Marquette native Ron L’Huillier, left, receives a plaque for being inducted into the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters Hall of Fame on May 17 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., from organization President Gus Rethwisch. L’Huiller, 68, was born in Marquette and graduated from Marquette Senior HIgh School, having also lived here for about 15 years as an adult. He now lives with his wife Meg in downstate Delton. (Photo courtesy Ron L’Huillier)

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — Former Marquette resident Ron L’Huillier was inducted into the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters Hall of Fame in May.

L’Huillier, 68, still lifts today and in fact set a master’s world record on the day he was inducted, May 17, for his age division, 68-74, and weight, up to 242 pounds, by deadlifting 523.6 pounds at a tourney in Wisconsin Dells.

L’Huillier grew up in Marquette, graduating from Marquette Senior High School in 1974 and also Northern Michigan University in 2000 after returning to the area.

He mentioned moving to various places, including Petoskey and in California, before returning to the Marquette in the late 1980s and working at the CCI research laboratory from 1989 to 2000.

After getting his degree at NMU, he moved to the Lower Peninsula, eventually ending up working in computer systems for University of Michigan Health before retiring with his wife Meg to the small western Michigan community of Delton.

How did it all start?

“I was a skinny runt of a kid,” L’Huillier said with some amusement in a phone conversation last week. “My dad got me a bench press when I was 12 years old, and it was something I seemed to be good at, so I kept at it.”

L’Huillier was inducted into the WABDL hall at least as much for his service to the group as for his feats lifting weights.

A Vietnam War-era veteran, he volunteered to upgrade the WABDL website, wabdl.org, in 2010 and guided the site for the next 11 years, according to organization president Gus Rethwisch of Golden Valley, Minnesota. He may be rejoining soon for further upgrades.

L’Huillier is also one of WABDL’s top world judges, having worked at more than 100 meets, and has been a Michigan state chairman, but his performances lifting are also noteworthy, according to Rethwisch.

L’Huillier has set several master’s records, including his recent one along with ages 54-60 category in the 259-pound class for a deadlift of 661.2 pounds, and in the same age category in the 242-pound class for a deadlift of 656.8 pounds.

That and a lift of 600.7 pounds in the 61-67 age division of the 259-pound class all rank in the top-five all-time in the WABDL, where he has won seven of the organization’s Best Lifter awards.

In all, he has set two dozen Michigan state records in the WABDL, a federation that drug tests at every meet and is meant for lifters who enjoy competing in the single-lift bench press and deadlift, as well as push-pull at state, national and international levels.

“Our meets are nothing like some of the stereotypes out there,” L’Huillier said in a phone conversation last week, saying that the atmosphere is supportive of each other among competitors.

Rethwisch also mentioned that L’Huillier’s all-time top competition lifts, regardless of federation, are 705.2 pounds in the squat, 514 pounds in the bench press and 688.7 pounds in the deadlift.

Story contents based on a Journal Virtual Newsroom submission from Gus Rethwisch, plus telephone interviews with Rethwisch and Ron L’Huillier. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.