Category Archives: USAWA Daily News

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.

New Orleans Anvil Lifting

Columbian Anvil at Sigles Metal Shop in the French Quarter....it waited 57 years for me to come lift it!

by Thom Van Vleck

Recently a friend of mine said that every weightlifter is always secretly sizing up objects around him to see if he can lift them.  I guess I do that to.  Some you know are impossible, others not so impossible.  I like to keep my eye out for Anvils.  Most of you know my affinity for anvils, you can find an previous article I wrote on my own family anvil here:

Grandpa Jackson’s Anvil

This past month I was able to take my wife on a surprise trip to New Orleans.  The choice to go there was almost chance.  I had a credit to use, there was a deal on New Orleans……so there you go!  We were just looking to spend some time sight seeing in the French Quarter.  Now, everyone has heard of Bourbon Street, and it goes right through the middle of the French Quarter.  But there is much more to it than that and my wife and I set about exploring the back streets checking out the unusual stores, bars, and shops.  Some were “interesting” to say the least but I came across one place that was closed on that day that intrigued me.  I was called Sigles Antiques and Metal Craft.

Sigles was a nondescript shop on Royal next to the Andrew Jackson Hotel.  There is a story on the Jackson side of my family that we are related, but I can’t prove it.  But my wife thinks his crusty, stubborn attitude pretty much proves we are related!  Sigles had all kinds of iron work.  Scroll work, hitching post tops, all kinds of stuff.  A very elderly woman ran the shop who I later found out was 91.  She said that she and her husband had owned the shop for 57 years.  My wife bought some fluer-de-lei coat hangers and I found a nice spear top that I’m going to use for one of my Highland Games flags.

Then I noticed a shop door that said no customers in the shop.  “SHOP”….I had to see the metal shop!  I very politely asked the owner’s wife if I could check it out even if the husband wasn’t there.  She graciously complied and it was like stepping back in time!  All kinds of old tools….I mean really old stuff!   And then….there it was….the Anvil.  She had no idea about where it came from except it came with the shop when they bought it 57 years ago!   I explained I liked to lift things and she gave me the go ahead.  It was not fixed to the stand and it was fairly easy, I would guess it around 150lbs.  I then took some photos so I could learn more about it and promised to share that with her as she was curious herself!

The Anvil had what looked to be a “V” or inverted  pyramid and a large “M” on the other side.  I did some research and found out this was a historically significant anvil.  It was a “Columbian” which were manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio from about 1903 to 1925.  They were the first anvils to be “Cast Steel” in one solid piece.  Evidently this made them very tough compared to the “Wrought Iron” Anvils made before that were welded from pieces into one Anvil.  They were very popular in their time and while the “Cast” or “tool” or “Crucible” type steel was very expensive it required less labor to finish and it was around this time labor was becoming more expensive than materials so they really took off.  This particular Anvil is of the “London Pattern” and it would be valued at 2-4 bucks a pound….but to me it’s priceless!  They made these from 10lbs to 800lbs in increments and in 1925 or 26 the company quit making them and imported a like cast steel anvil from Sweden.  I wonder if it’s the same steel foundry that makes Eleiko!  (or made Eleiko as I hear they get their product from China now….).

I have  work trip that takes me back in September.  I plan to share what I learned and visit the shop again.  These folks live above their shop and are in their 90’s and have no plans to retire.  I think that’s pretty cool and….as far as she knows….NOBODY had lifted that anvil overhead before!  My wife said, “Leave it to you to find something to lift in the French Quarter”.   Yes, I’m always looking for something to lift!

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!!

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

by Al Myers

Chad Ullom (center) receiving the 2012 USAWA Athlete of the Year Award from USAWA President Denny Habecker (left). USAWA Award Director Al Myers (right) also was involved in the presentation.

The TOP AWARD given out every year by the USAWA is the Athlete of the Year.  This award is “for the individual who has accomplished the most athletically within the last year in the USAWA.  Top placings at the Nationals and World Championships should figure in high. Also, participation in other Championship competitions such as the Heavy Lift Championships, the Grip Championships, the Club Championships, the OTSM Championships, the Team Championships, or the National Postal Championships could factor in.  Participation in elite IAWA events such as the Gold Cup or the IAWA World Postal Meet should make an influence on earning this award as well.”

The two winners this year were pretty much a “no brainer”.  These two lifters exemplified the above criteria to a tee.  They both are more than deserving of this prestigious award, which I consider the “Heisman” of the USAWA.  The winners are:

WINNER – CHAD ULLOM

RUNNER UP – DAN WAGMAN

They were chosen by a nomination/vote of the USAWA membership.  Chad and Dan together received over 90% of the votes cast, so I would consider them “landslide winners”.  Chad was SUPER ACTIVE in the USAWA this past year, winning or placing very high in so many meets that it would make a long list.  He added numerous titles to his USAWA resume.  He is “on pace” to be a future USAWA Hall of Famer.  I will try to remember as many as I can here:

2012 Dino Challenge Overall Winner
2012 IAWA Gold Cup  in Glasgow, Scotland  – World Record
2012 USAWA Old Time Strongman Championships – Overall Winner
2012 IAWA World Championships – World Class Champion and 2nd Overall
2012 USAWA Team Championships – part of Overall Winning Team
2012 IAWA World Postal Championships – part of Overall 2-man Winning Team
2012 USAWA National Championships in Las Vegas – National Class Champion and 2nd Overall
2012 USAWA Club Championships – part of Overall Winning Club
2012 USAWA Grip Championships – Class Champion and 3rd Overall
2012 USAWA Postal Championships – Overall Winner
2012 USAWA Postal Series – Overall Winner

I didn’t even mention the numerous other smaller USAWA events that Chad participated in!   Chad’s  yearly success in the USAWA for 2012 could be argued as  one of the BEST years any lifter has ever had in the USAWA.  Runner Up Dan Wagman is just as worthy – as he took the OVERALL WORLD CHAMPION  TITLE at the 2012 IAWA World Championships in Salina, Kansas.   That’s the biggest title any lifter in the USAWA/IAWA can win during the course of a year. Chad received his award at the USAWA National Championships, and I plan to present Dan his award later this summer when I will see him next.   Congratulations to both of these tremendous lifters.

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