Author Archives: Al Myers

Joe the Turk reminder

by Al Myers

Paul Anderson training a partial squat that is very close to the USAWA lift that bears his name in the USAWA - the Anderson Squat. Notice the homemade wooden rack that supports the weight just below lockout.

This will be the last reminder for the “Joe the Turk” OTSM competition tomorrow, hosted by Tim Piper and the Salvation Army Gym in Macomb, Illinois.  It is looking to be a good turnout on hand.  I’m leaving with Chad shortly, and I talked to Denny yesterday and him and Art are making the trek from PA.  Thom will be there as well, and I’m sure several of the local gym members will be competing.  There’s a great selection of Old Time Strongman lifts in this meet – Anderson Squat, Dumbbell to Shoulder, Peoples Deadlift, and the Apollon’s Lift.  That’s a meet for everyone!

Scott Schmidt – New LEVEL 2 OFFICIAL

by Al Myers

Bob Geib lifting under the watch of 3 Level 2 USAWA Officials at the 2013 USAWA National Championships: Chad Ullom (left), Scott Schmidt (center), and Joe Ciavattone (right).

It’s always exciting news when a new USAWA certified official reaches LEVEL 2 officiating status.  Congratulations goes to Scott Schmidt for becoming the most recent Level 2 official.   Scott went about reaching Level 2 status in an unorthodox manner.  Let me explain.

The typical process of becoming a USAWA official involves taking the Rule Test first.  This consists of an open book exam of 100 questions covering the rules in the USAWA Rulebook.  There is no time limit for taking the test, and to pass it you must score over 90%.  After passing the Rules Test, an aspiring official must then perform the Practical Training Sessions, which consists of attending 3 meets and judging alongside a Level 2 official. After this has been completed successfully,  a person becomes a Level 1 Test Qualified Official.  The “other” category of Level 1 officials is the Level 1 Experience Qualified.  This was created to allow those very experienced USAWA officials to be “grandfathered in” as officials when the USAWA Officials Program began in 2009.  To be eligible to become a Level 1 Experience Qualified Official, one must have officiated in over 25 prior USAWA competitions and/or events.  Once a Level 1 Test Qualified official has officiated over 25 competitions they can apply for Level 2 status.

Scott has been an official in the USAWA for over 20 years.  He has officiated 100’s of events, and often serves as the head official in big competitions.  He spent 2 days sitting in the HEAD CHAIR at this past National Championships, and is regarded as one of the best officials in the USAWA by the lifters.  He was formally listed as a Level 1 Experience Official, and now since he has passed the USAWA Rules Test, he has “officially” joined the Level 2 group of elite USAWA officials.  Since Scott grandfathered in, he went about this entire process in reverse order by taking the rules test last!  I have hoped that all of the Level 1 Experience Qualified officials would take the rules test and become Level 2 officials to show support to the USAWA Officials Program.   It is next to impossible to become a Level 2 Experience Qualified official now as the initial grant of  Certified Official status without taking the rules test is not allowed anymore.

Again, Congrats to Scott!

Lifter of the Month: Molly Myers

by Al Myers

Molly Myers pulling a 92.5 KG Ciavattone Grip Deadlift at the 2013 USAWA National Championships.

The lifter of the month for the month of June goes to Molly Myers!  The lifter of the month was established to recognize an outstanding performance over the course of the month in USAWA competitions/events.  Molly was awarded BEST OVERALL FEMALE LIFTER at the 2013 USAWA National Championships in Lebanon, PA.   I consider winning Best Overall Lifter at Nationals as a “slam dunk” in consideration of the Lifter of the Month Award.  Molly established 12 new USAWA records at Nationals (2nd most of any lifter at the meet) which included 3 new National Meet records.  Her lifts were outstanding: 80 KG continental to belt, 70 KG one arm deadlift, 40 KG clean and press, 25 KG one arm snatch, 50 KG pullover and push, and a 92.5 KG ciavattone grip deadlift.  Those are some BIG LIFTS for a girl who is only 14 years old!!!!

Congrats Molly on your  lifter of the month award!!!! (your ole dad  is proud of ya!)

Middle Atlantic Postal Meet

by Al Myers

The “second quarter” USAWA Postal Meet has just been compiled.   The date of completion was the end of the  month of June. Nine lifters took part – 8 men and 1 woman.  It was a great selection of all round lifts contested – press from rack, reverse grip curl, and the hack lift. 

The big winners of the 2013 Middle Atlantic Postal Meet were Dan Wagman (men) and Ruth Jackson (women).  Congratulations to both of these two! 

I just want to make a couple of comments requiring postal meets.  First,  postal meets require lifters to be truthful in their submissions as well as knowledgeable of the current rules for each lift contested.   In this meet the Curl – Reverse Grip was contested.  The USAWA has two curl lifts that use the Reverse Grip – this lift as well as the Curl – Cheat, Reverse Grip.   The difference being the Curl – Reverse Grip is done using the rules of the Rectangular Fix while the Curl – Cheat, Reverse Grip uses the rule of the Cheat Curl.  That’s a big difference, as much more weight is able to be lifted using the rules of the Cheat Curl.  I don’t want to “point  fingers” here – but there seemed to be some big weights lifted in this lift in this meet for using the rules of the Rectangular Fix. Chad did 132 pounds in the Curl – Reverse Grip at the World Championships last fall, and that currently stands as the top Curl – Reverse Grip poundage in the USAWA Record Book.  Five lifters lifted more than Chad did in this meet (hic, hic…. I call BS).  It is a lifters responsibility in a postal meet to read the rule of the lift from the USAWA Rulebook before performing the lift in a postal meet, as it is unfair to the other lifters who are “doing things right”.  And as a reminder – the USAWA Rulebook is FREE OF CHARGE to download  from this website!!

I also received a note from Postal Meet Director John Wilmot when he sent me the results.  He singled out one particular lifter (who I won’t name here) who seems to have problems with his literary neatness in penmanship.  As John put it, “his writing is small and blurred”.  This has happened on multiple occasions now for this unnamed lifter, and makes compiling these postal meet results more complicated for John if he can’t read a lifters handwriting.   I am somewhat sympathetic to this writing deficiency, as I have the same problem.  It seems to be a common affliction amongst those that spend way too many years in College (hint hint as to this lifters identity) that their handwriting degrades to the point of being unreadable (I blame it on taking class notes at a rapid pace,  which I use as my excuse!).  

It is also important to make sure you indicate if your results are turned in in pounds or kilograms.  It is obvious to me that one lifter in this meet turned his lifts into John in kilograms and they got recorded in the official meet results as pounds.  That is a “meet killer” for anyone. 

I apologize for being so critical in this meet report.  But the future of our postal meets depend on lifters being knowledgeable of the USAWA Rulebook, being truthful in their turned in meet results, and submitting result sheets that are properly filled out.

MEET RESULTS:

2013 Middle Atlantic Postal Meet
June 30th, 2013

Meet Director:  John Wilmot

Lifter using the 3-official system:
Bill Crozier – Certified Officials Jim Malloy, Scott Schmidt

Lifters using the 1-Official System:
Denny Habecker – Certified Official Judy Habecker

Lifters using non-certified judges:
Ruth Jackson – Judge Dan Wagman
Dan Wagman – Judge Ruth Jackson
Les Cramer – Judge Monica Cook
Samuel Rogers – Judge Orie Barnett, Judge Aaron Hougland
Orie Barnett – Judge Sam Rogers, Judge Aaron Hougland
John Wilmot – Judge Kay Wilmot
Aaron Hougland – Judge Orie Barnett, Judge Sam Rogers

Lifts contested: Press – From Rack, Curl – Reverse Grip, Hack Lift

WOMENS DIVISION

LIFTER AGE BWT Press Curl Hack PTS
Ruth Jackson 51 105 85 50 215 544.8

MENS DIVISION

LIFTER AGE BWT Press Curl Hack PTS
Dan Wagman 50 185 200 140 425 786.4
Orie Barnett 52 229 178 169 441 738.4
Les Cramer 71 186 140 135 300 706.8
Samuel Rogers 50 204 172 138 349 646.2
Aaron Houghland 36 275 195 200 400 601.6
John Wilmot 66 226 115 95 290 530.9
Bill Crozier 76 208 60 65 175 359.2
Denny Habecker 70 187 65 35 70 206.7

NOTES:  AGE is age in years.  BWT is bodyweight in pounds.  All results recorded in pounds.  PTS are adjusted points for age and bodyweight.

LEDAIG – CLUB OF THE YEAR

by Al Myers

The Ledaig Heavy Athletics club receiving the USAWA Club of the Year Award.

I was glad to be able to personally present Dave Glasgow and the rest of the Ledaig  “gang”  their USAWA Award for 2012 Club of the Year at the Club Championships last weekend! Congrats to the Ledaig HA!!

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