USAWA

by Al Myers

(The following meet report was written by Bill Clark in the July 5th, 2006 edition of the Strength Journal, Vol. XVII No. 3.)

OLLENNUKING, MYERS BEST IN USAWA

Salina, Kan., June 17 – Al Myers did what few have been able to do in the past – direct a national championship and then win the best lifter award.  Normally, the guy with all the administrative problems performs sub-par.  Not so here!

Al put together an outstanding championship meet in a great venue – the Holiday Inn Select – and topped it off with a buffet fit for the biggest hogs around.

Al won the meet with a 2800-pound harness lift following a 600 deadlift.  He needed every pound to beat his 19-year-old gym mate, Ian Reel, who also logged a 2800 harness lift and left little doubt that he’s a contender for USAWA championships for many years to come.

Amorkor Ollennuking was on hand, easily winning the women’s title and finishing seventh overall – regardless of gender, weight or age…. a magnificent performance.

There was one problem with the weekend – Al gave a great party and almost no one came.

The smallest field ever totaled 20 lifters.  Exactly four of them were from east of the Mississippi River – Tim Piper from Macomb, Ill., about 30 miles east of the Mississippi; Randy Smith, who rode his motorcycle all the way to Salina from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; Dennis and Flossie Mitchell, who drove in from Cleveland; and Denny and Judy Habecker, who drove from Lebanon in eastern Pennsylvania.

Al took a brutal financial beating because he was looking for up to 50 lifters. Not only did the USAWA lifters let him down, but many of his friends in the Highland Games and the Strongman crowd who had promised to make the meet a roaring success were nowhere to be found.

The USAWA has a standing policy that anyone who loses money because of lack of support will be compensated for that loss. That’s what our treasury is all about.  Al refused to accept the USAWA check.  We’ll figure out some way to get his expenses covered – maybe we’ll buy his wife a new car.

It is surely time for the USAWA membership to look inwardly and see where this organization wants to go in the future.  Twenty lifters in a national championship is an absolute insult to Al Myers – and to anyone else who dares to take on USAWA events in the future.

Back to the positive – we had our first 90-year-old in a national title meet.  Al’s 90 year old grandfather, Clyde, was on hand all day and did five of the six lifts – choosing to by-pass the harness lift.

MEET RESULTS

2006 USAWA National Championships
June 17th, 2006
Salina, Kansas

Meet Director: Al Myers
Emcee: Bill Clark
Scorekeepers: Scott Tully, Karla Barnhart
Loaders: Ryan Batchman, Tom Maxey
Officials: Thom Van Vleck, Bob Burtzloff, Chuck Cookson, Eric Todd, Doug Longbine, Mark Mitchell

Lifts: One-Arm Snatch, Clean and Press Heels Together, Bench Press Feet in Air, Steinborn, Deadlift 12″ Base, Harness Lift

Men: Top Ten Placings
1. Al Myers, Kansas
2. Ian Reel, Kansas
3. Bret Carter, Nebraska
4. Joe Garcia, Missouri
5. Dan Wagman, Colorado
6. Laynne Burnett, Kansas
7. Dan Mather, Kansas
8. Tim Pinkerton, Nebraska
9. Randy Smith, Michigan
10. Darren Barnhart, Kansas

Women: Top Two Placings
1. Amorkor Ollennuking, Missouri
2. Stephanie Beemer, Kansas

Best Lifter Awards:
Women Junior – Stephanie Beemer
Women Master – Amorkor Ollennuking
Women Open – Amorkor Ollennuking
Men Junior – Ian Reel
Men 20-39 Age Under 175lb – Dan Mather
Men 20-39 Age 176lb-200lb – Dan Wagman
Men 20-39 Age 201lb-231lb – Bret Carter
Men 20-39 Age 232lb-265lb – Al Myers
Men 20-39 Age 266lb-300lb – Darren Barnhart
Men 40-49 Age Group – Laynne Burnett
Men 50-59 Age Group – Joe Garcia
Men 60-69 Age Group – Denny Habecker
Men 70-79 Age Group – Dennis Mitchell
Men 90 Plus Age Group – Clyde Myers
Men Open – Al Myers
Men Master – Joe Garcia

by Al Myers

(The following meet report was written by Bill Clark in the Strength Journal, Vol. XVI No. 5. )

MIKE McBRIDE – NUMBER ONE!!!

Youngstown, Ohio, June 25-26 – Mike McBride used a 630 neck lift to beat Al Myers for the best lifter award at the USAWA National Championships held at the Jump Stretch Gym – the home of the championship sponsor.

McBride was in second place behind Big Al and barely ahead of Randy Smith from Marquette, Michigan, at the end of the first day’s five events. Randy, who has just turned 50, was in the best condition of his USAWA career and had some left in the tank after each lift.

By the time the field reached the neck lift – the last of the nine lifts forming the championship, McBride had fallen to third and Smith was within easy striking distance of Myers. When starting poundages were posted, it was obvious things would change.  Smith, once again, was capable of doing more than the 300 on his attempt.  Myers opened with 400 and made it with ease, but failed with 500 – which was Mike’s opener.  Had Al done 500, Mike would need 555.  With Al’s failure, Mike went on to do a personal record of 630, beating Frank Ciavattone along the way.

It was an exciting battle for top honors.  Another close battle came in the junior division when Ian Reel, a member of Myers’ Dinosaur Gym, upheld the honor of Kansas by slipping past Jump Stretch’s Andrew Loudon, a first-time competitor, who, like Smith, cut himself short in the neck lift and cost himself a title.  Both Randy and Andy will know better next time.

Ian nipped Andy in total points, 1842-1837.  Andy had done 400 on his third neck lift attempt and had already set an age group record.  He misread the record list and thought he needed 475 to set a new mark.  He made the 475 with ease and it was truly a national record – by more than 100 pounds.  Had Andy done the 475 as a third attempt, Ian would have joined Al Myers in second place.  Live and learn.

Close battles and some outstanding efforts could not hide the fact that only 21 lifters were in the competition.  We’ll discuss that problem later in The Journal.

McBride and Myers have hooked up several times in recent years at Clark’s Gym and their classic battle will continue at the Goerner Deadlift Dozen, the Zercher Meet, the Deanna Meet, Al’s Dinosaur Challenge in Jan., and the USAWA Nationals next June – which will be held in Salina, KS. with Al the meet director.

Thanks to the Jump Stretch folks – Dick Hartzell, Carl LaRosa and his staff and family – for an excellent weekend.  The wind-up dinner was outstanding.  Clark enjoyed the chicken as much as any I’ve ever eaten. 

MEET RESULTS

2005 USAWA National Championships
June 25-26, 2005
Jump Stretch Fitness Center
Youngstown, Ohio

Meet Directors: Dick Hartzell and Carl LaRosa
Emcee: Bill Clark
Scorekeeper: Bill Clark

Lifts: Deadlift with Fulton Bar, Bench Press feet in air, Cheat Curl, French Press, 2-Hand Anyhow with Barbell & Dumbbell, Vertical Bar 1 Bar 2″ 1 Hand, 1-Arm Hack Lift, Clean & Seated Press, Neck Lift

Men: Top Ten Placings
1. Mike McBride, Missouri
2. Al Myers, Kansas
3. Randy Smith, Michigan
4. Jim Malloy, Ohio
5. Frank Ciavattone, Massachusetts
6. John McKean, Pennsylvania
7. Denny Habecker, Pennsylvania
8. Scott Schmidt, Ohio
9. Ian Reel, Kansas
10. Andy Loudon, Ohio

Best Lifter Awards:
Men Junior – Ian Reel
Men Open – Mike McBride
Men Master – Randy Smith

by Al Myers

(The following meet report was written by Bill Clark in the July, 2004 issue of the Strength Journal, Vol. XV No. 5.)

IT IS ED SCHOCK’S WORLD

The world, it seems, belongs to Ed Schock.

Ed, a 51-year-old lawyer from Lebanon, Pa., made a clean sweep of best-lifter honors in 2004 to date.

He was the best lifter in the USAWA Nationals, despite missing one of the seven lifts in the championship totally.  Then he added best lifter honors in the IAWA International Postal Competition.

At the USAWA Championships, he missed all three attempt in the one-hand, 2-inch vertical bar deadlift.  Then on fourth attempt, he switched from the failed right hand to the untried left and was easily successful.  So much for the right hand the next time around.

Even with no score in the vertical bar lift, Ed easily won the best lifter award over John Monk, Tony Succarotte, and Bill Spayd.

Ed will have a chance to add a third major title on August 28 and won’t even have to leave home.  The USAWA Heavy Lift meet has been switched from Massachusetts to Lebanon and Ed will have his first chance to try the chain stuff. He is the favorite to win, even though he’s never done them.

Though strong everywhere, it is Ed’s pulling power which sets him apart.  Lifting in the 100-kg. class, Ed did a 440-lb. Zercher, a 363-lb. Fulton DL with overgrip in the postal meet and added a 635 trap-bar DL and a 330-lb. one hand hack in the USAWA Nationals. His 635 trap-bar was the best in the USAWA by anyone at any age or bodyweight.

The meet, run by John Vernacchio, came off without a hitch, despite an entry list which didn’t fill till the final moments prior to the entry deadline.

John has now turned his attention to the Silver Cup which he plans to do on the beach near Philadelphia in mid-September which the weather is still great. More on that meet later.  Thanks to John for putting on the latest tribute to Ed Schock.

MEET RESULTS

2004 USAWA National Championships
June 5-6, 2004
North Penn YMCA
Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Meet Director: John Vernacchio
Emcee: Larry Butts

Lifts: Cheat Curl, Vertical Bar 1 Bar 2″ 1 Hand, Trap Bar Deadlift, Straight Arm Pullover, Bench feet in air, Continental to Belt, One-Arm Hack Lift

Men: Top Ten Placings
1. Ed Schock, Pennsylvania
2. John Monk, Pennsylvania
3. Tony Succarotti, Delaware
4. Bill Spayd, Pennsylvania
5. Frank Ciavattone, Massachusetts
6. Larry Silvestri, Massachusetts
7. Denny Habecker, Pennsylvania
8. Randy Smith, Michigan
9. Bob D’Angelo, Pennsylvania
10. Richard Durante, Pennsylvania

Women: Top Three Placings
1. Pam Maciolek, Pennsylvania
2. Tammie Rudisell, Pennsylvania
3. Maria Guaret, Pennsylvania

Best Lifter Awards:
Women 20-39 Age Group -Tammie Rudisill
Women Master Overall – Pam Maciolek
Women Open – Pam Maciolek
Men Junior 16-17 Age Group – Cale Demille
Men 20-39 Age Group – John Monk
Men 40-44 Age Group – Larry Silvestri
Men 45-49 Age Group – Frank Ciavattone
Men 50-54 Age Group – Ed Schock
Men 55-59 Age Group – Larry Blockston
Men 60-64 Age Group – Denny Habecker
Men 65-69 Age Group – John Vernacchio
Men 70-74 Age Group – Richard Durante
Men 75-79 Age Group – Joe Amendalaro
Men 80-84 Age Group – John Dorylis
Men Open – Ed Schock
Men Masters – Ed Schock
Men Junior – Cale DeMille