Time is flying for Sac State weightlifter Jeremy Arsich.

But then again, time tends to move a little quicker than most when working 50 hours a week, managing 18 units at school and balancing a fiancee and weightlifting competitions in your off time.

“The key to success in college is having more to do than just school,” Arsich said. “You have to have something else to look forward to than just exams and studying.”

For Arsich, that something would be the World Weightlifting Championships being held in Montreal, Canada on June 9-11.

The Sac State junior will compete in the 105 kg weight class by virtue of his first place finish in the Collegiate Nationals April 28-30 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He will be the only member of the Sac State weightlifting club to compete.

“The Championships are huge,” Arsich said. “They are the biggest thing I have ever done in my life.”

Weightlifting wasn’t always easy for the former wrestler and offensive lineman from Red Bluff.

“I came out for the football team and they told me I was too small to play unless I played defensive back and had to run a four-second 40 (yard dash),” Arsich said. “I told them maybe 10 seconds and they said no.”

At Sac State, Arsich joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, which encourages its members to get involved in campus clubs.

“I was supposed to get involved in a club and I thought weightlifting would be cool,” Arsich said. “And it has taken off from there.”

Since finding the weightlifting club, Arsich, who is the club’s president, has improved greatly.

“I attribute all of my success to a great coach. I can’t say enough about (weightlifting) coach (Bill) Kutzer. I owe everything to him; he is just unbelievable,” Arsich said of his success. “I never envisioned all this when I first started, my goal was just to make it to the Collegiate Nationals.

My next goal is to make it to the U.S. Nationals, which is probably the next best meet to the Olympics and I see that happening.”

The Olympics are not a goal because of the time commitment and need to focus solely on weightlifting. Balancing work, family and school is already difficult enough for Arsich, as he works 30 hours a week at the YMCA and 15 hours a week at Hoppy Brewing. Finding the extra time to lift weights can be difficult.

“I try to lift three to five times a week, but it’s hard because I am so busy,” Arsich said.

“But it’s just about time management. After I work I usually go in and lift. It’s also a stress relief because I can go in and take all that stress out on the weights.”

Weightlifting will continue to be a big part of Arsich’s life after leaving school as recreation.

He has plans to graduate in the spring of 2002, that is also the year he plans on marrying his fiancee of five months, Janelle Murray.

“I would like to be a teacher,” Arsich said. “But I’m in no hurry to get out of Sac State, I’ve got enough things to keep me busy.”