He started his football career at UWRF as a defensive lineman, but moved to the offensive line later. Pata first came to UWRF from Oshkosh, Wis., and played football for the Falcons from 1996-99. "Now it's part of my lifestyle." His schedule is busy since he is the UWRF Athletics director of athletic performance, but he still makes time, usually over the noon hour, to work out six days a week. Pata admits with a smile that he started weight lifting in sixth grade to impress a female classmate. He competed in strong man competitions for the past seven years, but has enjoyed great success in weightlifting so far. Pata's success has come despite being a relative newcomer to this type of competition. Last October he competed in the Twin Cities Open in Northfield, Minn., and then in February he competed in the Twin Cities Masters in St. This was just Pata's third meet that he has competed in. Once the bar is set, you have one minute to complete the lift." "There are three judges in front of you watching to make sure the lift is done right. "You're alone on the stage and it's eerily quite," said Pata as he explained the setting at the meet. His missed on his last lift of 337 pounds. After the break, he entered the clean & jerk portion of the competition with a first, and successful, attempt at 319 pounds, and a second successful lift at 330 pounds. His final lift was successful at 242 pounds. But he was successful in his second attempt at that weight. In the snatch competition he failed on his first attempt at 231 pounds. Then you have to get up for the second part of the competition." "That was tough because you get up to do a lift, and then come down. He had a one and one-half hour break between the time he did his last snatch lift to when he did his first clean & jerk lift. He lifted in the middle of the snatch competition, but was last in the clean & jerk portion. "We are a pretty close group of individuals and I've gotten a lot of help from people I compete against." Having the opportunity to compete at an international level is something that Pata is still trying to wrap his mind around.Īt last weekend's competition, he lifted on third, and final, day of the event.
That event will be held in June and features lifters from around the world. He had a lift of 242 pounds in the snatch portion of the event and a lift of 330 pounds in the clean and jerk portion.īy winning the competition last weekend Pata has earned the chance to compete at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Pata won the 35 aged group 232 pounds and over National title with a combined total of 572 pounds. Falcon Director of Athletic Performance Carmen Pata has won the USA Masters Weightlifting National Championship at the organization's meet held March 30-April 1 in Savannah, Ga.