From workout partner to world record holder — it's been a short journey for Anthony McElhinny.

The Butler High junior offensive tackle needed fewer than three years of power-lifting to break three world records for his age group and weight class.

McElhinny competed in the 275-pound, age 16-and-17 division at an AAU open world meet Jan. 29 in Virginia and set world marks in the bench press, squat and combined weight lifted.

"I knew what the records were going in and I knew what I was capable of doing and what I wanted to lift," McElhinny said. "I'm a little surprised I got those records, but I knew I had a shot at them."

McElhinny bench-pressed 352.7 pounds for his first record. He lifted 501.5 pounds in the squat for his second. His dead-lift also was 501.5 pounds, giving him a third world record of 1,353.77 pounds of combined weight lifted.

McElhinny's first-ever power-lifting competition was in January 2004 as member of Butler's team in the Northern Area Football Coaches Association's meet.

The Golden Tornado won that competition.

"I worked out with Nate Hartung when he was playing football here and got involved in those meets through him," McElhinny said. "He showed me a lot of things and so did our weight-training coaches.

"Zeke Wilson is the head of Pennsylvania AAU power-lifting and he tells me all of the different meets I can enter. There's plenty of them."

McElhinny was part of the Butler squad that finished second to Springdale in the 2005 NAFCA power-lifting meet. This year's NAFCA competition might take place in March.

"Anthony's accomplishments have been impressive in the sense that he has never purely trained for power-lifting," Butler football coach Garry Cathell said. "He's always lifted for football.

"To set world records without being a pure power-lifter is pretty strange."

McElhinny insists there isn't much difference between power-lifting weight training and football weight training.

"I just had to add a few things, do more exercises and reps," he said.

He's competed in Junior Olympic (age 18-under) power-lifting twice. In 2004, he bench-pressed 315 pounds, dead-lifted 425 and squatted 450.

Last year, he was disqualified in all three events.

Each competitor gets three lifts in each event at a competition. If he fails to execute at least one of the three lifts, he is disqualified in that event.

"I tried to do a little too much," McElhinny admitted.

Now that he's broken world records, McElhinny said power-lifting might be a sport he'll pursue down the road.

But football comes first.

"If my goals in football don't pan out, this may be something I'll go after," he said. "I've always lifted for football. I'm always working towards football."

His football goals include playing for a Division I college. McElhinny stands 5-feet-9 and weighs 260 pounds. He will be in his second year as a starting offensive lineman for the Golden Tornado this fall.

He has not heard from any Division I schools yet.

"I have to improve my speed, quickness, endurance, all of those things," McElhinny said. "And you always have to get stronger."

"We've had some big, strong kids the past couple of years," Cathell said. "Guys like Nate and Adam Pritts, the ball gets rolling in the weight room, you have success lifting and guys work even harder.

"Anthony's an example of that."