SAN JOSE, CA – Menlo Weightlifting sent fourteen athletes to compete at the Silicon Valley Championships, hosted at Silicon Valley CrossFit on Saturday afternoon. The team delivered a strong showing across the board, with veteran lifters demonstrating their experience through confident, high-level performances, while newer additions gained valuable platform time and competition exposure. The event served as an important stepping stone as the team builds momentum and sharpens preparation for the upcoming University National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah this March.

 

Men's Division

Ryan Padron: 262kg Total (6/6)

Ryan Padron delivered one of the standout performances of the event, going a perfect 6-for-6 and being the last lifter of the event. He completed snatches at 106kg, 109kg, and 112kg to start the evening. He then powered through clean and jerks at 140kg, 145kg, and 150kg to secure the Oaks top total of the day at 262kg. Padron recently competed at the Hawaiian State Championships in December and finished with a 257kg total so his steady increase is setting himself up for success at the National Championships.  

 

James Woodley: 240kg Total (6/6)

James Woodley also had a flawless showing. He hit snatches at 100kg, 103kg, and 105kg to begin his day, then followed with clean and jerks at 125kg, 130kg, and 135kg to total 240kg. His last appearance was at the Hassle Free Winter Breakers and improved by going out with a clean sheet. He has already qualified for Nationals and is looking to continue his National Championship run. 

 

Fonz Ortega: 238kg Total (5/6)

Fonz Ortega completed five of six attempts on the day starting with successful lifts at 103kg, 106kg, and 108kg in the snatch. He then made clean and jerks at 125kg and 130kg before narrowly missing 135kg to finish with a 238kg total. He increased his total by 2kg after finishing with a 236kg total at the Hassle Free Winter Breakers in December. Fonz has already qualified for Nationals and is looking forward to continuing his increasing total. 

 

Jeshua "Peanut" Ambrosio: 235kg Total (4/6)

Jeshua Ambrosio posted a 235kg total after making 4 good lifts on the day. He secured snatches at 95kg and 100kg, and just missed 103kg in a PR attempt. In the clean and jerk, he lifted 130kg and 135kg without trouble before missing 140kg in another attempt at pushing his limits. This was a shakeout lift before his appearance toward Nationals and he showed true grit on the platform.  

 

Orion Rios: 215kg Total (6/6)

Orion Rios had a perfect day on the platform, hitting snatches at 90kg, 92kg, and 94kg to start his competition. He continued the momentum with good clean and jerks at 115kg, 118kg, and 121kg to total 215kg. Rios continues to improve with a clean sheet and a 3kg increase from the Hassle Free Winter Breakers competition. 

 

Osvaldo Garcia Mendoza: 200kg Total (6/6)

Ozzy Garcia completed all six lifts in yet another strong platform appearance for the Oaks. He began the day with good snatches at 85kg, 88kg, and 90kg. Then in clean and jerks, Ozzy pushed at 104kg, 107kg, and 110kg to make it into the 200kgs for his total. He increased his total by 6kgs after finishing the Hassle Free Winter Breakers at 194kg. 

 

Billy McKinzey: 185kg Total

Billy McKinzey secured a 185kg total with PR attempts across the board. He opened with a successful 80kg snatch but was unable to convert attempts at 83kg. In the clean and jerk, he lifted 100kg and 105kg before missing 110kg. Billy needs just 3 more kilos in his total to qualify for nationals and will be hunting for that in the coming weeks. 

 

Elijah Carrasco: 177kg Total (5/6)

Elijah Carrasco completed five of six lifts, starting his day by hitting all three snatches at 76kg, 79kg, and 82kg. He made his opening clean and jerk at 90kg, missed 95kg on his second attempt, then returned to successfully secure 95kg on his final lift for a PR finish. Carrasco increased his total by a whopping 12kgs after his 165kg total at the Hassle Free Winter Breakers.  

 

Logan Basilius: 174kg Total (6/6)

Logan Basilius, the Oaks newest addition on the Men's side, delivered a consistent, perfect meet for his first platform appearance with the Oaks. He completed good snatches at 74kg, 76kg, and 78kg. Then he followed with clean and jerks at 90kg, 93kg, and 96kg to total 174kg. This was Logan's first official weightlifting competition and showed true courage taking on the platform in front of a crowd.  

 

Jon Brooks: 162kg Total (6/6)

Jon Brooks capped off a strong competition with a 6-for-6 performance for the Oaks. He lifted 68kg, 70kg, and 72kg in the snatch, then secured clean and jerks at 80kg, 85kg, and 90kg to finish with a 162kg total. Jon increased his total by 5kgs. Brooks competed at the Hawaii State Championships in December and finished with a 158kg total, increasing his total by 4 kgs.        

 

Women's Division

Kira Barad: 155kg Total (6/6)

Kira Barad led the women's field with a flawless day, completing all six attempts. She successfully worked through snatches starting at 67kg, and building up to good lifts at 69kg and 71kg. She then secured clean and jerk attempts at 75kg, 81kg, and closed out the day with a 84kg good lift to finish with the top Oak women's total of 155kg. Kira improved since the Hassle Free Winter Breakers by making the 71kg snatch she originally missed then, and finishing with a clean sheet. 

 

Sydney Uyeda: 144kg Total (6/6)

Sydney Uyeda delivered a perfect performance, going 6-for-6. She began with hitting snatches at 59kg, 61kg, and 63kg with ease. Then she followed up with clean and jerks at 74kg, 78kg, and finishing the day off with a tough 81kg good lift to total 144kg. Uyeda appeared at the SacTown Throwdown in November so this effort was a good shakeout before her preparation towards the National Championships.  

 

Breanna Zide: 136kg Total (4/6)

Breanna Zide finished with a 136kg total after going 4-for-6 on the day. After missing her opening snatch at 58kg, she rebounded to secure 61kg before pushing herself and missing 63kg. She then completed all three clean and jerks at 70kg, 73kg, and 75kg to close out a strong competition. Zide has been working hard towards cutting weight classes and proved that her performance does not change despite the challenge at hand. 

 

Peyton Hensley: 108kg Total

Peyton Hensley, the Oaks newest lifter on the Women's side, put together a solid meet for her second platform appearance of the season. She first successfully completed snatches at 42kg, 44kg, and 46kg. She followed with clean and jerks at 54kg, 58kg, and pushed herself to a 62kg PR to finish with a 108kg total. Her last appearance was at the Hassle Free Winter Breakers where she narrowly missed a 61kg clean and jerk, proving her persistence towards a PR.

 

Up Next…

The Silicon Valley Championships highlighted the depth of talent and dedication across the local weightlifting community, with multiple athletes achieving perfect performances and strong totals across both divisions. Menlo will look forward to their next competition on Saturday, February 28th at Hayward CrossFit Lift Off in Hayward, CA.