men’s Junior category.

Courtney Lee set the pace early and stayed in control throughout. Competing in the Women’s Raw Powerlifting Open 110 kg division, she worked up to a 192.5 kg squat, missing her third at 202.5 kg but already well ahead. She followed with 85 kg on bench and closed with a 210 kg deadlift, finishing with a 487.5 kg total to win her division and take Best Lifter in the Women’s Open category.

Zachary Rutten put together a strong, steady performance in the Men’s Raw Powerlifting Open 82.5 kg division. He built to a 237.5 kg squat, missed his second bench but came right back to secure 150 kg, and finished with a 297.5 kg deadlift. His 685 kg total earned both the division win and Best Lifter in the Men’s Open category.

James Kennedy, competing in the Men’s Raw Powerlifting Master 125 kg division, recorded one of the biggest totals of the day. He squatted 280 kg, benched 155 kg, and pulled 285 kg for a 720 kg total, earning Best Lifter in the Men’s Master category.

Across the board, lifters adjusted quickly and kept momentum moving forward. Missed attempts did not stall the meet. Instead, they set up the next lift, and by the final round of deadlifts, the results reflected who was able to respond, recover, and finish strong.The lifters who won weren’t the ones who looked strongest early, but they were the ones still standing strong at the conclusion. This was a USPA-sanctioned raw powerlifting meet held at PowerBody USA in O’Fallon, Missouri.

Meet Results

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