FALMOUTH, Maine — Maine Sports Hall of Famer James “Chico” Hernandez, 71 of Washburn, broke a few records at the 9th Revolutionary Powerlifting Syndicate Maine state championship held at the Beyond Strength gym in Falmouth on Saturday Sept. 6.
Sixty powerlifters competed at the event. Hernandez had a huge event by breaking four state records in the 70-74 age group 220-pound division and three world records. He set the modern raw RPS state records with a 315 squat, dead lift of 315 and bench press of 225. He also broke the combined record of 855 pounds and set three RPS world records in the squat, bench press and combine.
Hernandez had only been training at Aroostook County Fitness in Presque Isle; this is his fourth powerlifting championship he has won within the last year when he won the Nebraska state powerlifting championships, Vermont state championship, National Senior Games Powerlifting Championships in Iowa and now the Maine powerlifting championships.
He was the oldest competitor at the 2025 State Maine Power Lifters Championships.
“There’s nothing better in the world that makes you feel better than to compete in a competition and do something good for yourself,” Hernandez said. “I was coached by former multiple time World Powerlifting champion Tony Petrino, who is an old work colleague of mine since 1993 as we worked at the Maine State Prison for many years. He had an incredible squat of 962 pounds n a meet once. He knows his stuff as I train by myself and do not have a coach, it was great to have a coach for a change.
“Another work colleague of mine from the Maine State Prison and Caribou High School alum Mark Clevette competed with me as he set and broke a police and firefighters division of raw 430 pounds world bench press record. Those guys are just so awesome and it was great to see them and have a reunion with those world champion powerlifters.”
