Tag Archives: 2011 Nationals

NEWS FLASH – NATIONALS RESULTS

by Al Myers

I just got home from one of the BEST USAWA Nationals that I have ever been to!  It was a weekend packed with fun, great lifting, and camaraderie.  Eighteen lifters took part in this elite National Competition sanctioned by the USAWA, and hosted by meet director Thom Van Vleck of the JWC.  Thom did an extraordinary job as the meets director and provided amenities beyond what is expected.  We owe Thom a big “pat on the back” for his efforts.  This is not intended to be a meet report (I’ll leave that to Thom to write) but instead just a NEWS FLASH of the meet results.  A full report with full meet results will be available in a day or two.  The following are the top three women lifters and the top ten men lifters based on amended totals.

TOP 3 WOMEN LIFTERS

1.  Amber Glasgow – 784.8 points
2.  Susan Sees – 599.4 points
3.  Helen Kahn – 562.2 points

TOP 10 MEN LIFTERS

1.  Larry Traub –  1668.7 Points
2.  Eric Todd –  1665.1 Points
3.  Chad Ullom – 1606.8 Points
4.  Sam Cox – 1601.7 Points
5.  Sammy Ibrahim – 1563.1 Points
6.  Randy Smith –  1495.5 Points
7.  John O’Brien – 1375.5 Points
8.  Dave Glasgow – 1356.7 Points
9.  Denny Habecker – 1327.2 Points
10.  Joe Garcia – 1239.9 Points

TEAM CHAMPIONS – Ledaig Heavy Athletics

2011 USAWA Nationals Photo Project

by Thom Van Vleck

If you haven’t marked it on you calendar yet, put a big circle around June 25th right now!  I am hoping to do the USAWA proud hosting the USAWA Nationals this year.  I will have Al Myers as my “consultant” to make sure I don’t screw this up.  Al is an unpaid consultant, so I have to be careful I don’t get my money’s worth!  But seriously, we are looking to do some cool things this year.

One idea that I would like to do will require some help from all you!  I want to have a powerpoint  going that will be projecting pictures from the great history of the USAWA onto a wall nearby or even behind the lifting area.  So, I’m asking all of you to submit photos to me or Al.  You can send me a photograph or photographs, you can attach them to an e-mail, you can send me a CD with photos, just get them in and we’ll put them in the rotation!  I think it would add to the inspiration of the meet to have these photos scrolling on the wall while the meet goes on!

I will also have someone photographing every lift of the meet.  These lifts plus the historic lifts will be downloaded to ONE CD and will be sold for$15.

I will also have many photos, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia from the Jackson Weightlifting Club on display!  I will have a special table set up for the JWC and we will have the famous (or infamous) JWC photo album out as well as some of the old trophies and medals from 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s.

More plans are coming along, so send your photos!

2011 Nationals Venue Set

by Thom Van Vleck

Historic Rieger Armory, location for the 2011 USAWA Nationals

I have reserved the Rieger Armory for the 2011 USAWA Nationals and I couldn’t be more pleased with the location.  It is a classic building built in 1938 that has a lot of character and history (I know what you are thinking….that means it’s OLD, but it has been very well kept up and has been the location of hundreds of major functions here in Kirksville over the years).

It is named for Col. James Rieger who is a local war hero.  He served in WWI and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, and the Purple Heart as well as numerous other medals for leading  the 138th Regiment in a brutal attack that caused the German defenses to fall back all across the front lines.  He was nicknamed the “Hero of the Argonne” and one of his men famously said in an interview that went national, “…there wasn’t one of us that wouldn’t go to Hell for him”.   The War Department donated a German Howitzer captured in WWI to Kirksville that is in Rotary Park and Col. Rieger was later tapped to return to France at one point to locate and document American soldiers buried  there.  He was given pieces of a stained glass window from a bombed out French Church that was incorporated in the First Baptist Church here in Kirksville as a token of appreciation.

Just as importantly, it is a great place to have a weightlifting meet.  Centrally located in town, you can see Truman State’s campus and the town square from Rieger.  It has a large indoor area that used to house the National Guard artillery unit in town (now a Combat Engineer unit).  It also has a large kitchen with plenty of tables and chairs for our banquet and a stage for a first class awards ceremony!  I hope everyone will try and make this.  More info to come so stay tuned! It is located at 500 S. Elson St. in Kirksville.