Heavy lifter with a delicate touch

Jay Jones can be a welcome sight, whether you wish to haul a refrigerator or need your computer tweaked.

Jones, 19, has big muscles and delicate fingers.

Earlier this month, he took time off from his information technology job with Henrico County schools to set a world teenage power-lifting record.

"People kid me about my size," the 6-0, 281-pound Jones said with a chuckle. "I went to an IT meeting last week, and the guys told me I was in the wrong place . . . that I looked more like a construction worker."

At Hampton's Boo Williams Sportsplex on Nov. 8, Jones debuted as a competitive lifter at the AAU World Power-lifting and Push & Pull Championships.

It was a smashing success, as he obliterated the global standard (the previous mark was 500 pounds) for the dead lift in his age class (U-19)/weight division (308). Jones pulled 457, 501, 557 and then 601.

"I was shocked - amazed - that Jay could pull that kind of weight with so little experience," said Mike Craven of Mike's Olympic Gym in Mechanicsville. "He has so much potential. . . . I can see him pulling 800 eventually."

Jones is just two seasons removed from being an offensive guard at Highland Springs High School, where he earned all-Capital District honors.

Academically, he discovered his niche with computers.

"I wasn't the greatest student, but I made straight A's in computer class," he said.

Jones took courses at Henrico Technical Center and served an internship with Henrico schools before becoming full time in July.

"Now, I work on school computers all over the county," he said.

Along with his day job, Jones is an assistant football coach at Lee-Davis. His duties include helping conduct the Confederates' weight-lifting program at Mike's Gym.

"It helps that I can show them, not just tell them," he said. "Maybe by what I've done, I can show them what you can do with hard work."

Jones will continue to train for a power-lifting meet in April at Atlee. By then, he hopes to squeeze into the 275-pound division, while at the same time extending his dead lift to 700.

"Hey, I've got till April," he said of his high expectations.