Category Archives: USAWA Meet Results

Heavy Lift Championship 2022

By Eric Todd

2022 Heavy Lift Championship

2022 Heavy Lift Championship

Aside from the USAWA National Championship, the Heavy lift is the longest running championship in the USAWA.  It has run every year since 1994, with the exception of 2020 when everything was cancelled due to the pandemic.  In the 28 years that this meet was contested, the women’s division has had 8 different champions, with Cara Collins having won the meet three times.  There have been no women competitors in 18 of these championships.  In the men’s division, there have been 8 one-time champions, with 4 individuals being multiyear champions.

It was a beautiful day to be throwing around heavy weights in the old tin can.  We had 5 seasoned competitors, with by brother Leroy stepping in to load, judge and score all day.  Lunch was prepared and served by my daughter Phoebe.  Thom and Ethan VanVleck even stopped by to catch up and deliver an undeserved gift to yours truly.

As per tradition, we started off with the neck lift.  It went well.  4 of us set a record in this discipline.  Chad and I went 900 and 950 pounds, respectively.  Dean hit a record of 100 pounds.  Dave hit a record of 480 in the meet, and then another of 505 for a 4th lift for record.  He tells me this should be enough to get him on Clark’s big board once again.

Next up was the hand and thigh lift.  I have said it before, and I will say it again: this lift is a fickle mistress!  In this part of the competition, none of our lifting was record worthy.  Speaking only for myself, my second attempt was easy, and I thought I was easily ready for record poundage.  When record poundage was loaded, it was stapled to the floor.  Fickle mistress indeed.

 

Dave DeForest exhibits textbook form on the hand and thigh

Dave DeForest exhibits textbook form on the hand and thigh

After the hand and thigh, we took a break for dinner.  Phoebe brought us out sandwiches, chips and snacks.  Leroy had an opportunity to update points while the rest of us sat around and told lies.  Before lifting started again, Leroy told me that less than a point separated mine and Chad’s totals.  The last lift would be the deciding factor in who walked away with the title.

The last discipline contested at the heavy lift championship was the hip lift.  We all went big.  Chad bested what he had done at the Dino challenge earlier in the year with a 1500 pound effort.  I knew I needed 2140 to break the overall hip lift record in the 125 kilo class.  I was successful with that effort, and it was enough to take the win.  A big thanks for everyone who showed up and made this meet a success.  3 clubs were represented (KCSTRONGMAAN, Clark’s and the Dino Gym).  A big shout out to meet sponsor, myHMB/Peak ATP for providing shirts for all competitors.

 

Lance Foster sets up for the hip lift

Lance Foster sets up for the hip lift

The three official system was used.  Officials included, Eric Todd, Chris Todd, Lance Foster, and Chad Ullum.

Score keeper was Chris Todd

Jenny was under the weather, so Phoebe Todd served as the hostess with the mostest.

Loaders-All competitors, and Chris Todd.

An asterisk (*) denotes successful record attempts in the results:

 

Lifter Age Age Division Weight Weight Class Neck Lift Hand and Thigh Hip Lift Total Adj Points Place
Eric Todd 47 45 265 125 950* 1250 2140* 4340 3608 1
Dave DeForest 62 60 188 90 480* 700 1200 2380 2706 3
Chad Ullum 50 50 232 110 900* 1100 1500 3500 3199 2
Lance Foster 56 55 304 125+ 270 590 750 1610 1357 5
Dean Ross 79 75 192 90 100* 350 530 980 1378 4
4th attempt for record
Dave DeForest
Neck Lift 505*

 

TONY HOSE WINS THE BENCH PRESS DECATHLON

By Bill Clark

Tony, who just turned 53, won is first major USAWA meet by blasting through the “rampage” to win the Easter Bunny Bench Press Decathlon, defeating teammate, Dave Beversdorf, for the title.

tony Hose-Benchpress Decathalon Champ!

tony Hose-Bench press Decathalon Champ!

Tony, weighing a trim 226 pounds, broke a deadlock with the 56-year-old Beversdorf by using less to weigh more and clinch the title in the “rampage.”

Tony took only 90 pounds, but did 68 reps with the weight in the one-minute rampage time-span to log 6,120 pounds in a minute – over three tons. Dave, who weighed in at 300 pounds (age 56), did 47 reps with 125 pounds for a total of 5,875 pounds in a minute.

Third place went to Lucas Hardie, from Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, who is a member of Clark’s Gym Team. Dave DeForest was 4th, Tony Lupo 5th and Nick Frieders 6th in what became strictly a gym meet.

Tony Hose’s total for the 10 lifts was exactly 8,000 pounds – four tons worth of benching.

Tony has been a gym member since June 15, 2006. Since his first few months 16 years ago, he has always added a large gift “to help cover the heating bill” and has been a huge help in keeping the gym open as the heat bills have soared.

It was good seeing him win in tough competition.

The results:

Name Age Age Division BW weight class Reg Park Bench Press Bench Press roman Chair Bench Press Feet in Air Bench Press Alternate Grip Bench Press Reverse Grip Bench Press-Close Grip (not eligible for USAWA records because not an official lift) Bench Press-Feet on Floor  (not eligible for USAWA records because not an official lift) Rampage Reps Rampage total weight Total pounds Bodyweight adjustment Age Adjustment Place
Tony Hose 53 50 226 105 230 65 300 *275 *270 200 300 68×90 6120 8000 2688.5 7624.83 1
David Beversdorf 56 55 300 275+ *230 *45 *300 *315 *300 225 315 47×125 5875 7825 5679.4 6844.9 2
Lucas Hardie** 38 open 195 90 *190 125 245 225 225 185 255 28×135 3780 6430 5879.15 5879.15 3
Dave DeForest 62 60 187 85 *130 *22 160 *165 *160 130 170 41×70 2870 3917 3637.7 4474.37 4
Tony Lupo 56 55 234 110 *130 *65 *245 *185 *200 155 255 26×115 2990 4340 3637.4 4255.76 5
Nick Frieders 21 open 184 85 *100 *65 200 185 155 155 200 26×85 2210 3350 3504.1 3504.1 6
Bill Clark 89 85 203 95 *44 *33 65 *65 *65 55 65 10×45 450 886 785.1 1677.65 7

* All lifts marked with an asterisk  are national records

**Lucas Hardie’s lifts are not eligible for records

The following lifters are not current members, but are from Canada, and are planning on joining prior to the 2nd quarter postal.  Their lifts are not eligible for records.   Please give them a warm welcome:

Name Age Age Division BW weight class Bench Press-1 arm-right Bench Press-1 arm-left Reg Park Bench Press Bench Press roman Chair Bench Press Feet in Air Bench Press Alternate Grip Bench Press Reverse Grip Bench Press-Close Grip (not eligible for USAWA records because not an official lift) Bench Press-Feet on Floor  (not eligible for USAWA records because not an official lift) Rampage Reps Rampage total weight Total pounds
Matt Macneil 36 open 270 125 135 135 270 95 345 315 315 200 345 48×135 6480 9735
Doug Sullivan 63 60 180 85 95 95 200 135 245 235 235 185 265 39×135 5265 7065
Robbie Baxter 27 open 238 110 100 95 200 125 225 225 245 185 235 29×115 3335 3335

All records are in pounds.  The three official system was used for everyone but Dave DeForest and Bill Clark with Dave and Bill being the judges.  Bill judged Dave and Dave judged Bill in the 1 official system for their lifts.

Dave DeForst record day
Snatch on knees 90
Clean and Press on knees 116
Clean and seated press-behind neck 105
Deadlift-stiff legged 280
Habecker Lift 250

 

2022 1st Quarter Postal

By Denny Habecker

Bill Cookson completing a big 2 barbell deadlift all the way from Kuwait!

Bill Cookson completing a big 2 barbell deadlift all the way from Kuwait!

We had great participation in this years 1st postal. We had 31 lifters participate, 23 men & 8 women, which I believe is the most we have ever had.Dan Wagman was at the top of the men’s division and R.J. Jackson led the women this quarter. Thank you to all that participated.

January 1 thru March 31, 2022

The Lifts – Holdout – Raised,  Swing – Dumbbell- 1 Hand,  Deadlift- 2 bars

Records are marked with an *

Men’s Division :

Dan Wagman     – Open*  –  176  – 75* – 107*- L  –  502* –   684 –  657.94

* Dan doesn’t want the age percentage

Nicholas Frieders     – 21   – 153  – 55*  –  90- R   –  440*  –   585   – 614.83

Abe Smith              – 40   – 181  – 75*  – 120- L*  – 430*   –  615   – 599.43

Lucas Hardie          – 38   – 198  – 55   – 105 -R   – 470      –  630   – 566.18

John J. Carter        – 63   – 219  – 55*   – 75 – R   – 400*    –  530   – 558.81

David DeForest     –  62   – 193  – 50*  – 67-  R*  – 370      – 487    – 546.29

Randy Smith         – 67   – 195  – 50    – 90  -R    – 321.5   – 461.5 – 542.95

Travis Luther        – 29   – 167  – 55*   – 100 -R   – 370       – 525    – 521.95

Eric Todd             – 47   – 263  – 90*    – 120- R   – 407*     – 617    – 515.69

Anthony Hose     – 53    – 227  – 70*   – 100- L* – 370       – 540     – 513.41

Denny Habecker  – 79    – 189  – 38.5*  – 50 -R    – 269*  -357.5    – 507.44

Barry Pensyl       – 73    – 141  – 12*  – 48- R*    – 242.5 – 302.5    – 476.56

Chad Ullom        – 50    – 235  – 45     – 0          – 450      – 495     – 451.27

Bill Cookson       – 57    -230   -35      -90         -330       -455       -444.32

Dave Hahn         – 84    – 141  – 25    – 30- R     – 220      – 275     – 443.13

Aidan Habecker – 18    – 205  – 44*   – 77 -R*    – 353*     – 474     – 430.51

Anthony R. Lupo – 56   -230  – 33*    – 70 -L*    – 310*    – 413    –  400.53

Chris Todd         – 42  – 274  – 60*    -85- L*    – 322       – 467    –  364.84

LeRoy Todd      –  10  –  82   – 17.5* – 25-R     – 105*      – 147.5  –  353.21

Everett Todd    –  9    –  74   – 17.5* – 15- R    –  90*       – 122.5   – 331.35

Lance Foster    – 56   -313   –  45*   – 50 – R*  – 222       – 317      – 264.00

Bill Clark         – 89  – 207   – 22*     – 10- R     – 150       – 182     – 245.69

Jarrod Fobes  –  44  – 209   – 60     – 73- L      – 0           -128      – 117.19

Elijah Conley  – 15   – 149  – 25     – 28- L       – 0          – 53        – 65.24

Postal winner dan Wagman completing a holdout raised.

Postal winner dan Wagman completing a holdout raised.

Women’s Division:

R.J. Jackson           – 60   – 105   – 34 – 51 -R    – 202     – 287      – 485.37

Sylvia Stockall       – 64  – 150   – 45    – 55- R     – 218      – 318      – 398.83

Beth Skwarecki      – 41  – 139  – 40     – 60 -L    – 242       – 342      – 391.08

Phoebe Todd          – 11  – 121  – 20*   – 30 -R*   – 140*    – 190      – 314.56

Stacy Todd            – 39  – 185  – 45*  – 57.5-R* – 222*     – 324.5   – 303.24

Janet Thompson    – 64  – 160  – 22*  – 25- L*     – 150*     – 197      -251.57

Daphne Lansdown – 6    –  46   – 10*    – 5 -R      –  50*     – 65       – 245.95

Kim VanWagner    – 54   – 134  – 25   – 35- R     – 95        – 155      – 205.45

OFFICIALS :

Leroy, Everett, Phoebe & Stacy Todd   – Lance Foster, Chris Todd, Eric Todd

Eric Todd                                         – Lance Foster, Chris Todd

Chris Todd                                       – Lance Foster, Eric Todd

Lance Foster                                    – Chris Todd, Eric Todd

Aidan Habecker                              – Denny Habecker, Barry Pensyl

Denny Habecker                            – Barry Pensyl

Barry Pensyl                                 – Denny Habecker

Dan Wagman                                – R.J. Jackson

Nicholas Frieders, Abe Smith, John Carter, Dave DeForest, Travis Luther, Anthony Hose, Anthony Lupo, Janet Thompson    –  Bill Clark

Bill Clark                                    – Dave DeForest

Lifters with Non-certified Officials:

Lucas Hardie, Randy Smith, R.J. Jackson, Chad Ullom, Dave Hahn, Sylvia Stockall, Beth Skwarecki, Daphne Lansdown, Kim VanWagner, Jarrod Fobes, Elijah Conley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grip Championships

By Al Myers

2022 USAWA GRIP CHAMPIONSHIPS

Group picture from the 2022 USAWA Grip Championships

Group picture from the 2022 USAWA Grip Championships

The Dino Gym hosted the USAWA Grip Championships for the 11th time this past weekend.  Usually this championship event gets a good turnout, but this year only three lifters took part.  However it was a heated contest as all participants have been past overall champions of the Grip Championships.

LaVerne Myers took the overall over fellow Dino Gym members Chad Ulllom and myself.  This makes LaVerne a FIVE TIME overall winner of the Grip Championships making him the most overall winner of all past Grip Championships.

I really want to thank Dave Glasgow for coming to the Dino Gym to officiate, which allowed me to compete in the meet.

Meet Results:

USAWA Grip Championships
February 19th, 2022
Dino Gym
Holland, KS

Meet Director: LaVerne Myers

Meet Scorekeeper: Al Myers

Official (1-official system used): Dave Glasgow

Lifts: Dumbbell Walk, Deadlift – 2 Inch Dumbbells, Deadlift – No Thumbs One Arm, Deadlift – Index Fingers

MENS DIVISION

Lifter Age BWT Walk Inch DLNT Index TOT PTS
LaVerne Myers 77 218 113* 240* 171L* 143* 667 851.7
Al Myers 55 230 113* 260* 204R* 198* 775 744.8
Chad Ullom 50 233 93* 260* 193R* 220* 766 699.5

Notes: BWT is bodyweight in pounds. All lifts recorded in pounds. R and L designate right and left arms. TOT is total pounds lifted. PTS are overall adjusted points corrected for age and bodyweight. National records within the meet are denoted with an asterisk (*).

RECORD DAY LIFTS

Officials (3-official system used): LaVerne Myers, Al Myers, Chad Ullom

LaVerne Myers – Age 77 years, BWT 222 pounds
Finger Lift – Left Little: 58#
Finger Lift – Right Little: 58#
Finger Lift – Left Thumb: 58#
Finger Lift – Right Thumb: 58#
Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Left Arm: 160#

Al Myers – Age 55 years, BWT 229 pounds
Finger Lift – Right Little: 88#
Finger Lift – Right Ring: 118#
Finger Lift – Right Index: 128#
Finger Lift – Right Middle: 143#
Finger Lift – Right Thumb: 83#

Chad Ullom – Age 50 years, BWT 235 pounds
Deadlift – Stiff Legged: 364#
Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip: 402#
Finger Lift – Left Ring: 118#
Finger Lift – Left Index: 118#

Ed Zercher Strength Classic

By Bill Clark

Nick Frieders with 885 in the hip lift enroute to 1,105. Photo by Gene Baumann

Nick Frieders with 885 in the hip lift enroute to 1,105. Photo by Gene Baumann

What is probably the toughest weightlifting competition in the country has been held either at Clark’s Gym or, in the days before there was a Clark’s Gym, at the Missouri State Penitentiary or the Moberly Correctional Facility.

The name? “The Zercher Strength Classic.”

It was named for Ed Zercher, Sr., a St. Louis strongman known for his vice-like grip and ability to lift things at age 80 that no youngster dared to attempt. Ed’s career began in the 1930s and continued for more than 50 years. He did 81 reps with 200 pounds in the unsupported leg press at age 81. Most lifters can’t do a single repetition with any weight in the unsupported leg press.

You get the idea.

During the 1960s and 1970s, when the Missouri Prison System allowed weights in its walls, both the Main Walls at Jefferson City and the see-through fence walls at Moberly housed some of the best lifters in the nation.

I had the good fortune to help build the weight program at the Main Walls in Jeff and within a decade, prison lifting had expanded to include more than 60 prisons around the nation, thanks to the recreation department at the Federal Prison in Leavenworth.

One of the most challenging weekends was a double decathlon at Jeff Town during which the contestants did 20 of the heaviest lifts done with a bar and plates – the hip and harness lifts, leg presses, back lifts, a variety of dead lifts and overhead lifts. Lifters came from around the country to try to beat lifters like Steve Schmidt, Robert Burnett, Bill Spangler, Sid Littleton, Bob Burtzloff, Wilbur Miller and to watch Ed Zercher perform as well as compete.

When I opened Clark’s Gym in the late summer of 1987, Zercher was on hand and the meet named for him has been held only at Clark’s Gym since.

Three decades ago, we used three lifting platforms all day to handle the workload and lifters came from California to Philly to say they survived the Zercher meet – and to meet the Old Man himself.

Because of the size of the field, I softened the meet and limited it to “only” the 13 toughest lifts of the original 20. And that’s what it remains – 13 lifts that defy your staying power.

Through the years, that challenge has not been accepted by the general lifting crowd and the entry lists have dwindled – but the meet continues as a tribute to Ed – and to the days when challenges were met head-on.

The latest Zercher meet was held on January 29-30 at Clark’s Gym and it drew only four people – all local. What followed was a classic battle between two 20-somethings that brought back memories of days long gone.

One of the four entries was Janet Thompson, the Northern District Commissioner for Boone County and a regular competitor with the gym team. She has a shoulder needing replacement and it spoke loud and clear after four of the 13 events and she enjoyed watching the rest from the sidelines.

Tony Lupo, the 55-year-old chairman of the Boone County Republican Central Committee and the head of the atmospheric science department at MU, made his first start in the Zercher while nursing a nagging tricep injury. He finished the 13 lifts and is looking for more of the same in the future.

The weekend settled into a battle between the 21-year-old Nick Frieders, a junior at MU, and 29-year-old Travis Luther, an MU graduate in finance currently with MFA, Inc.

Frieders comes from the Aurora, Illinois, area, and is majoring in social science. He weighed 153 pounds. Luther grew up on a farm north of Kansas City and weighed 158.

Nick led for the first 11 lifts with a 600-pound leg press, a 425-pound deadlift with heels together and 325-pound deadlifts with each hand.

Then came the hip and harness lifts and Luther took over. He is one of the best in the nation at his bodyweight. He nailed a 1,685-pound hip lift, his best ever, and added a personal best 2,100-pound harness lift to close out the day – and his buddy, Nick.

Travis Luther with 1,800 in the harness lift enroute to 2,100. Photo by Gene Baumann

Travis Luther with 1,800 in the harness lift enroute to 2,100. Photo by Gene Baumann

Old Man Zercher would have been proud of the pair.

The Zercher meet closed out a year of success for the Clark’s Gym team. Abe Smith, a former Hickman High student, won the USAWA National title head-to-head in June and added the postal title in December.

The Clark’s Gym team won the first six places and seven of the first nine in the National Postal Championships and had four of the top six in the head-to-head competition with Randy Smith, a team member from Marquette, Michigan, the runner-up in both meets. Dave DeForest of Millersburg was a medalist in both meets and also in the IAWA world meet in Pennsylvania in September.

The gym’s next competition will be another challenge – the Easter Bunny Bench Press Decathlon. It will include 9 different versions of the bench press, closing with a “Rampage” – all the reps you can do with a weight of your own choice in the flat bench press – in one minute – total weight to win, not the number of reps.

Two other events are on schedule between now and August 19. The gym, as it has done since 1988, will be handling the power meet in the Show-Me State Games the third Saturday in July and, on August 17, will celebrate Ol’ Clark’s 90th birthday anniversary with a meet including 10 of the lifts Ol’ Clark can still do. The Clark birthday will be a day later. If all goes well, he’ll use those 10 lifts as a kickoff to do 90 different lifts in 31 days at age 90. Not many can make that boast – nor would want to do so.

See what you’re missing by not being a member of the oldest gym in town.

 

Meet Details:

Ed Zercher Strength Classic
Clark’s gym
Columbia, MO
January 29-30th, 2022

Meet Director: Bill Clark

Meet Scorekeeper: Bill Clark

Meet Official: Bill Clark

Results:

Mens

name bwt weight class age Division DL – Heels together  Hack Lift DL -One arm Clean and jerk Clean and Press- heels together Steinborn lift- Zercher lift
Travis Luther 158 75 29 senior 350 365 185-R 165 135 145 300
Nick Frieders 153 70 21 senior 425 365 325-L* 170 115 145 250*
Tony Lupo 230 105 55 55 350* 100* 160-R 55 55* 105 125
name Leg press Bench Press-Feet in air Neck Lift Hip Lift Harness lift Hand & Thigh Raw total  Bwt adjustment Age adjustment place
Travis Luther 500 175 245 1685 2100* 675 6925 7132.85 7132.85 1
Nick Frieders 600 175 245 1105 1505 820 6245 6588.48 6588.48 2
Tony Lupo 500 135 200 1005 1165 425 4280 3542.13 4208.87 3

Women’s

name bwt weight class age Division DL – Heels together  Hack Lift DL -One arm Clean and jerk Clean and Press- heels together Steinborn lift- Zercher lift
Janet Thompson 160 75 64 60 22 22* 65*
name Leg press Bench Press-Feet in air Neck Lift Hip Lift Harness lift Hand & Thigh Raw total  Bwt adjustment Age adjustment place
Janet Thompson 309 315.15 393.94 1

 

Extra record lift – Nick Frieders – deadlift – one arm – 325 – Right.

Notes:  All lifts recorded in pounds.  BWT is bodyweight in pounds. R and L designate right and left arms. TOT is total pounds lifted. PTS are overall adjusted points corrected for age and bodyweight. National records are denoted with an asterisk for the competition. The one official system is used for all lifts.

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