Author Archives: Al Myers

World Postal Meet

by Al Myers


Steve Gardner, the meet director for the IAWA World Postal Meet, has announced the plans for this competition coming later in summer.  This gives everyone the great opportunity to see how you “stack up” against international competition without ever even leaving your own gym!

Steve has picked an outstanding set of lifts that everyone should be able to perform easily.  There’s really no reason there should not be record entries for the World Postal this year!

The rules for this event are as follows (as outlined on the entry form):

This competition is open to all IAWA lifters, for teams of three, and individuals as well. Teams may be a mix of open/masters/juniors/ladies, as well as all age and bodyweight allowances will figure in for the results. No limit to the number of lifters, if a team or group enter more than three: the top three will form the team score. A sheet caters or 5 lifters. If you have two teams, then just copy, and use two sheets, etc. All lifts must be officiated by  at least one IAWA Referee (they should sign the score sheet). To be eligible for IAWA World Records there must be 3 officials used.   YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE IN A TEAM. Individuals may also take part in the competition as all rankings will be listed for age/weight classes. Have fun lifting in the Annual “Andy Goddard” Memorial Competition. Good luck.

Now for some added important information:

1. The date for entry is the END OF AUGUST. Make sure your lifts are completed and sent to Steve by that time.

2. The lifts chosen for this event are the Cheat Curl, Pullover and Press, and the One Arm Deadlift.  The rules for these lifts are outlined in the USAWA Rulebook, which is available on the website. Make sure to list the arm used in the One Arm Deadlift.

3. If you live in the United States, you MUST be an USAWA member to participate. Make sure to join before you lift in this postal championships or you will find that your lifts will not be recorded in the official scoresheet.

4. All lifts must be performed in the same day. This is not specified in the event rules, but is a assumed rule of all postal meets.

5. Please enter your results in kilograms in the scoresheet. Steve would make the conversions for you – but the meet is scored in kilograms so enter them that way.

6. Make sure you PRINT the names of the one or three officials used as well as having the officials sign the scoresheet. For USAWA lifters, these officials must be active current certified USAWA officials. Make sure to check their “status” on the website before assuming they are current.

7. As per any meet and as OUTLINED in the rulebook, you get three attempts. These must be declared and adhered to. You don’t just keep adding weight till you miss and take unlimited attempts. That’s not the way a meet runs. The fourth block in the entry form is for an extra fourth attempt for record.

8. Make sure to list all attempts on the entry form. Circle the ones you make and cross thru the ones that are missed.

9. Please write CLEARLY on the scoresheet, and fill out the scoresheet completely!

10. Remember this postal championship is ran on the HONOR SYSTEM. Be truthful in your efforts, and feel good about giving your best performance in an honorable manner. If everyone does that – the future of this meet is strong!

ENTRY FORM – 2014 IAWA Postal Worlds Entry Form

2014 Meeting Agenda

by Al Myers

The USAWA National Championships is now only a week away, and with this big meet comes the annual National Meeting of the USAWA.  This is the one meeting per year where the membership comes together to decide on major issues which  impact the organization for the next year.

The meeting has been set for Friday evening, June 20th, at 6:00 PM at the meet site – the Salvation Army Gym.  The address is 505 N. Randolf Street, Macomb, Illinois.  I don’t expect this year’s meeting to last terribly long (like some in the past) since there are no big controversial issues on the agenda.  I’m hoping we can get it done in an hour or less so we can all go out to eat afterwards together.

Business Agenda for the 2014 USAWA Annual National Meeting


1.Meeting called to order by USAWA President Denny Habecker
2.Reading of previous meetings minutes by USAWA Secretary Al Myers
3.Report of financial status by USAWA Treasurer Al Myers
4. Report from the Website Director Al Myers
5. Report from the Awards Director Al Myers
6.Report from the Officials Director Joe Garcia
7.Report from the Drug Enforcement Director Chad Ullom
8.Official appointment of new Records Director and Postal Meet Director
9.Discussion and vote on the new proposed lifts
– Thors Hammer and Kennedy Lift
– Call for new IAWA lift proposals
10.Discussion and vote on Rulebook Changes
11.Discussion of other new business brought forth by the membership
12.Accept bids for 2015 National Championships
13.Meeting adjourned

Nationals Update

by Tim Piper

We are slowly getting entries in for the National Championships on June 21st. We are hoping for a good turnout but to make sure we are not short on awards or food for the banquet it would be great if we could get a head count by next thursday. The event is coming together well.

We have the catering set up already and will be starting the buffet style dinner around 6:30 on Saturday night at Free Range Yoga, my wife’s studio downtown Maocmb. The banquet fee will be $15 to cover cost of food, entertainment, and studio fees (I am still working on getting the facility rent free…HA!) We are serving fried chicken, tortilla crusted talapia, mashed potatoes and gravy, shells and cheese, and a broccoli dish, with some homemade desserts to follow. We will be supplying some drinks but if you wish to bring in your favorite beverage that is fine with us. ALSO, we have some very unique entertainment lined up that we think you all will enjoy. Won’t tell you what it is but it should be a fun surprise for all who attend and it will certainly it will be a first for USAWA banquets.

The meet will be held at 505 N. Randolph outside under the big top. We are running a two session meet so things should run smoothly. Not sure how we will split the sessions up yet but that will all fall into place as we get the entries sorted out. Lifting for the first session will start at 10 a.m. The meet site is fully equipped with plenty of kilo plates for the meet, warm-up area, an Apollon’s axle form Ironmind, and we will be using old-school York dumbbells for the crucifix. We have a crew of experienced loaders from our gym to help make sure the meet runs quickly as they know kilos well. We only use kilos in our gym so bring your conversion charts!

We need a final headcount for the meet and banquet by June 11th to make sure we have the right amount of food and awards so please email me at tj-piper@wiu.edu if you haven’t already sent in your entry forms.

Can’t wait to show off our little gym, our studio, and Macomb to all the great lifters and family of the USAWA.

Tim and Dawn Piper

Recent Death of Joe McCoy

by Al Myers

I received some sad news this week, passed along to me by Dale Harder, that longtime USAWA Joe McCoy has died. Joe was one of the pioneers of the USAWA and all round weightlifting in the Missouri Valley Region. His influence in the early days helped shape our organization.  I’ve spent many hours visiting with Joe on the phone over the past 10 years, and his passion for the all rounds was still as great as it was when he was younger.  Physical issues kept him from competing in these later years, but I know if he would have been capable,  he would have been at many USAWA meets.

The following was from his obituary:

Joe McCoy, 71, passed away Friday May 30, 2014, in Fort Worth.  The service was at 1:30 PM Monday at the Wiley Funeral Home in Glen Rose, Texas. Joe was born Jan 1st, 1943 in Stephenville Texas to J.C. and Louise McCoy.  He married Mary Jo Phillips, June 10, 1961, in Burleson. He had lived in Glen Rose most of his life.   He enjoyed weight lifting and working out.  He also made movies of weight lifting contests.. He was preceded in death by his father.

I welcome comments and tributes on the USAWA Discussion Forum regarding those that knew Joe, and any stories you may have of him.  If you prefer to just email them to me instead, that is alright.  I plan to take these comments and write a tribute blog story in Joe’s remembrance.

Club Championships

by Al Myers

The Club Championships has been sanctioned and scheduled!    I consider this meet as one of our “signature events” in the USAWA since it is a Championship Event, and these are the meets that really need to be contested every year. The Club Championships began in 2010 with the Ambridge Barbell Club hosting it the first couple of years. Dave Glasgow, the leader of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics, promoted it last year and has made plans to promote it this year as well!

The Club Championships is much different than other competitions. It is NOT an individual competition, but rather, a club competition. The scores of three members of a club are “added together” to form a club score. This way clubs are pitted against each other, with each member making their own contribution to their club. Awards will be given out on a “club basis” – there will be no individual recognition at this event.

The rules for the Club Championships are pretty straightforward:

1. Each Club brings  three lifters to compete. Clubs may enter with less than three members, but will be at a disadvantage when scores are added together. A club may enter more club members than three, but only the top three will be added for the “club score”.

2. Club members MUST be registered with their club of participation (as documented on the membership roster).

3. Adjusted Point scores are added together to form a club score.

4. Club with the highest Club Score is awarded the Club Champion.

The Ledaig HA’s has been a big club player in the USAWA over the past few years. Now since Dave has his new training facility built I expect even more involvement with promotions. I consider Ledaig as one of the TOP CLUBS in the USAWA. At the 2012 IAWA World Championships, their club won the team title at the Championships (combined pt scores of all members participating). That’s a big club win – winning Worlds!!!! In 2011 Ledaig won the team title at the USAWA Nationals in Kirksville. At Nationals in Las Vegas they were awarded the Runner Up Club of the Year in the USAWA.  In 2012, they won the Club of the Year Award in the USAWA.

I’m really excited about this year’s Club Championships. I truly believe the success of the USAWA lies with club involvement. Meets like this one foster that involvement. Year’s ago it was important to lifters to be “part of a club” when going to competitions. Club spirit was high – and lifters often competed in their club shirts showing their support to their club. I want to bring that feeling back, and this meet is a great way to do that. It should be an honor for a club member to get selected to represent their club at the Club Championships. Let’s make this a great meet!

MEET DETAILS:

2014 USAWA Club Championships
Saturday, July 19th, 2014
Ledaig Heavy Athletics Training Facility
Rainbow Bend, KS

Sanction – USAWA

Entry Fee – None

Weighins: 9:00 AM

Start time: 10:00 AM

LIFTS:

Clean and Jerk – One Arm

Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip

Trap Bar Deadlift

There will be a record breaker session after the competition if anyone is interested. Award certificates will be awarded to the winning clubs. There is no entry form, but please contact Dave prior to the event if you are entering a team at dglasgow@cox.net . The directions to the meet are:

GPS Coordinates are: Decimal coordinates (latitude, longitude):
37.16499343231285,-97.13128566741943

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