Tag Archives: National Championships

Nationals Update

by Al Myers

Chad Ullom (left) has agreed to be the "PARTY PLANNER" for our National Championships in Las Vegas. I have traveled with Chad several times, and know from experience, that he knows how to have a fun time!

Plans for the 2012 USAWA National Championships in beautiful Las Vegas are underway. The date has been set (June 30th), the venue secured (Average Broz Gym), and entry forms have been available (on this website) for a couple of months now. Everything is going according to the plan I’ve laid out.  Now it’s time for YOU to send in your entry to me!! So far I have only two entries in hand – myself and Thom Van Vleck.  All details of entering are explained clearly on the entry form.  Just one thing I want to remind you of – make your checks or money orders out to the USAWA and not me.  This is a USAWA sponsored event and all income/expense is going through the USAWA bank account.

I have picked a place for our “host hotel”. It is the Silverton Hotel and Casino.  It is best just to go to their website to get the information for making a reservation.  Here is the link: http://www.silvertoncasino.com/

The Silverton is not part of “the strip”. It is located close to John’s Gym, which is the site of the meet.   I would guess it is only half a mile or so away.  So if you want to “loosen up” before the meet with a little light walking, the Silverton is close enough to the meet site that you can make the hike.  Chad and I are going to be renting a car while we are there, so if anyone needs a ride we can run a shuttle service back and forth.  Also, taxis are plentiful in Vegas which is another option to get to the meet and back.  We do not have a “package deal” with the Silverton so don’t ask for it. This is a large place and I didn’t even bother to check into any special arrangement for our small group.  I didn’t want them to laugh at me. Their rates are very reasonable (sixty nine during the week, and eight nine on the weekends).  This fee is for double occupancy and even includes breakfast!  (look on their website under “resort specials”).  They provide free shuttle transportation from McCarran International Airport as well.  The Silverton adjoins a huge Bass Pro Shop and has many restaurants within it.  I will pick a restaurant for our Friday evening meal and meeting, which I will announce at a later date.  I would recommend that you make your reservation as soon as possible to ensure this rate.  Of course if you want to stay somewhere else, that is your choice but if we all stay at the same place it will make it easier for us to “get together” throughout our stay.

Our USAWA Vice President Chad Ullom has “stepped up” to be our activity coordinator and PARTY PLANNER.  That’s what Vice Presidents are for – planning the fun!  Chad is working on several  “entertainment activities” that we can do as a group.  I know he is looking into a bus tour of Hoover Dam the day following the meet for anyone interested, and a special evening out Saturday night following the meet. This will be in place of the banquet.  He promised me that he will let me know when he gets these activities finalized and that he will write an announcement for the website with all the details.

I am working on the T-Shirt design at this time.  This is causing me lots of indecision. Since this is such a BIG EVENT for the USAWA, it being our 25th Anniversary and all,  I want it to be the PERFECT meet shirt and can’t make up my mind on the design. I have a few good ideas and think I will “lock on” to a design soon.  I have three criteria for the shirt – recognize 25 years of the USAWA, highlight Las Vegas, and make it a “lifter’s shirt” with a lifting logo.  I want this to be a favorite T-shirt of the lifters – the one you grab out of the drawer full of other T-shirts to wear.  The problem is that I’m not artistic in anyway, and have problems making things aesthetic in appearance. I’m not a “fluff guy”, so I may need to ask Thom his opinion on this.

I am getting excited about this year’s Nationals. It will be one that you DON’T WANT TO MISS!  I will give out more details as the plans come along.   But NOW’S the time to send me your entry form and book your Hotel reservations.

National Venue Update

by Al Myers

Average Broz Gym - the venue site for the 2012 USAWA National Championships.

Last week I was fortunate to be in Las Vegas on business, so I took a little extra time to go visit with John Broz, owner of Average Broz Gym and venue site of the 2012 USAWA National Championships next summer.  For those of you that have been to Las Vegas, you are fully aware of the “hustle and bustle” of activity that goes on “around the clock” in Vegas.  But when I got to John’s Gym several blocks south of the strip, it was in a very peaceful neighborhood.  His Gym is located very close to the airport and is very easy to get to.   I am still in the process of finding a host hotel close by, of which details will be released later when this decision has been made.

John Broz (left) and Al Myers (right)

I was completely overwhelmed by Average Broz Gym.  It caters pretty exclusively to Olympic Weightlifters, and has numerous platforms with full weight sets for each.  John has a major investment in bars and weights, and he has only the BEST STUFF – Eleiko bars and Eleiko bumpers.  It will be BY FAR some of the best equipment we have ever lifted on in any of our National Meets.  John is a very seasoned Olympic Lifter and Coach.  I greatly enjoyed our conversation together – I could have visited with him all day long but he had coaching responsibilities to attend to so I didn’t want to take too much of his time.  It didn’t take me long to realize that this venue will be the PERFECT SPOT to celebrate our 25th USAWA National Championships!

During our conversation we found that we knew several people in common.  The “brotherhood of weightlifters” is truly a small fraternity and there are alot of links between individuals.  John is originally from Cleveland.  He grew up lifting weights coached by the well-known allrounder and weightlifter John Schubert.  John had several stories of his experiences with John Schubert and it was obvious to me that John had been influenced quite a bit by him.  John was just recently in Cleveland following John Schubert’s death, and was involved in liquidating Schubert’s lifting equipment.  He plans to set up a display in his gym featuring some of John Schubert’s gym equipment.  So you can tell John is familiar with All Round Weightlifting and has even done several of the All Round Lifts in the past himself!  When I told him the lifts we would be doing, he knew exactly what I was talking about. 

I am very excited and looking forward to this meet.  It will be the first time the USAWA has ever promoted a meet in Las Vegas.  Start making plans now to attend because this is an All-Round meet you will not want to miss out on!

National Championships

by Thom Van Vleck AND Al Myers

USAWA Nationals: 2011 Official Meet Report

Group picture from the 2011 USAWA National Championships.

The 2011 USAWA Nationals held in Kirksville, Missouri and hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club on June 25th is now in the record books. The event was held in the old Willard School Gym. This building is around 75 years old and for many of the older lifters, it was the type of gym they grew up in! It had old, hardwood floors and a stage on one side with baskets at each end. There was a partitioned warm up area at one end with the main platform at center court. The platforms were well constructed with the main one being 12’x12′. We had a nice light system for the judges and a top notch PA system for the announcer (Al Myers). Wayne Smith, honored guest and original JWC member, made the comment that Al was the best announcer he had ever heard and since Wayne has attended many Olympic lifting Nationals, a World Championships (in Columbus, Ohio when Alexeev broke the 500lb C&J barrier) and even a Pan Am Games I thought that said a lot!!!!

The morning session included the Women and the older master lifters. Amber Glasgow won the women’s overall with Susan Sees getting second in her first ever trip to the USAWA Nationals! Helen Kahn was a close second to Susan.

Three guys that must be mentioned in this early morning group includes Mike Murdock, Dean Ross, and Rudy Bletscher.  These guys have had some epic battles going head to head in the past but what sets them apart is the great respect they have for one another and the wonderful encouragement they give each other. Denny Habecker and Dennis Mitchell both traveled a long way to compete and did some fantastic lifting. I know my mother guessed Denny was 20 years younger than his actual age (see….weight training keeps you young!) and Wayne Smith was so inspired by Dennis Mitchell (they are the same age) that he told me he felt like training and competing again.

Now, let’s take a look a the overall top ten men’s lifters as adjusted by age and weight coefficients.

10. Joe Garcia. Joe was handicapped in this meet by the fact that we did not have a “heavy lift”. Joe is one of the greatest “heavy” lifters of all time but that did not stop him from cracking the top ten.

9. Denny Habecker. Denny came a long way to compete and did not disappoint. He also pulled double duty judging and his wife Judy was the scorekeeper all day long.

8. Dave Glasgow. Dave is looking at elbow surgery soon but that did not stop him from having a great day. All while coaching Team Ledaig to the team championships.

7. John O’Brien. John came in at a heavy 290lbs and he had power to spare. He seemed to be strongest on his third attempts. John was the JWC’s top finisher. John made an easy 240lb Cheat Curl that showed his explosiveness.

6. Randy Smith. Randy has been a top finisher for years in the USAWA and did not disappoint. His Continental of 225lbs on the thick bar really impressed several of us.

5. Sammy Ibrahim was the top junior lifter and showed his potential with this top 5 finish in the men’s overall. Sammy broke several records in the process and his explosiveness in the Dumbbell Snatch was a sight to see.

4. Sam Cox, the winner of the first ever USAWA Old time Strongman contest was barely edged out by Chad Ullom who was 3rd. Sam is only 22 years old and will undoubtedly improve and be a force in the future.

3. Chad Ullom. To give you an idea of the caliber of the lifting in this contest, Chad is the CURRENT IAWA World Champion. No, he did not have an off day, it was just that great of a contest. Chad really impressed me with his  Zercher lift of 445 pounds.

2. Eric Todd. Eric usually competes in strongman competitions as a professional. He has been an All American Wrestler in College and is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met. He dumped a Continental to the Chest attempt right across his leg and simply shrugged it off and on the the next lift.

Larry Traub of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club won the Overall Best Mens Lifter in his very first USAWA Nationals appearance.

1. Larry Traub. Larry is a 9 time Master’s National Champ in powerlifting as well has numerous other titles. He lived up to his pedigree by edging out the slimmest victory we’ve seen in some time. Eric missed his last Zercher attempt and had he made it he would have beaten Larry for the overall. Just 5lbs either way! Larry pulled a nice 560lbs Deadlift that in the end won the contest for him.

No meet report would be complete without those who work behind the scenes. I would especially like to thank my wife, Kelly, who helped me with lots of details on this meet. She was solely responsible for the Friday night meal, the lunch on meet day, the beautiful cake at the awards banquet, and making sure the banquet ran smoothly until I got there.

The loaders were JWC members Mitch Ridout and Tedd Van Vleck. I know they really wanted to compete, but took the bullet for the team and helped all day. Scorekeeping was done by Judy Habecker and the announcer was Al Myers. JWC Member Brett Kerby set up or spectacular sound system and made sure we were able to open our ceremony with the National Anthem.

Be sure and check back in the following days. We will have special reports on the USAWA Awards that took place at the awards banquet, the special display honoring past champions at the meet, and some of the “stories within the story” that really made this event special.

MEET RESULTS

RESULTS:

2011  USAWA National Championships
Kirksville, Missouri
June 25th, 2011

Meet Directer: Thom Van Vleck

Lifts:  Snatch – Dumbbell, One Arm, Curl – Cheat, Pullover and Push, Continental to Chest – Fulton Bar, Deadlift – 12″ Base, Zercher Lift

Officials (3 -0fficial system used on all lifts):  Session 1 – Steve Schmidt, Joe Garcia (head judge), Randy Smith; Session 2 – Steve Schmidt, Denny Habecker (head judge), Dennis Mitchell

Announcer:  Al Myers

Scorekeeper:  Judy Habecker

Loaders:  Mitch Ridout, Tedd Van Vleck

Photographer:  Flossy Mitchell

Sound System: Brett Kerby

WOMENS RESULTS

Lifter Age BWT Snat Crl P&P Con DL Zer Total Points
Amber Glasgow 32 142 45-R 75 110 85 240 155 710.0 784.8
Susan Sees 48 197 40-R 90 90 80 210 100 610.0 599.4
Helen Kahn 59 163 25-R 60 55 60 170 95 465.0 562.2

Extra attempts for records:

Amber Glasgow: Deadlift 12″ Base – 255#
Helen Kahn: Continental to chest – 75#
Helen Kahn: Deadlift 12″ Base – 185#
Susan Sees: Continental to Chest – 90#

MENS RESULTS

Lifter Age BWT Snat Crl P&P Con DL Zer Total Points
Larry Traub 57 203 90-R 190 235 195 560 325 1595 1668.7
Eric Todd 36 248 130-R 215 425 340 560 420 2090 1665.1
Chad Ullom 39 250 140-R 215 355 320 550 445 2025 1606.8
Sam Cox 22 215 130-R 185 325 315 505 405 1865 1601.7
Sammy Ibrahim 17 172 105-L 175 300 220 425 345 1570 1563.1
Randy Smith 56 196 90-R 170 225 225 405 300 1415 1495.5
John O’Brien 42 290 140-R 240 250 340 475 365 1810 1375.5
Dave Glasgow 57 248 90-R 175 245 195 440 300 1445 1356.7
Denny Habecker 68 194 70-R 120 235 150 325 231 1131 1327.2
Joe Garcia 57 209 90-R 150 225 200 315 225 1205 1239.9
Dean Ross 68 276 70-R 125 175 125 350 225 1070 1043.2
Mike Murdock 71 230 50-R 120 95 125 275 200 865 945.9
Rudy Bletscher 75 215 45-R 90 100 110 275 150 770 899.3
Dennis Mitchell 79 156 27.5-R 76 80 60 210 185 638.5 881.6
Bob Geib 68 268 50-R 115 115 85 300 225 890 880.2

Extra attempts for record:

Dennis Mitchell: Dumbbell Snatch -27.5# Left
Dennis Mitchell: Cheat Curl – 85#
Denny Habecker: Dumbbell Snatch – 75# Right
Denny Habecker: Pullover & Push – 245#
Bob Geib: Dumbbell Snatch – 60# Left
Bob Geib: Deadlift 12″ Base – 320#
Dean Ross: Zercher – 240#
Sammy Ibrahim: Dumbbell Snatch – 110# Left
Sammy Ibrahim: Deadlift 12″ Base – 440#
Chad Ullom: Dumbbell Snatch – 110# Left
John O’Brien: Dumbbell Snatch – 110# Left

NOTES:  BWT is bodyweight recorded in pounds. All lifts recorded in pounds.  Total is total pounds lifted.  Points are adjusted points amended for age and bodyweight.

BEST LIFTER AWARDS

BEST OVERALL WOMENS LIFTER – Amber Glasgow
BEST OVERALL MENS LIFTER – Larry Traub
BEST MEN JUNIOR LIFTER – Sammy Ibrahim
BEST MEN SENIOR LIFTER – Eric Todd
BEST WOMEN SENIOR LIFTER – Amber Glasgow
BEST WOMEN MASTERS LIFTER – Susan Sees
BEST MEN MASTERS LIFTER – Larry Traub
BEST MEN 40-44 MASTERS LIFTER – John O’Brien
BEST MEN 55-59 MASTERS LIFTER – Larry Traub
BEST MEN 65-69 MASTERS LIFTER – Denny Habecker
BEST MEN 70-74 MASTERS LIFTER – Mike Murdock
BEST MEN 75-79 MASTERS LIFTER – Rudy Bletscher

TEAM AWARD – Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club

USAWA Nationals: UPDATE

 by Thom Van Vleck

Private room at the Dukum Inn. This is where the banquet will happen after Nationals

Just an update on the USAWA Nationals.  I have ordered shirts.  They are POLO type shirts –  so better than your standard meet t-shirt!  They will have a stitched USAWA Nationals 2011 patch on them.  I have also ordered the awards.  These are like none you have ever received and I will be putting up a photo at a later time showing them.  Al Myer’s will be bringing his top notch equipment for the meet supplemented by my own.  If you ever wanted to lift on a set of York Hub plates or Jackson International Barbell plates, we will be using them in the meet!

I have recently confirmed reservations at the Armory and the Dukum Inn.  I recently attended a private party there and I was more than pleased.  The bar in the private room was built in 1938 and was the original bar that used to be downstairs.  There is a stage area opposite the bar that will offer a really nice podium for our awards ceremony.  You can see a big screen behind the bar and during the banquet we will scroll pictures of past and present USAWA meets and legends.  I highly recommend the onion rings at the Dukum….they are the best!

National Championships

by Thom Van Vleck

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT

THE 2011 USAWA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Al Myers doing a 440 pound Zercher lift in the 2003 USAWA Nationals. The Zercher Lift will be part of the 2011 Nationals to honor the Oldtime Missouri Strongman Ed Zercher.

The 2011 USAWA National Championships will be hosted by the Jackson Weightlifting Club in Kirksville, Missouri!  I have a series of articles planned to keep everyone up to date on this meet so check back often.   Here is what we have decided to this point.

Date: June 25th, 2011

Location: Kirksville, Missouri (exact venue to be decided)

Cost: Entry $50  (plus up to date USAWA membership)

Banquet: $25 per couple or $15 per person (Catered by Western’s Meat Market….a local legend for great food)

Awards: Plaques for age group and open winners, medals for all participants, and a special award for the best lifter

Shirts: Shirts will be provided to all entrants (details on design to come….but it will be special).

Travel & Lodging: www.Capeair.com (866 CAPE AIR) has daily flights from St. Louis to Kirksville for $49, so you can get from anywhere in the world right to town!  There are several motels such as the Budget Host, Holiday Inn Express, Knights Inn, Comfort Inn, Super 8, and Days Inn in Kirksville and just south of town is the Depot Inn in Laplata, Missouri which is next to the Amtrak Station that connects from Chicago and Kansas City. There is another Amtrak station just an hour north that connects to Denver and Chicago and points beyond.  

Format: Morning Session and Afternoon Session.  Morning Session will begin at 10:00am.  Afternoon session will follow with a one hour break after the Morning Session is completed.  Morning and Afternoon Sessions will be determined by opening attempts.

Lifts: (performed in this order)

Snatch – Dumbbell, One Arm

Curl – Cheat

Pullover and Push

Continental to Chest – Fulton Bar

Deadlift – 12″ Base

Zercher Lift

I spent a lot of time thinking about these lifts.  I wanted to have at least one Fulton Bar lift and at least one Dumbbell lift.  I wanted to have a pure power lift (12″ Deadlift) and a pressing movement (Pullover and Push).  I wanted to have the Zercher because Ed Zercher is perhaps the best known Old time strongman from Missouri and me being a good ol’ Missouri boy and the fact that my Grandfather-in-law knew and lifted with Ed….well, that was a must!   Oh, and what about the Cheat Curl….well….I just like it!!!!

Start making plans and training now!!!

CLICK HERE FOR AN ENTRY FORM – Nationals2011

1 2 3 4 5