Fotion, Everding win strongman events

Steven Fotion and Jeremy Everding, members of Oceans Clubhouse Gym in Carbondale, each finished first in their respective divisions during a North American Strongman competition June 13 and 14 in Parker.

Fotion took first place in the masters age group (40 and older), while Everding took first place in the novice division, which is an open age group.

Both took first place in three of the five events they competed in, with Fotion’s performance netting him a berth in the Mr. Olympian competition. The event is scheduled for Sept. 19 and 20 at the Orleans and Las Vegas Convention Center.

Each competitor does five events. Fotion, 47, finished first in the atlas stones event (athletes carry 265-pound stones across a certain distance), the axle overhead press and the farmer’s walk/sandbag carry (athletes carry sandbags that weigh 100 to 200 pounds).

He finished second in the axle deadlift (athletes deadlift 450 to 550 pounds), and an event called the yokewalk.

Everding took first place in three events (yokewalk, farmer’s walk and deadlift) and second in the other two (overhead press and atlas stones). With the victory, Everding, 31, moved into the North American Strongman qualifier event that’s scheduled for Aug. 23 at Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel.

There, he’ll have a chance to advance to the Mr. Olympian event in September.