CRANBERRY TWP — If they weren't encouraged before, they are now.

Ali Restelli, 22, of Cranberry Township and Kody Helbig, 25, of Freedom are relatively new to competitive weightlifting. Both found sudden success Saturday at the Beyond Parallel Open, hosted by Beyond Parallel Strength & Fitness.

Restelli placed third overall out of 17 competitors in the women's division. Helbig placed second overall out of 18 in the men's division.

“I've been doing this for about a year now,” said Restelli, a 2012 Seneca Valley graduate and former Raider volleyball player. “I never expected to do this well.

“These are some of the top weightlifters in the region. For me to place third in an event like this is very encouraging.”

Restelli had competed in weightlifting only once before, placing sixth at the Pittsburgh Open a few months earlier.

Helbig, whose brother Ethan is a co-owner of Coaches Beyond Parallel with Laura Prosser, has been involved with competitive weightlifting for only five months. Saturday marked his first competition.

He finished second to Baily Dimenna of Akron, Ohio, who qualified for the American Open with the total he posted at the meet. Weightlifters were there from Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

“I only do this as a recreational thing,” Helbig said. “It keeps me in shape during the hockey offseason. I come in three or four days a week to work out.

“I did sign up for another competition, the Pittsburgh Barbell in Bridgeville in August, just to see how I'll do down there.”

A former hockey player who left Freedom High School to play juniors in Albany, N.Y., Helbig now officiates Tier II junior A and Division I college hockey from September through May.

“I put 30,000 miles on my car in seven months. It's a lot of travel,” he said.

Helbig lifted 102 kilos in the snatch portion of Saturday's competition and 134 kilos in the clean and jerk. That's roughly equivalent to 225 and 296 pounds. Helbig weighs 192.

Restelli easily set a personal-best in the clean and jerk, lifting 84 kilos. Her previous best was 78.

“A 6-kilo jump like that is huge,” Ethan Helbig, who helps train Restelli, said. “I was surprised she even went for that high and she nailed it.”

“Ethan is a good friend of mine and he got me started in crossfit training,” Restelli said. “Now I'm coming in five days a week for an hour to an hour and a half at a time. I want to see how far I can go with this.”

Ethan Helbig believes that can be pretty far.

“Ali is a natural at this,” he said. “Her ability combined with her drive and training efforts ... She can get to nationals.”

Two other Cranberry Township residents — Eric Hilliard, 38, and Dan Loeffler, 16 — were among the competitors Saturday. Neither placed in the top three.

Loeffler is an incoming junior at Seneca Valley who has been weightlifting for five months. He broke into the sport after quitting high school lacrosse.

“I don't even know how much weight is on the par,” Loeffler said. “My coach puts it on there and tells me to lift it. They know my capabilities.

“This is my sport now. I love it. I'll stay with it for as long as I can.”

Hilliard was a weightlifter in high school and college, but just got back into the sport about a year ago. His wife recently had twins and he has other children ages 7 and 9.

Saturday marked Hilliard's second competition — and the first in which his children were able to watch.

“That was pretty cool, them getting to see their dad really compete at something,” he said. “The competition here was tough, but it pushes you to get better.”

An accountant by trade, Hilliard comes to the gym at 5:30 a.m. three days a week to work out.

“Like most people, I first came to the gym for crossfit and I got into Olympic lifting,” Hilliard said. “Being able to actually compete just adds to the enjoyment.”