THE ZERCHER MEET RESULTS – by Bill Clark
(Updated 2/10/2025 to correct some errors spotted by Tony Lupo.)
The toughest test in the USAWA lured in a dozen lifters for the 13-lift Zercher challenge and/or the record days that gave the contestants a total of 18 different lifts in the long weekend. Lifters checked in from Ontario, Kentucky, and Colorado, taking advantage of the Clark’s Gym “open to the world policy” regarding competition – a policy that all meet directors should consider.
The winners were both Clark’s Gym members and both were champions regardless of both scoring systems used – Janet Thompson and Jeff Wenzel. It was a “first” for both.
In fact, it was the first time we have had two women finish the Zercher test in the same year.
Missing was John Carter, the many-time Zercher champion. The many years he spent as a concrete finisher finally caught up with him, leaving him with painful knees that have sidelined him for the immediate future. Knees and shoulders will be evaluated this month and we’ll see what the future holds for the gym’s longest-serving member and a leader in the USWA for the past 35 years.
GETTING WELL QUICK
Dave DeForest, who almost never misses an event in the Midwest, was recovering from a bout with whatever is going around these days, but decided to do give it a try on the final meet date – and he got well quick.
He lifted in only six of the 13 events, and scored two firsts, three seconds and a third place. Then he added five records to boot.
A DIFFERENT SCORING SYSTEM VS. THE OLD SYSTEM
For many years, the discussion in the USAWA has been the question of the domination of the chain and other heavy lifts. Through the years, the results showed that the great heavy lift folks did not dominate the overhead lifters when both light and heavy events were in the same lineup – as in the Zercher.
This year, the decision was made to score each of the 13 lifts individually and match those results against the traditional system of using a single total.
Each lift would be scored normally, and the leader of the event would receive a single point for being No. One and the 10th place would receive 10 points – with low score at the end of the day being the champion.
Both the point leaders were also the leaders using the old system. The only difference was the pressure put on the scorer for the weekend – who needed to tally every one of the 13 lifts as they were completed.
The results follow:
First – the entry list:
WOMEN:
Janet Thompson. Age 67. Bwt -168. Coefficient – .9886.
Allison Lupo. Age 58. Bwt – 193. Coeff. – .9108.
MEN:
Jeff Wenzel. AGE – 49. Bwt – 239. Coeff: – .8112.
Nick Frieders. Age – 24. Bwt – 164. Coeff. – 1.0042.
Tony Lupo. Age – 58. Bwt – 244. Coeff. – .8029.
Sanjiv Gupta. Age – 53. Bwt – 210. Coeff – .8700.
Dave DeForest. Age – 64. Bwt – 175. Coeff. – .9612.
Chris Frappier. Age -60. Bwt. – 215. Coeff. – .8564.
Kyle Frappier. Age – 21. Bwt – 217.6. Coeff. – .8540.
Jarrod Fobes. Age – 47. Bwt. – 217.3. Coeff. – .8540.
OFFICIALS:
At Clark’s Gym – Bill Clark, Tony Lupo, Dave DeForest.
At High Vigour Gym (Colorado) – Jarrod Fobes and Sanjiv Gupta.
Ontario – Kyle and Chris Frappier.
Buffville Gym, Albany, Kentucky – Clint Poore, Ashley Stearns and Patrick Hadley.
RECORD CHAIRMAN – PLEASE NOTE:
The following lifts done by Sanjiv were done without an official. His remaining lifts were properly adjudicated:
Deadlift – heels together.
Hack lift.
Steinborn Lift.
Bench press – feet in air.
LEG PRESS
Women:
1 – Allison Lupo. 250 lbs. 275.22 adj.
2 – Janet Thompson. 150 lbs. 190.12 adj.
Men:
1 – Nick Frieders. 600 lbs. 601.02 adj.
2 – Jeff Wenzel. 600 lbs. 583.70 adj.
3 – Tony Lupo. 500 lbs. 477.73 adj.
CLEAN AND PRESS – HEELS TOGETHER
Women
1 – Allison Lupo. 50 lbs. 55.64 adj.
2 – Janet Thompson. 40 lbs. 50.7 adj.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel. 180 lbs. 147.14 adj.
2 – Sanjiv Gupta. 125 lbs. 123.98 adj.
3 – Nick Frieders. 120 lbs. 120.20 adj.
4 – Tony Lupo. 100 lbs. 95.55 adj.
DEADLIFT – HEELS TOGETHER
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 155 lbs. 196.46 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 175 lbs. 194.15 adj.
Men
1 – Nick Frieders. 440 lbs. 442.48 adj.
2 – Jeff Wenzel. 360 lbs. 408.59 adj.
3 – Tony Lupo. 350 lbs. 334.41 adj.
4 – Chris Frappier. 315 lbs. 326.26 adj.
5 – Sanjiv Gupta. 245 lbs. 242.99 adj.
6 – Kyle Frappier. 250 lbs. 213.50 adj.
TWO-ARM ZERCHER LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 80 lbs. 101.40 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 90 lbs. 100.16 adj.
Men
1 – Nick Frieders. 330 lbs. 336.56 adj.
2 – Jeff Wenzel. 300 lbs. 291.83 adj.
3 – Sanjiv Gupta. 205 lbs. 203.22 adj.
4 – Chris Frappier. 155 lbs. 160.62 adj.
5 – Tony Lupo. 130 lbs. 124.21 adj.
JEFFERSON LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 135 pounds. 145.76 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 155 lbs. 143.75 adj.
Men
1 – Nick Frieders. 400 lbs. 400.68 adj.
2 – Jeff Wenzel. 360 lbs. 350.22 adj.
3 –Tony Lupo. 325 lbs. 310.52 adj.
4 – Sanjiv Gupta. 255 lbs. 252.91 adj.
ONE-HAND DEADLIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 115 lbs. 145.76 adj. (R)
2 – Allison Lupo. 120 lbs. 132.55 lbs. (R)
Men
1 – Nick Frieders. 300 lbs. 300.51 adj. (L)
2 – Dave DeForest. 205 lbs. 246.31 adj. (R)
3 – Jarrod Fobes. 225 lbs. 230.5 adj. (L)
4 – Tony Lupo. 225 lbs. 214.98 adj. (L)
5 – Jeff Wenzel. 210 lbs. 187.32 adj. (R)
6 – Chris Frappier. 165 lbs. 170.98 adj. (R)
7 – Kyle Frappier. 165 lbs. 145.76 adj. (R)
8 – Sanjiv Gupta. 135 lbs. 133.89 adj. (L)
BENCH PRESS – FEET UP
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 70 lbs. 88.72 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 70 lbs. 77.90 adj.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel. 330 lbs. 321.04 adj.
2 – Tony Lupo. 235 lbs. 220.53 adj.
3 – Nick Frieders. 205 lbs. 205.35 adj.
4 – Sanjiv Gupta. 175 lbs. 173.57 adj.
5 – Chris Frappier. 155 lbs. 160.62 adj.
6 – Kyle Frappier. 135 lbs. 125.29 adj.
STEINBORN LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 30 lbs. 31.50 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 30 lbs. 29.82 adj.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel. 200 lbs. 194.57 adj.
2 – Nick Frieders. 190 lbs. 190.32 adj.
3 – Sanjiv Gupta. 94 lbs. 94.22 adj.
4 – Tony Lupo. 45 lbs. 43.00 adj.
HACK LIFT
Women
1 – Allison Lupo. 125 lbs. 139.11 adj.
2 – Janet Thompson. 100 lbs. 126.75 adj.
Men
1 – Nick Frieders. 420 lbs. 420.11 adj.
2 – Dave DeForest. 280 lbs. 336.42 adj.
3 – Jeff Wenzel. 350 lbs. 312.20 adj.
4 – Sanjiv Gupta. 225 lbs. 225.11 adj.
5 – Chris Frappier. 275 lbs. 187.67 adj.
6 – Kyle Frappier. 155 lbs. 158.00 adj.
7 – Tony Lupo. 130 lbs. 124.21 adj.
HARNESS LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 600 lbs. 633.73 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 550 lbs. 606.98 adj.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel. 1,502 lbs. 1,461 adj.
2 – Tony Lupo. 1,308 lbs. 1,249 adj.
3 – Dave DeForest. 1,005 lbs. 1,207.51 adj.
4 – Nick Frieders. 1,150 lbs. 1,151.96 adj.
5 – Sanjiv Gupta. 570 lbs. 565.33 adj.
HIP LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 500 lbs. 545.40 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 425 lbs. 469.03 adj.
Men
1 – Dave DeForest. 1.105 lbs. 1,327.66 adj.
2 – Jeff Wenzel. 1,250 lbs. 1,216.05 adj.
3 – Tony Lupo. 1,207 lbs. 1,153.23 adj.
4 – Nick Frieders. 1,100 lbs. 1,000.67 adj.
5 – Jarrod Fobes. 710 lbs. 654.85 adj.
6 – Sanjiv Gupta. 570 lbs. 565.33 adj.
HAND AND THIGH LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 305 lbs. 356.57 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 315 lbs. 347.64 adj.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel. 1,015 lbs. 1,055.79 adj.
2 – Dave DeForest. 630 lbs. 756.95 adj.
3 – Nick Frieders. 775 lbs. 736.25 adj.
4 – Jarrod Fobes. 632 lbs. 582.91 adj.
5 – Tony Lupo. 505 lbs. 482.50 adj.
6 – Sanjiv Gupta. 375 lbs. 371.93 adj.
NECK LIFT
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. 135 lbs. 171.11 adj.
2 – Allison Lupo. 125 lbs. 137.95 adj.
Men
1 – Dave DeForest. 350 lbs. 420.53 adj.
2 – Jeff Wenzel. 315 lbs. 306.52 adj.
3 – Tony Lupo. 205 lbs. 145.87 adj.
4 – Sanjiv Gupta. 140 lbs. 133.85 adj.
5 – Nick Frieders. 135 lbs. 135.23 adj.
TOTAL POINTS
Women
1 – Janet Thompson – 16 points.
2 – Allison Lupo – 23 points.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel – 25 points.
2 – Nick Frieders – 30 points.
3 – Tony Lupo – 48 points.
4 – Sanjiv Gupta – 58 points.
Note: Dave DeForest was involved in only six of the 13 lifts, and totaled only 11 points in those six lifts.
A COMPARISON TO THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF FINDING A WINNER
Using only a single total for the 13 events and the same age and bodyweight adjustments, the results would have been the same.
Women
1 – Janet Thompson. Total weight – 2,415. Adjusted total – 3103.71.
2 – Allison Lupo. Total weight – 2,480. Adjusted total – 2,687.95.
Men
1 – Jeff Wenzel. Total weight – 6,972. Adjusted total – 6,221.25.
2 – Nick Frieders. Total weight – 6165. Adjusted total – 6,190.89.
3 – Tony Lupo. Total weight – 5,266. Adjusted total – 5,031.
4 – Sanjiv Gupta. Total weight – 3,124. Adjusted total – 3,088.47.
RECORD DAYS
From Kentucky
Clint Poore. Age 51. Bwt – 115.1 kilos
Hackenschmidt floor press – 445.
Bench press, alternate grip – 340.
Bench press – Fulton Bar – 305.
Reeves Deadlift – 375.
Foot press – 1,107.
Lynn Homan. Age 62. Bwt – 58.25 kilos.
Hackenschmidt floor press – 155.
FROM ONTARIO, CANADA
Kyle Frappier. Age 21. Wt – 219.6 lbs.
Zercher lift – 105 lbs.
Two hands dumbbell clean and seated press – 80.
Hackenschmidt floor press – 155.
Crucifix – 50.
Chris Frappier. Age – 60. Bwt – 214.
Two hands dumbbell clean and seated press – 112.
Hackenschmidt floor press – 260.
Crucifix – 50.
FROM CLARK’S GYM, COLUMBIA, MO
Dave DeForest. Age 64. Bwt – 177.
Dinnie lift – 430.
Bavarian deadlift – 265.
Clean and seated press behind neck – 90.
Clean and press on knees – 100.
Curl – strict – 75.
Jeff Wenzel. Age 49. Bwt – 239.
Bavarian deadlift – 401.
Clean and press – 12-inch base – 185.
Anderson squat – 610.
Bench dip – 275.
Saxon deadlift – 135.
Tony Lupo. Age 58. Bwt – 244.
Deanna Lift – 320.
Reverse press – 140
Kneeling snatch – 70.
Dumbbell clean and press – left – 87.
Saxon deadlift – 105.
