WATERLOO - Mac O'Brien, who plans to crack heads next fall as a freshman fullback for the University of Northern Iowa, might be United Sport and Athlete's most prominent pupil at the moment.

But, judging by recent events, that could all change real soon.

"They have kids starting there in third or fourth grade," said O'Brien, a recent Columbus grad, of his hometown's fledgling athletic training center.

"I guarantee those kids are gonna be on a big stage someday."

Several of United Sport and Athlete's young pupils have already been illuminated by the national spotlight.

At a national weightlifting competition June 19-21 in northern Georgia, for instance, five locals ranging in age from 12 to 15 placed - Grady Nardini-Nelson, John Boisen, J.T. Sole, Tom Randolph and Jena Boisen. Nardini-Nelson, 12, fared the best, placing third. Randolph, 15, lifted the most combined weight - nearly 446 total pounds - in a competition that included snatch and clean-and-jerk lifts.

"Some of those kids have been competing less than a year," noted United Sport and Athlete vice president Robin Lund. "Within a year they'll probably win a national championship."

And the local kids aren't just excelling on the weightlifting circuit. United Sport and Athlete's head martial arts instructor, Russ O'Connell, earlier this month saw eight of his Tae Kwon Do students reel in golds at a national meet in Austin, Texas.

So, you might wonder, what is this two-year-old training center's secret? Those close to him all point to head strength coach Jianping Ma.

"We have no secret," insisted Ma, a former Chinese Olympian in the early 1980s. "But training hard is the key. Working hard is the key."

Some parents may worry about pre-pubescent kids powerlifting, but Lund, also an associate professor of exercise science at UNI, said 12 is usually an appropriate age for kids to start training. And, he said, Ma's Chinese training methods are proven to ease youngsters into strength-building.

"When we're training these kids," said Lund, "the focus is on technique, speed and flexibility, and the (strength) will come when you do those correctly."

Said Ma: "I've been training and coaching weightlifting for many, many years. So I have a lot of experience training young athletes - I love them. … And the kids love training and weightlifting, because it's kind of a new sport for this area."

Currently, Ma said he trains roughly 40 area youths on weekday afternoons at United Sport and Athlete, located in south Waterloo.

But, if the local training center's young athletes keep raking in accolades, that number could swell significantly.

"If we had hundreds of kids flood our door that's the best scenario - and we'll make room for them," said Lund, who also credits the center's success to people like director of operations Ernest Middleton.

O'Brien insisted United Sport and Athlete's training methods prepare youngsters for success in several sporting endeavors, beyond simply lifting barbells.

"I was really nervous going into college workouts, not knowing what to expect," said the future UNI Panther, who, in just six weeks of recent training, added 10 pounds of muscle to his current 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame.

"Without the six weeks of training at U.S.A.," said the collegiate freshman-to-be, "I think I would've been lost. But Jianping trained me well."

O'Brien may well prove to be the biggest name to come out of United Sport and Athlete. He, however, believes he'll have plenty of competition for that honor.

"I guarantee," said O'Brien, "that there's gonna be some big names coming out of there."