Club of the Year: LEDAIG HA
by Al Myers
Ledaig HA won the team title for the Overall best team at the 2012 IAWA World Championships. Pictured (left to right): Jera Kressly, Dave Glasgow, Doug Kressly
Congratulations to LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS for being the named the USAWA Club of the Year for 2012!!!!
Ledaig has been very active in the USAWA these past few years. Their “rise to prominence” in the USAWA started in 2010. The club’s founder and leader, Dave Glasgow, has been a solid force in the organization. Ledaig HA is located in Rainbow Bend, Kansas – outside of Winfield, or if you are less knowledgeable about Kansas, south of Wichita a ways. Dave refers to Rainbow Bend as “a community ” instead of a town. I’ve been there and you better not blink when you drive thru it or you will miss it! It’s even smaller than the town of Holland where the Dino Gym resides!
Unlike the other USAWA awards where the winners are selected by nomination and vote of the membership, the Club of the Year is earned. It is based on a point system where each club earns points for various involvements in the USAWA throughout the year. I think this system is very fair – and it makes it easy for me to calculate all clubs point totals. This is the guidelines for which a club earns points:
Club Awards are determined by adding up club points using this 4-Step System:
1. One point awarded to the club for EACH USAWA registered member that lists the club as their affiliated club on their membership application. This designation is also listed beside the members name on the membership roster.
2. Two points awarded to the club for EACH club member that participates in the National Championships, World Championships, and Gold Cup. Points are awarded for each competition, so if one club athlete competes in all three of these big meets it would generate 6 points for the club.
3. Three points awarded to the club for EACH USAWA sanctioned event or competition the club promotes.
4. Four bonus points awarded to the club for promotion of the National Championships, World Championships, and Gold Cup.
As you can see – having lots of club members who are heavily involved in our “big meets” really help with the yearly score. Ledaig had 9 club members for the year 2012: Dave Glasgow, Kenny Glasgow, Amber Glasgow, Tim Harbison, Doug Kressly, Jera Kressly, Mike Murdock, Kristen Traub, and Larry Traub. The Ledaig HA won the team title at the 2012 IAWA World Championships, and was runner up at the 2012 USAWA National Championships. At both of these big meets, the Ledaig Club had members place very high overall in addition to winning Age/BWT championships. At Nationals, Larry was 2nd overall and Dave 4th, and at Worlds Dave was 3rd overall, Doug 9th overall, and Jera was third overall in the women’s division. That’s quite a list of accomplishments!!!
The year 2012 had a record number of 16 registered member clubs in the USAWA! I’m only going to give the TOP FIVE placings, and just making this top 5 listing is a great accomplishment for any club!
TOP SCORING USAWA CLUBS FOR 2012
1st. Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 25 points
2nd. Salvation Army Gym – 20 points
3rd. Ambridge Barbell Club – 19 points
4th (tie). Clarks Gym – 13 points
4th (tie). Jobes Steel Jungle – 13 points
5th . Habeckers Gym – 12 points
The Salvation Army Gym had an outstanding year in the USAWA. The clubs leader Tim Piper was very involved in the USAWA throughout the year. Tim competed in the Nationals in Vegas (6th Overall) and at the Worlds in Salina (7th Overall). I was very impressed with them earning the RUNNER UP Club of the Year in the USAWA. These two club awards (to the Ledaig Heavy Athletics and the Salvation Army Gym) will be presented at the Awards Ceremony in conjunction with the National Championships next month. Last year’s winner of the Club of the Year, the Dino Gym, will have the HONOR of presenting these two clubs their Club Awards.