Author Archives: Al Myers

Club Champs Summary

by Al Myers

The 2015 Dino Gym members (Chad Ullom, LaVerne Myers, Al Myers, and Dean Ross) at the Club Championships.

The 2015 Dino Gym members (Chad Ullom, LaVerne Myers, Al Myers, and Dean Ross) at the Club Championships.

The USAWA Club Championships just recently celebrated its 6 year anniversary.  This has become a signature championship event in the USAWA.  I have decided today to do a summary of all past Club Championships and include this information in our history archives.  The years go by SO FAST – it seems like just yesterday I was at the VERY FIRST Club Champs in Ambridge eating my fill of roast beef and the  “secret beef gravy” at the Maple restaurant with John McKean and Art Montini.  The Club Championships has had two host clubs promoting it through the years.  Ambridge BBC promoted it the first three years, and the Ledaig Heavy Athletics have the past three.

The Dino Gym has the most overall wins with four, followed by the Ledaig HA with 2 wins.  Ledaig has had the most lifters entered in a Club Champs (8 in 2014).  Only one USAWA Club has entered every Club Championships – the Dino Gym.

SUMMARY OF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

 DATE  HOST  FIRST  SECOND  THIRD
2015  August 29th Ledaig HA Dino Gym Ledaig HA Habecker’s Gym
2014 July 19th Ledaig HA Ledaig HA Dino Gym Habecker’s Gym
2013 July 14th Ledaig HA Ledaig HA Dino Gym
2012 March 10th Ambridge BBC Dino Gym Atomic Athletic Ambridge BBC
2011 March 12th Ambridge BBC Dino Gym Joe’s Gym Ambridge BBC
2010 March 13th Ambridge BBC Dino Gym Ambridge BBC Habecker’s Gym

 

Club Championships

by Dave Glasgow

Group picture of the lifters at the 2015 USAWA Club Championships.

Group picture of the lifters at the 2015 USAWA Club Championships.

ON A PERFECT DAY FOR LIFTING, THREE CLUBS OF LIFTERS CAME TO THE DEN OF THE LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS FOR THIS YEARS VERSION OF THE USAWA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS.  I WAS GRATIFIED AT THE SHOWING BUT IT WAS ESPECIALLY GOOD TO SEE JUDY AND DENNY HABECKER MAKE THE TREK FROM PENNSYVANIA.

KICKING THINGS OFF WAS THE 2” VERTICLE BAR, ONE HAND.  THERE WERE SOME FINE LIFTS BY ALL BUT THE STAND OUT OF THE DAY WAS FROM THE VENERABLE LAVERNE MYERS.  THOSE BIG FARMERS HANDS HAVE SERVED HIM WELL OVER HIS LIFE AND IT WAS NO DIFFERENT HERE AS HE HOISTED 182 IN THE RIGHT HAND.  THAT IS A HUGE LIFT FROM ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF AGE.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE LIFTS IS THE ONE HAND SNATCH.  FOR THIS MEET, THERE WAS A LITTLE TWIST AS YOU HAD TO PERFORM THE LIFT WITH YOUR NON-DOMINATE HAND.  AGAIN, THERE WAS FINE LIFTING BY ALL AND THE JUDGING WAS STRICT.  NOT AS STRICT AS MIKE MURDOCK WOULD HAVE DONE, BUT STILL, VERY STRICT.  FOR MY MONEY, THE BEST ALL-ROUND LIFTER IN THE USAWA TODAY IS THE OLE WAR HORSE, CHAD ULLOM.  HE PROVED THIS BY THROWING UP A VERY CREDITABLE 125# LEFT HAND SNATCH.  NOT FAR BEHIND WAS DOUG KREESLY, WHO HAD NEVER DONE THIS LIFT BEFORE.  BEING MORE ATTUNED TO THE POWER LIFTS, HE ADJUSTED QUICKLY AND CERTAINLY MADE A GOOD SHOWING FOR HIMSELF.

WITH VERY LITTLE BREAK IN THE ACTION, WE MOVED TO THE PUSH PRESS OUT OF THE RACK.  AS THIS WAS MORE IN DOUG KRESSLYS WHEEL HOUSE, HE PUT UP A STRONG 225 AND WAS NOT QUITE ABLE TO MUSCLE UP A 240 ATTEMPT.  NOT TO BE IGNORED WERE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE KREESLY CLAN THAT SHOWED UP.  JERA PUT UP A FINE 155 PP AND WITH SOME WORK COULD EASILY GO 180.  MORE ON HER LATER.

DRAVON KRESSLY DOES’NT SAY MUCH.  HE LETS HIS LIFTING TALK FOR HIM.  COMING IN AT 137 POUNDS, THIS JUNIOR HIGH LINEBACKER ALMOST PP’d HIS WEIGHT!  I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT NONE OF THE KREESLYS HAD PRACTICED THESE LIFTS PRIOR SO I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A HUGE LIFT!  WELL DONE, LAD!  GOOD ON YA!  LOOK FOR MUCH MORE FROM THIS KID.  COULD HE BE THE NEXT ‘CHAD ULLOM’?  TIME WILL TELL!

JERA KRESSLY IS ONE FINE LOOKING, STRONG AND INTELLIGENT WOMAN.  HER LIFTING PROVED TWO OF THOSE ATTRIBUTES.  LIFTING WELL WITHIN HER ABILITIES, THIS FORMER ‘KANSAS’ STRONGEST WOMAN’ DID’NT MISS A LIFT AND DID MORE THAN HER SHARE TO FURTHER THE EFFORTS OF THE LEDAIG CLUB.

COMING DOWN TO THE 2 BARS DEADLIFT, THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COULD HAVE GONE EITHER WAY.  HOWEVER, DUE TO SOME POOR COACHING DECISIONS ON THE PART OF THE LEDAIG MANAGER, THE DINO GYM WOULD PREVAIL FOR THIS YEAR.  AGAIN, CHAD ULLOM CARRIED THE DAY WITH A VERY IMPRESSIVE 560.  BUT WAIT, HOW ABOUT THAT DRAVON KID.  AFTER A FINE 270 TO END HIS DAY OF COMPETITION, HE WENT OUTSIDE COMPETITION TO PULL AN OUTSTANDING 310!  MAN!!

IN CLOSING, I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT MENTION TWO OF THE STALWARTS OF THE USAWA.  DENNY HABECKER AND DEAN ROSS TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO LIFT IN THE USAWA.  YOU WILL NOT FIND ANY MORE CONSISTANT LIFTERS THAN THESE TWO.  AS FOR INDIDVUAL RECORDS, WELL, THEY BOTH TOOK EXTRA LIFTS TO SECURE NEW HEIGHTS FOR THOSE FOLLOWING TO ACHIEVE.  DENNY WITH A FINE 330# 2 HAND DL AND DEAN NOT FAR BEHIND WITH A 320#.  EXCELLENT LIFTING, GENTLEMEN!

THANKS TO ALL FOR COMING TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE TO COMPETE.  I PLAN TO HAVE THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR YEARS TO COME!  YOU PLAN TO BE THERE, ‘YA HEAR??  WHY?!  ‘CAUSE I SAID SO!!

MEET RESULTS:

2015 Club Championships
Ledaig Heavy Athletics
Rainbow Bend, KS
August 29th, 2015

Meet Director: Dave Glasgow

Official (1-official system used): Dave Glasgow

Scorekeeper: Al Myers

Lifts: Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2″, 1 Bar, 1 Hand, Snatch – Dumbbell, 1 Arm (non-dominate hand), Push Press – Rack, Deadlift – 2 Bars

1.  Dino Gym – 2061.72 points

 LIFTER  AGE  BWT  VB-2″  Snatch  P Press 2-bar DL
 LaVerne Myers  71  240  182 R  45 R  100  290
 Dean Ross  72  253  132 R  60 L  125  270
 Chad Ullom  43  252  192 R  125 L  80  560

2. Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 1733.39 points

 LIFTER  AGE BWT  VB-2″  Snatch  P Press 2-bar DL
 Draven Kressly  14  137  127 R  55 L  130  270
 Jera Kressly  30  220  137 R  60 L  155  310
 Doug Kressly  35  248  152 R  100 L  225  0

3. Habecker’s Gym – 758.11 points

 LIFTER  AGE  BWT VB-2″  Snatch  P Press 2-bar DL
 Denny Habecker  72  194  122 L  45 L  150  310

NOTES:  AGE is in years. BWT is bodyweight in pounds. R and L designate right and left hands.  Lifts recorded in pounds. Points are adjusted for age and bodyweight correction.

EXTRA ATTEMPTS FOR RECORD:

Denny Habecker: 2-Bar Deadlift 330#
Dean Ross: 2-Bar Deadlift 320#
Draven Kressly: 2-Bar Deadlift 310#
Jera Kressly: Push Press – From Rack 160#

 

Team Championships

by Al Myers

 

Group picture from the 2015 USAWA Team Championships.

Group picture from the 2015 USAWA Team Championships.

The USAWA weekend of the “Kansas Double Header” concluded Sunday at the Dino Gym with the USAWA Team Championships.  Many of the lifters that competed were at Rainbow Bend the day before for the Club Championships.  This made for a very fun and exciting weekend with the opportunity for lifters to compete in TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS over the course of one weekend!

I was very excited to see 6 teams entered this year – the most there has ever been in the Team Championships.  Of these 6 teams 3 were Mixed Pair teams, consisting a man and woman lifting together.  Doug and Jera took the overall victory with great lifting in all the lifts. The effort they gave on the last lift (Continental to Belt) earned them the “effort award” in my book.  I’m sure those in attendance would agree!  It was a joy to see Mary Mac and her lifters show up right at the last minute (as the rules meeting was just starting!).  Mary and her Heartland club are back busy with the USAWA again, and I’m so glad to see it.  They bring enthusiam to every competition! Plus our Prez Denny was without a lifting partner as well as Mary so they teamed up.  For never lifting before together in team lifting they did outstanding.

Two Junior lifters (Draven Kressly and Austin Brewer) made quite a good showing for their first try at team lifting.  These two young men have outstanding lifting talent, and performed these difficult team lifts very well.  LaVerne and Dean again “joined forces” in the Team Champs and put up great lifts.  I know both of these guys had to be a little sore from lifting the day before at the Club Champs, but they gave it their all and finished the meet as strong as they started.

I want to thank everyone who participated in these USAWA weekend events – as this will be one of the highlight weekends of the year in the USAWA.

MEET RESULTS:

2015 USAWA Team Championships
Dino Gym
Abilene, KS
August 30th, 2015

Meet Director: Al Myers

Officials (1-official system used): Al Myers, Denny Habecker, Chad Ullom

Scorekeeper: Al Myers

Lifts: Curl-Cheat, Clean and Press-Fulton Bar, Deadlift-Ciavattone Grip, Continental to Belt

MIXED PAIR

 Team AGE BWT Curl C&P DL-CG Con Total Points

Jera Kressly

Doug Kressly

30

35

220

249

105

(115)

 130 295

230

(250)

 760 604.1

Tressa Brooner

Christian Schimpf

54

16

130

153

 75 75

160

(175)

 120 430 452.4

Mary McConnaughey

Denny Habecker

55

72

301

191

 85

65

(75)

190

(210)

 160 500 420.3

2-MAN

 Team  AGE  BWT Curl C&P  DL-CG  Con  Total Points

Al Myers

Chad Ullom

49

43

229

252

  155  130  375 250  910 747.7

Draven Kressly

Austin Brewer

14

15

137

131

 90

(100)

 75

(85)

  230

 140

(150)

  535  697.6

LaVerne Myers

Dean Ross

71

72

238

255

  105  80  250  175 610 632.5

NOTES:  Age is age in years. BWT is bodyweight in pounds. All lifts recorded in kilograms. Total is total kilograms lifted. Points are adjusted points corrected for age and bodyweight. Successful extra record attempts in parenthesis.

RECORD DAY ATTEMPTS:

Christian Schimpf: Bear Hug 200#
Austin Brewer: Bench Press – Feet in Air 150#
Draven Kressly: Bench Press – Feet in Air 150#

 

Presidential Cup History

by Al Myers

Dean Ross (right) recieving the 2015 Presidential Cup from Denny Habecker (left).

Dean Ross (right) recieving the 2015 Presidential Cup from Denny Habecker (left).

The Presidential Cup just completed it’s fourth annual Championship, all under the direction of the USAWA President Denny Habecker.  As I’ve said before, the Presidential Cup is the CHAMPIONSHIP OF RECORD DAYS in the USAWA.  Winning the overall in this event is no different than winning the overall best lifter in any other championship event within the organization.

The late Dale Frieze was the first Presidential Cup winner.   To date, 4 different lifters have won this title. From now on I’m going to keep an up to date listing of the past winners of the Presidential Cup in our history archives, under the section “Past Championships”.

History of the Presidential Cup

 YEAR CUP WINNER LIFT  PRESIDENT
 2015 Dean Ross Zercher – One Arm Denny Habecker
 2014 Al Myers Pinch Grip – One Hand Denny Habecker
 2013 Art Montini Teeth Lift Denny Habecker
 2012 Dale Frieze Finger Lift – Ring Denny Habecker

 

Presidential Cup

by Al Myers

MEET REPORT & RESULTS
2015 PRESIDENTIAL CUP

Group picture from the 2015 Presidential Cup (left to right): Art Montini, Al Myers, Dean Ross, and Denny Habecker

Group picture from the 2015 Presidential Cup (left to right): Art Montini, Al Myers, Dean Ross, and Denny Habecker

For the fourth year annually, our USAWA President Denny Habecker has held the USAWA Presidential Cup.  This Championship Event recognizes the “best of the best” amongst record days.  It IS the championship record day in the USAWA – much like the Gold Cup is the Championship Record Day in the IAWA. Every year our Prez picks a lift and lifter for the winner of the Presidential Cup.  This is based on what impresses him the most – that is the criteria for being awarded the Presidential Cup.

This year 4 experienced USAWA members took on the challenge.  It was interesting to me that these four lifters (Denny, Art, Dean, and myself) are also TOP TEN members of the Century Club, which shows that all of us have competed in the USAWA quite some time now!  Each of us took turns with our lifts on the platform. Art continues to amaze me.  He did a 26# Abdominal Raise – which would be a very difficult lift for anyone.  I thought that could be the Presidential Cup Lift that might win.  As it turns out that was the only record lift Art did.  When we had time for additional record lifts Art couldn’t decide on another lift to do as he has ALL the records in his age/bodyweight class in the record list and Art doesn’t like to break his own records!

Dean Ross made the trip to Pennsylvania again this summer (Nationals in York was the other).  Dean picked the One Arm Zercher, which is a very difficult lift to perform. He lifted an impressive 160 pounds!  As it turns out – THAT was the lift to win him the Presidential Cup!  Well deserving I must say.

This was a great competition.  I want to thank Denny and Judy for being such great hosts.  We are very fortunate to have Denny as our President and Judy as the “first lady” in the USAWA. They work tirelessly to keep things going, and give back SO MUCH to the organization.

(Tomorrow I’ll give a report on the history of the Presidential Cup and a listing of all past winners. )

Meet Results:

Presidential Cup
Habecker’s Gym
Lebanon, PA
August 22nd, 2015

Meet Director: Denny Habecker

Official’s (3-official System Used): Denny Habecker, Al Myers, Art Montini

Al Myers – 48 years old, 228# BWT
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2″, 1 Bar, Right Hand: 193#
Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2″, 1 Bar, Left Hand: 193#
Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Right Arm: 171#
Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Left Arm: 171#
Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip: 303#
Deadlift – One Leg, Right: 242#

Dean Ross – 72 years old, 253# BWT
Zercher – One Arm, Left: 143#
Zercher – One Arm, Right: 160#
Ziegler Clean: 93#
Swing – One Arm, Right: 55#
Swing – One Arm, Left: 45#

Denny Habecker – 72 years old, 189# BWT
Pullover – Straight Arm: 60#

Art Montini – 87 years old, 173# BWT
Abdominal Raise: 26#

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