USAWA Records Fall at Worlds

by Al Myers

82 year old Art Montini broke a USAWA Record in the Steinborn Lift with a lift of 143 pounds. This record was previously held at 105 pounds by the legendary lifter and Stongman Ed Zercher I, which was set at the 1988 Zercher Strength Classic.

Only five USAWA lifters attended the IAWA World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, but SEVERAL USAWA Records were set by this elite group.  Twenty one new USAWA Records were added to the USAWA Record List along with several new IAWA World Records.   Dennis Mitchell and Art Montini lead the way with 6 new USAWA records each.

USAWA RECORDS SET AT WORLDS

Lift Lifter Age Wt Cls Record
Clean and Push Press Dennis Mitchell 75 75 55#
Snatch, One Arm, Left Art Montini 80 85 33#
Snatch, One Arm, Right Denny Habecker 65 85 77#
Snatch, One Arm, Right Dennis Mitchell 75 75 33#
Continental to Belt Denny Habecker 65 85 275#
Continental to Belt Art Montini 80 85 165#
Steinborn Lift Denny Habecker 65 85 244#
Steinborn Lift Dennis Mitchell 75 75 93#
Steinborn Lift Art Montini 80 85 143#
Steinborn Lift Chad Ullom ALL 110 440#
Curl, Cheat Dennis Mitchell 75 75 84#
Curl, Cheat Art, Montini 80 85 77#
Press, Dumbbell, Left Al Myers 40 115 88#
Press, Dumbbell, Left Denny Habecker 65 85 66#
Press, Dumbbell, Left Denny Habecker ALL 85 66#
Press, Dumbbell, Left Chad Ullom ALL 110 110#
Press, Dumbbell, Left Al Myers ALL 115 88#
Press, Dumbbell, Right Dennis Mitchell 75 75 27#
Press, Dumbbell, Right Art Montini 80 85 38#
Deadlift, Trap Bar Dennis Mitchell 75 75 225#
Deadlift, Trap Bar Art Montini 80 85 248#

Several record-breaking highlights occurred which deserve mentioning.  Chad Ullom established the USAWA ALL-TIME best lift in the Steinborn Lift with a lift of 440# (200 kilograms).  This also TIED the best Steinborn Lift in the IAWA Record List, which is held by our IAWA President Steve Gardner when he performed a 200 kilogram Steinborn Lift in 1998.  Art Montini broke two USAWA Records held by the legendary Missouri Strongman Ed Zercher.  Art broke Ed’s records in the Steinborn Lift and the Cheat Curl.  Ed Zercher had set these records in 1988.  It seems only fitting that one legend replaces another legend in the Record List.

The USAWA Record Race between Denny and Art is still going strong.  Denny is now at 369 USAWA Records (compared to 365 in July) while Art is still in second with 362 USAWA Records (compared to 358 in July).  Denny did help himself by breaking a record of Art’s in the Steinborn Lift by 1 Kilo in this meet!!  Art’s Birthday Bash and Record Day is coming up, but Art sets a limit of a maximum 5 records set, so if  Denny and Art both do this, Denny should maintain his lead.

JWC Record Breaker

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT

JWC RECORD BREAKER : LIFTING FAITH

by Thom Van Vleck

Oct. 29 we will be attempting a feat never before seen in the USAWA.  Quite frankly, I wonder what I was thinking when I dreamed this up!  We will attempt to break 100 USAWA records in about 2 hours for charity.

Last year I had my first ever JWC Record day and we had a blast.  This year I decided to combine it with our annual school fundraiser to try and get pledges for each record we break.  This money will go towards funding the Faith Lutheran School.  This school has over 150 students from preschool to 3rd grade.  Most of these students don’t attend our Church, and many do not have a Church home at all.  So the money is more than just about giving to a Church but to a school that reaches out to many different families and children.

I have decided to call it “Lifting Faith” because we are lifting weights to benefit Faith Lutheran School.  I already have several athletes who have committed to this feat and I am looking for more!  There is no entry fee and no awards, just the satisfaction of not only breaking individual records, but being part of a 100 record breaking day,  AND raising money for a good cause.

I will be going out and getting pledges for each record we break.  If we break 50 records and I have pledge totaling $10 per record, we raise $500 and if we break 100 records it will be $1000!  So, it’s important that we break as many as possible with the maximum being 100!  I will have loaders and spotters there and I will have a lifting platform and a warm up platform.  We will likely have over 500 people, most of them kids,  in attendance and towards the end, we will be the CENTER of the event!  I will have someone running a tote board to update progress and multiplying that by pledges to show an every rising dollar amount.  I will have an emcee and a PA system.  At the end, the JWC will do our strongman show as part of a finale the evenings festivities.

All YOU need to do is BE THERE and be READY to break some records!!!!!

Contact me as soon as possible to verify your attendance.  I need all entries by Oct. 25th, NO LATE entries due to the need to develop a flow chart of records.  Also, due to the time limits, when it’s your time to lift, you need to be ready!  We will be moving quickly!!  No chain lifts, only platform lifts!

Be a part of the record day to beat all record days!

Here is my contact info:

Thom Van Vleck

tvanvleck@yahoo.com

660 341 1755

Meet Reminder – GOLD CUP

by Al Myers

2010 IAWA Gold Cup Meet Director Frank Ciavattone

The entry deadline is approaching FAST for this years Gold Cup on November 6th.  Meet Director  Frank Ciavattone was very generous in setting the deadline as late as possible, with the closing date being October 23rd.   That is only TWO WEEKS prior to the meet, and should give everyone enough time to get their entry in on time.

The Gold Cup is an IAWA sanctioned event, and rotates between the countries affiliated with the International All-Round Weightlifting Association.  It is quite an honor and opportunity to compete in it when it is held in the States.  It may be several more years before it is again.  Lets take this opportunity and show the Gold Cup the support it deserves and in doing so, demonstrate the strength of the USAWA.

Entry forms are available under “IAWA Gold Cup” in the USAWA Future Event listing on the right column of the website.

World Championships

by Al Myers

2010

IAWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

CHAD ULLOM WORLD’S BEST LIFTER

Group picture of the participants in the 2010 IAWA World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

Chad Ullom put together the perfect meet and captured this year’s most coveted prize in All-Round Weightlifting – Best Overall Lifter at the IAWA World Championships.  Chad was in the best lifting shape he has ever been in and put up some HUGE LIFTS throughout the two days of lifting.  On day one, he did the highest (poundage wise) Steinborn Lift in the USAWA Record List  and tied the best in the IAWA Record List (with our IAWA President Steve Gardner) with a Steinborn Lift of 200 kilograms.  It was a truly inspiration lift!  He then did a 210 kg Continental to Belt, followed by the next day a Trap Bar Deadlift of 265 kilograms (his personal best).   He also had the top Total of the meet, with a combined two-day poundage of 1015 kilograms.   There was not a single event that Chad struggled with – he is a WELL-DESERVING CHAMPION!!!

Chad Ullom pulls 265 kilograms (584 pounds) in the Trap Bar Deadlift on way to winning the Overall Best Lifter at the 2010 IAWA All-Round Weightlifting World Championships.

This was my second opportunity to compete in Glasgow, Scotland (the first being the 2006 IAWA World Championships).  Both times I have been overly impressed with the meet, with credit going to Meet Director George Dick and the Castlemilk Gym crew.  These guys are the BEST!!  They deserve a “pat on the back” for a job well-done.  I want to mention some of these guys  – Willie Wright, Andy Tomlin, David McFadzean, and Matt Finkle.   Your club unity really impressed me.  That is what All-Round Weightlifting SHOULD be all about!   I greatly appreciated the arrangements you made for all of us  to meet the Provost at the formal reception Saturday night in the City Chambers.   That is a memory that none of the lifters will ever forget.

Another highlight of the weekend was seeing our one-and-only Art Montini receiving the AWARD OF MERIT, an award specially given by IAWA President Steve Gardner, to recognize Art’s longtime commitment to the IAWA.  This was the first-such award ever given and to a very WELL-DESERVING RECIPIENT (I will elaborate more on this in a future story).   I also want to point out the outstanding performances by “the youngsters” in attendance.  Robbie and Chris Hughes really impressed me with their lifting (especially their Trap Bar Deadlifts), along with Big Wade Smith, who was in the 125+ class at only 18 years of age! (And yes Wade – I noticed when you put up a bigger 1-Hand Dumbbell Press than me!!)  I was glad to finally meet Mark Price.  Mark is a newcomer to the All-Rounds and is a REAL POWERHOUSE, and he has to ability to be VERY SUCCESSFUL with a little more time.  He did a very good Steinborn Lift of 150 kilograms, and squatted it with ease!!  It was great to see Steve Sherwood back in action. Steve has had a long career in the IAWA, but he has been missing the past few years from International competition.  Now Steve is 59 years old, but looks like he has not taken a day off from training in his entire life .  He was VERY PROFICIENT in his lifting technique, and put up great lifts in everything.  What can I say about Gerry Davidson??  (besides not being able to understand a word he says,  lol).   Gerry is 74 years old and solid muscle.  He is a ferocious lifter on the platform, and gives every max lift 100%.  He took a hard fall on the Clean and Push Press, but got up, brushed it off, and went back to lifting (it didn’t faze him!!).  It was great to see Frank Allen back in action again after being sidelined last year with a hip replacement.  He looked in great shape, and really surprised me with his 145 kilogram Continental to Belt.  Dennis Mitchell  has not missed many World Competitions, and again showed his grit, by setting MORE records on fourth attempts than anyone else in the entire meet (total 4).   Denny Habecker was solid as ever, again making the top ten.  It was great catching up with my old friends Steve Andrews and Roger Davis. These two have a WEALTH of information on All-Round Weightlifting and I learn something new with every visit with them.   I HAVE to mention the outstanding lifting in the women’s division, with veteran Agnes McInally taking the overall honors.

I wish I had enough time to talk about EVERY LIFTER in the meet (I got stories on EVERYONE).  I want to sum it up by saying – the lifting was superb, the meet was well organized, and a good time was had by all.

Men’s Top Ten

1.  Chad Ullom, United States – 825.4 Points

2.  Al Myers, United States – 809.0 Points

3.  Steve Sherwood, England – 807.2 Points

4.  Gerry Davidson, England – 806.6 Points

5.  Steve Andrews, England – 777.6 Points

6.  Roger Davis, England – 744.5 Points

7.  Mark Price, England – 725.9 Points

8.  James Gardner, England – 719.5 Points

9.  Denny Habecker, United States – 713.8 Points

10. Robbie Hughes, Scotland – 680.9 Points

Women’s Top Three

1.  Agnes McInally, Scotland – 577.3 Points

2.  Nicola Hughes, Scotland – 480.4 Points

3.  Kim Rawling, England – 356.5 Points

MEET RESULTS

Dates:  October 2nd and 3rd

Location:  Castlemilk Gym, Glasgow, Scotland

Meet Director:  George Dick

M/C Recorder: Steve Gardner

Assistants: Judy Habecker and Chris Bass

Drug Testing: Frank Allen

Referees: Andy Tomlin, Chad Ullom, James Gardner,  Mathew Finkle,  Steve Andrews,Dennis Mitchell, Denny Habecker,  Bill Wright,  Chris Ross, Gerry Davidson,  Frank Allen,  Karen Gardner,  David McFadzean

Lifts:

Day 1:  Clean and Push Press, Barbell Snatch – One Arm, Continental to Belt, Steinborn Lift

Day 2:  Cheat Curl, Dumbbell Press – One Arm, Trap Bar Deadlift

Chad and I donned our kilts and made a toast to show our spirit of celebrating the Championships in Scotland.

Best Lifter Awards:

Best Junior Robbie Hughes (Sco)
Best Female Agnes McInally (Sco)
Best Open Lifter Chad Ullom (USA)
Best Master 40+ Al Myers (USA)
Best Master 45+ Mark Price (Eng)
Best Master 50+ Steve Andrews (Eng)
Best Master 55+ Steve Sherwood (Eng)
Best Master 60+ George Dick (Sco)
Best Master 65+ Denny Habecker (USA)
Best Master 70+ Gerry Davidson (Eng)
Best Master 75+ Denny Mitchell (USA)
Best Master 80+ Art Montini (USA)

BEST OVERALL LIFTER

1st Chad Ullom (USA)

2nd Al Myers (USA)

3rd Steve Sherwood (Eng)

Special Award: The IAWA Award of Merit, presented to Art Montini (for services to all round weightlifting) by IAWA President Steve Gardner

PDF of Meet Results:

World Champs 2010 Day1 World Champs 2010 Day2 World Champs 2010 Both Days

Make it “Official”

by Thom Van Vleck

Phil Jackson judging in the 1960's

I guess I’m officially “OLD”.  I went to a funeral the other day and was upset with the clothes people wore.  They were in jeans, sweat pants, jeans with holes in them, etc.  I was in a suit and tie.  I was there to show respect.

I guess I’m old school and I like to show respect. I respect my elders, my betters, ladies….errr…women.  Because that is how I was raised.  I open doors for older folks (seems to be fewer of those every year…don’t understand why!?).  I stop when I see someone needs help.  I greet folks with a handshake and acknowledge them in some appropriate way when I can.  In general, I’m nice…..Ok, MOST of the time I’m nice.

I was going through some old pictures recently and came across one of Phil Jackson judging a meet in the 1960’s.  He was wearing a suit and tie.  I asked him about it and he acted like that was a stupid question!  He said all the judges wore respectable clothes back then.  He said it made the meet look better, like there was something going on, but most of all it was showing respect to the honorable position of being a judge.  I would also point out that Phil had lifted in that meet and changed to judge the later classes.

Now,  I’ve judged meets in jeans and a t-shirt so I’m not casting stones here (but I will in regards to that funeral….that just made me mad!).  I would be curious what other members of the USAWA think about this.  I’ll guess that if you are over 40, you think that a judge should look the part and at least look half way decent and if you are under 30 you could care less as long as the job gets done.  Ages 30-40 are probably in the middle!!

Log onto the USAWA Discussion Forum and let me know and I’ll follow this article up with the results.

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