Tag Archives: Team Championships

Team Championships

by Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2016 USAWA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

The date for the USAWA Team Championships has been set – September 3rd.  I started promoting the Team Championships in 2007, which features “team lifting”, a combination of 2 lifters on a bar lifting the weight together. This makes for a very exciting event as the 2 lifters must be in coordination with each other to make a successful lift!

MEET DETAILS:

Meet Director: Al Myers

Meet Date: Saturday, September 3rd, 2016

Meet Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Dino Gym, 1126 Eden Road, Abilene, KS 67410

Sanction: USAWA Membership required

Weigh-Ins: Noon the day of the meet

Divisions: 2-Man, 2-Person (man & woman), and 2-Women

Entry Fee: None

Lifts:

Hackenschmidt Floor Press

Deadlift – Fulton Bar, One Arm

Deadlift – Stiff Legged

Registration:  There is no entry form or entry deadline, but please let me know ahead of time if you plan to attend so I can make the proper preparations. I can be reached at amyers@usawa.com

Team Champs History

by Al Myers

8 time USAWA Team Champions Chad Ullom and Al Myers performing a 430 pound Heels Together Clean and Press in the first USAWA Team Championships in 2007.

8 time USAWA Team Champions Chad Ullom and Al Myers performing a 430 pound Heels Together Clean and Press in the first USAWA Team Championships in 2007.

It is my goal this year to create a historical summary of all our Championship Events, which will be always easily available to view in our historical archive page section on the website.   I plan to do this around the time of each Championships.  Since the Team Championships is already “done and gone” it is time I get this one summarized!  I have promoted and hosted all of the USAWA Team Championships at the Dino Gym, with the first year being in 2007.  Hard to believe – but next year will be our 10th year for this annual Championship event.

The USAWA Team Championships started out as a very small competition.  Only ONE TEAM showed up the first year, and that was only because I talked Chad into being my teammate. Well, the next year didn’t get much better when Chad told me he couldn’t make it so I talked Joe Garcia into being my teammate.  Again, it was just one team.  Joe commented to Bill (which was published in the Strength Journal) that “it was really cozy laying so close to Al” during the Team Pullover and Press.  I would think the enjoyment of that experience would have motivated Joe to return to the Team Championships – but I haven’t seen him at this meet since!  It was at that time that I think Bill probably thought I should have “put a fork” into this Team Championships idea and kill it off – and I was having my doubts as well – but I forged on for another year.

In 2009, the Team Championships started to pick up momentum! Participation DOUBLED with 2 teams in attendance. Thanks to the JWC Graybeards for showing up it finally made for a real competition – a ONE ON ONE DUEL. Thom and John vowed a rematch with Chad and me – but again they have not been seen at the Team Championships since.

2010 brought another increase in attendance!  For the first time there was a 70 age plus team competing (Rudy Bletscher and Mike Murdock).  This comp also marked the first time a Team Trap Bar Deadlift was done – which I made specifically for this event. 2012 was a memorable year because it was the first time a Mixed Pair (man and woman) team entered with Doug and Jera Kressly.  At this event the participation was up to 4 teams.  2013 was even better with all 3 divisions represented.  Ruth Jackson and Molly Myers entered the first ever 2-Women Team that year.  The BEST YEAR for attendance was THIS YEAR, 2015, with 6 teams entered.  There were 3 2-Man Teams and 3 Mixed Pair Teams.  This made for a great competitive event.

It has taken about 10 years – but finally I feel this is one of the best attended events in the USAWA.  I’m glad I didn’t “throw in the towel” back in 2008!

 

SUMMARY OF USAWA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

BEST OVERALL LIFTER TEAM AWARDS

 YEAR & DATE 2-MAN 2-WOMEN MIXED PAIR
2015-August 30th

Al Myers & Chad Ullom

>60: LaVerne Myers & Dean Ross

 none Jera & Doug Kressly
2014-August 24th

Al Myers & Chad Ullom

>60: Laverne Myers & Dean Ross

 none none
2013-August 17th

Al Myers & Chad Ullom

>60: Denny Habecker & Art Montini

 Ruth Jackson & Molly Myers Jera Kressly & Logan Kressly
2012-August 11th

Al Myers & Chad Ullom

>60: LaVerne Myers & Dean Ross

 none Jera & Doug Kressly
2011-August 27th

Al Myers & Chad Ullom

>60: Mike Murdock & Rudy Bletscher

 none none
2010-August 10th

Al Myers & Chad Ullom

>60: Mike Murdock & Rudy Bletscher

 none none
2009-September 20th Al Myers & Chad Ullom none none
2008-September 20th Al Myers & Joe Garcia none none
2007-September 8th Al Myers & Chad Ullom none none

*This table will be maintained and updated in the History Section page on the website.

Team Championships

by Al Myers

 

Group picture from the 2015 USAWA Team Championships.

Group picture from the 2015 USAWA Team Championships.

The USAWA weekend of the “Kansas Double Header” concluded Sunday at the Dino Gym with the USAWA Team Championships.  Many of the lifters that competed were at Rainbow Bend the day before for the Club Championships.  This made for a very fun and exciting weekend with the opportunity for lifters to compete in TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS over the course of one weekend!

I was very excited to see 6 teams entered this year – the most there has ever been in the Team Championships.  Of these 6 teams 3 were Mixed Pair teams, consisting a man and woman lifting together.  Doug and Jera took the overall victory with great lifting in all the lifts. The effort they gave on the last lift (Continental to Belt) earned them the “effort award” in my book.  I’m sure those in attendance would agree!  It was a joy to see Mary Mac and her lifters show up right at the last minute (as the rules meeting was just starting!).  Mary and her Heartland club are back busy with the USAWA again, and I’m so glad to see it.  They bring enthusiam to every competition! Plus our Prez Denny was without a lifting partner as well as Mary so they teamed up.  For never lifting before together in team lifting they did outstanding.

Two Junior lifters (Draven Kressly and Austin Brewer) made quite a good showing for their first try at team lifting.  These two young men have outstanding lifting talent, and performed these difficult team lifts very well.  LaVerne and Dean again “joined forces” in the Team Champs and put up great lifts.  I know both of these guys had to be a little sore from lifting the day before at the Club Champs, but they gave it their all and finished the meet as strong as they started.

I want to thank everyone who participated in these USAWA weekend events – as this will be one of the highlight weekends of the year in the USAWA.

MEET RESULTS:

2015 USAWA Team Championships
Dino Gym
Abilene, KS
August 30th, 2015

Meet Director: Al Myers

Officials (1-official system used): Al Myers, Denny Habecker, Chad Ullom

Scorekeeper: Al Myers

Lifts: Curl-Cheat, Clean and Press-Fulton Bar, Deadlift-Ciavattone Grip, Continental to Belt

MIXED PAIR

 Team AGE BWT Curl C&P DL-CG Con Total Points

Jera Kressly

Doug Kressly

30

35

220

249

105

(115)

 130 295

230

(250)

 760 604.1

Tressa Brooner

Christian Schimpf

54

16

130

153

 75 75

160

(175)

 120 430 452.4

Mary McConnaughey

Denny Habecker

55

72

301

191

 85

65

(75)

190

(210)

 160 500 420.3

2-MAN

 Team  AGE  BWT Curl C&P  DL-CG  Con  Total Points

Al Myers

Chad Ullom

49

43

229

252

  155  130  375 250  910 747.7

Draven Kressly

Austin Brewer

14

15

137

131

 90

(100)

 75

(85)

  230

 140

(150)

  535  697.6

LaVerne Myers

Dean Ross

71

72

238

255

  105  80  250  175 610 632.5

NOTES:  Age is age in years. BWT is bodyweight in pounds. All lifts recorded in kilograms. Total is total kilograms lifted. Points are adjusted points corrected for age and bodyweight. Successful extra record attempts in parenthesis.

RECORD DAY ATTEMPTS:

Christian Schimpf: Bear Hug 200#
Austin Brewer: Bench Press – Feet in Air 150#
Draven Kressly: Bench Press – Feet in Air 150#

 

Team Championships

by Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2015 USAWA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

The date for the USAWA Team Championships has been set – Sunday, August 30th.  I started promoting the Team Championships in 2007, which features “team lifting”, a combination of 2 lifters on a bar lifting the weight together. This makes for a very exciting event as the 2 lifters must be in coordination with each other to make a successful lift!

MEET DETAILS:

Meet Director: Al Myers

Meet Date: Sunday, August 30th, 2015

Meet Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: Dino Gym, 1126 Eden Road, Abilene, KS 67410

Sanction: USAWA Membership required

Weigh-Ins: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM the day of the meet

Divisions: 2-Man, 2-Person (man & woman), and 2-Women

Entry Fee: None

Lifts:

Curl – Cheat

Clean & Press – Fulton Bar

Deadlift – Ciavattone Grip

Continental to Belt

Registration:  There is no entry form or entry deadline, but please let me know ahead of time if you plan to attend so I can make the proper preparations. I can be reached at amyers@usawa.com

Team Championships

by Al Myers

2014 USAWA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Group picture from the 2014 USAWA Team Championships (left to right): LaVerne Myers, Al Myers, Chad Ullom, and Dean Ross.

I started promoting the USAWA Team Championships in 2007, so this year makes it the 8th year! I remember thinking this would become a popular meet amongst the lifters because it gave a different element to lifting than other meets -that being you lifted “on the bar” with a team mate! Well, in these 8 years it has not seemed to grow as I imagined back then, but none the less, always gives an entertaining day of lifting.  This year Chad and I again competed to “defend our title” from last year, and were challenged by the Dino Gym elders LaVerne Myers and Dean Ross.  These two team up well in size and lifting ability, plus have “been around the block a time or two” so they know how to play dirty.  I knew they would give us a good fight.  That was true.  Dean employed various means of chemical warfare against us, while LaVerne used mental persuasion to get us to swap out a lift for another to give them a competitive advantage.  When Chad and I was still dizzy from the nerve gas that Dean imposed upon us, we agreed to this request of LaVerne’s without contention.  Their teamwork was in full force before the meet even started!

So the Clean and Jerk with the Fulton Bar AND the Jefferson Lift was replaced by the Deadlift with the Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip.  And as it turned out – the meet came down to this last lift.  LaVerne and Dean pulled together an outstanding lift of 551 pounds!  I knew with their added age allowance this was going to make us really push ourselves.   But thankfully, my partner didn’t let me down and Chad and I pulled a PR of 672# for the win and a new Dino Gym Record (breaking our previous record of 640#).

This may have been a small meet, but we had a lot of fun in the gym today.  The meet even got over quick so the meet report/results is being posted on the same day as the meet.  That might be a first!

MEET RESULTS:

2014 USAWA Team Championships
Dino Gym, Abilene, Kansas
August 24th, 2014

Meet Director: Al Myers

Officials (1 official system used): Al Myers, Chad Ullom, LaVerne Myers

Lifts: Clean and Jerk – One Arm, Curl – Cheat, Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip

Lifters:

Dino Gym 1
Dean Ross – 71 years old, 267 pounds
LaVerne Myers – 71 years old, 247 pounds

Dino Gym 2
Al Myers – 48 years old, 236 pounds
Chad Ullom – 42 years old, 253 pounds

TEAM C&J-1 Curl DL-FB,CG TOTAL POINTS
Dino Gym 2 105 165 305 575 467.1
Dino Gym 1 40 105 250 395 400.2

NOTES:  All lifts recorded in kilograms.  TOTAL is total kilograms lifted.  Points are adjusted points for age and bodyweight corrections.

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