USAWA

by Dave Glasgow

ON A PERFECT DAY FOR LIFTING, THREE CLUBS OF LIFTERS CAME TO THE DEN OF THE LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS FOR THIS YEARS VERSION OF THE USAWA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS.  I WAS GRATIFIED AT THE SHOWING BUT IT WAS ESPECIALLY GOOD TO SEE JUDY AND DENNY HABECKER MAKE THE TREK FROM PENNSYVANIA.

KICKING THINGS OFF WAS THE 2” VERTICLE BAR, ONE HAND.  THERE WERE SOME FINE LIFTS BY ALL BUT THE STAND OUT OF THE DAY WAS FROM THE VENERABLE LAVERNE MYERS.  THOSE BIG FARMERS HANDS HAVE SERVED HIM WELL OVER HIS LIFE AND IT WAS NO DIFFERENT HERE AS HE HOISTED 182 IN THE RIGHT HAND.  THAT IS A HUGE LIFT FROM ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF AGE.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE LIFTS IS THE ONE HAND SNATCH.  FOR THIS MEET, THERE WAS A LITTLE TWIST AS YOU HAD TO PERFORM THE LIFT WITH YOUR NON-DOMINATE HAND.  AGAIN, THERE WAS FINE LIFTING BY ALL AND THE JUDGING WAS STRICT.  NOT AS STRICT AS MIKE MURDOCK WOULD HAVE DONE, BUT STILL, VERY STRICT.  FOR MY MONEY, THE BEST ALL-ROUND LIFTER IN THE USAWA TODAY IS THE OLE WAR HORSE, CHAD ULLOM.  HE PROVED THIS BY THROWING UP A VERY CREDITABLE 125# LEFT HAND SNATCH.  NOT FAR BEHIND WAS DOUG KREESLY, WHO HAD NEVER DONE THIS LIFT BEFORE.  BEING MORE ATTUNED TO THE POWER LIFTS, HE ADJUSTED QUICKLY AND CERTAINLY MADE A GOOD SHOWING FOR HIMSELF.

WITH VERY LITTLE BREAK IN THE ACTION, WE MOVED TO THE PUSH PRESS OUT OF THE RACK.  AS THIS WAS MORE IN DOUG KRESSLYS WHEEL HOUSE, HE PUT UP A STRONG 225 AND WAS NOT QUITE ABLE TO MUSCLE UP A 240 ATTEMPT.  NOT TO BE IGNORED WERE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE KREESLY CLAN THAT SHOWED UP.  JERA PUT UP A FINE 155 PP AND WITH SOME WORK COULD EASILY GO 180.  MORE ON HER LATER.

DRAVON KRESSLY DOES’NT SAY MUCH.  HE LETS HIS LIFTING TALK FOR HIM.  COMING IN AT 137 POUNDS, THIS JUNIOR HIGH LINEBACKER ALMOST PP’d HIS WEIGHT!  I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT NONE OF THE KREESLYS HAD PRACTICED THESE LIFTS PRIOR SO I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A HUGE LIFT!  WELL DONE, LAD!  GOOD ON YA!  LOOK FOR MUCH MORE FROM THIS KID.  COULD HE BE THE NEXT ‘CHAD ULLOM’?  TIME WILL TELL!

JERA KRESSLY IS ONE FINE LOOKING, STRONG AND INTELLIGENT WOMAN.  HER LIFTING PROVED TWO OF THOSE ATTRIBUTES.  LIFTING WELL WITHIN HER ABILITIES, THIS FORMER ‘KANSAS’ STRONGEST WOMAN’ DID’NT MISS A LIFT AND DID MORE THAN HER SHARE TO FURTHER THE EFFORTS OF THE LEDAIG CLUB.

COMING DOWN TO THE 2 BARS DEADLIFT, THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COULD HAVE GONE EITHER WAY.  HOWEVER, DUE TO SOME POOR COACHING DECISIONS ON THE PART OF THE LEDAIG MANAGER, THE DINO GYM WOULD PREVAIL FOR THIS YEAR.  AGAIN, CHAD ULLOM CARRIED THE DAY WITH A VERY IMPRESSIVE 560.  BUT WAIT, HOW ABOUT THAT DRAVON KID.  AFTER A FINE 270 TO END HIS DAY OF COMPETITION, HE WENT OUTSIDE COMPETITION TO PULL AN OUTSTANDING 310!  MAN!!

IN CLOSING, I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT MENTION TWO OF THE STALWARTS OF THE USAWA.  DENNY HABECKER AND DEAN ROSS TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO LIFT IN THE USAWA.  YOU WILL NOT FIND ANY MORE CONSISTANT LIFTERS THAN THESE TWO.  AS FOR INDIDVUAL RECORDS, WELL, THEY BOTH TOOK EXTRA LIFTS TO SECURE NEW HEIGHTS FOR THOSE FOLLOWING TO ACHIEVE.  DENNY WITH A FINE 330# 2 HAND DL AND DEAN NOT FAR BEHIND WITH A 320#.  EXCELLENT LIFTING, GENTLEMEN!

THANKS TO ALL FOR COMING TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE TO COMPETE.  I PLAN TO HAVE THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR YEARS TO COME!  YOU PLAN TO BE THERE, ‘YA HEAR??  WHY?!  ‘CAUSE I SAID SO!!

MEET RESULTS:

2015 Club Championships
Ledaig Heavy Athletics
Rainbow Bend, KS
August 29th, 2015

Meet Director: Dave Glasgow

Official (1-official system used): Dave Glasgow

Scorekeeper: Al Myers

Lifts: Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2″, 1 Bar, 1 Hand, Snatch – Dumbbell, 1 Arm (non-dominate hand), Push Press – Rack, Deadlift – 2 Bars

1.  Dino Gym – 2061.72 points

LIFTER	AGE	BWT	VB-2″	Snatch	P Press	2-bar DL
LaVerne Myers	71	240	182 R	45 R	100	290
Dean Ross	72	253	132 R	60 L	125	270
Chad Ullom	43	252	192 R	125 L	80	560

2. Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 1733.39 points

LIFTER	AGE	BWT	VB-2″	Snatch	P Press	2-bar DL
Draven Kressly	14	137	127 R	55 L	130	270
Jera Kressly	30	220	137 R	60 L	155	310
Doug Kressly	35	248	152 R	100 L	225	0

3. Habecker’s Gym – 758.11 points

LIFTER	AGE	BWT	VB-2″	Snatch	P Press	2-bar DL
Denny Habecker	72	194	122 L	45 L	150	310

NOTES:  AGE is in years. BWT is bodyweight in pounds. R and L designate right and left hands.  Lifts recorded in pounds. Points are adjusted for age and bodyweight correction.

EXTRA ATTEMPTS FOR RECORD:

Denny Habecker: 2-Bar Deadlift 330#
Dean Ross: 2-Bar Deadlift 320#
Draven Kressly: 2-Bar Deadlift 310#
Jera Kressly: Push Press – From Rack 160#