Monthly Archives: June 2012

See everyone in Vegas!

by Al Myers

The weekend is approaching fast for the big event of the year – the USAWA Nationals in Las Vegas!!  I have everything “ready to go” and all plans have been made.  I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there and celebrating the 25 year anniversary of the United States All Round Weightlifting Association. 

See everyone in Vegas!!

Meeting Agenda

by Al Myers

This is the week!!  The USAWA National Championships is now less than a week a way.   Everything has been going “according to schedule” and all plans are in place to have an exciting and fun time in Las Vegas this coming weekend. 

The USAWA National Meeting will be held Friday night at the Silverton.   The plan is for everyone to gather in the lobby at 6 PM.  I will have a meeting room secured by then.  I don’t see the meeting lasting more than 1 hour, as there is not really any “controversial” topics on the agenda.  Immediately after the meeting, we will have the annual USAWA Awards Ceremony.  This will be the HIGHLIGHT of the evening!!!  You will not want to miss the presentation of a BIG AWARD being given to a USAWA lifter who has achieved stardom in the USAWA.

The evening meal Friday night will be “on your own”.  I know several lifters will be trying to make weight, so I don’t want to have any function that might interfere with that.  Weighins will be early on Saturday morning (announced at the meeting), and will be done at the hotel instead of the meet site to allow for time to eat and rehydrate afterwards.  Denny will be in charge of these weighins.

Transportation will be arranged to get lifters from the Silverton to the meet site.  Details of this will be announced Friday night at the meeting.  Also, the group entertainment for Saturday night and Sunday will be discussed following the meeting and orders will be taken for anyone interested in participating. So bring your money to the meeting Friday night!!!  The meet awards will be presented immediately following competition on Saturday.  Hopefully, the meet will keep a good pace so plenty of time will be left to have time to relax and get ready for the evening entertainment (which Chad has spent considerable time arranging for us).

I think that pretty much sums of the plans for this weekend.  I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!!

Business Agenda for the 2012 USAWA Annual National Meeting

  1. Meeting called to order by USAWA President Denny Habecker
  2. Reading of previous meetings minutes by USAWA Secretary Al Myers
  3. Report of financial status by USAWA Treasurer Al Myers
  4. Report from the Officials Director Joe Garcia
  5. Report from the Website Director Al Myers
  6. Report from the Records Director Joe Garcia
  7. Report from the Awards Director Al Myers
  8. Report from the Drug Enforcement Director Chad Ullom
  9. Discussion and vote of new proposed lifts
  10. Discussion and vote on Rulebook Changes
  11. Discussion and vote on By Law Changes
  12. Discussion of other new business brought forth by the membership
  13. Accept bids for the 2013 National Championships
  14. Meeting adjourned

National Records for Lifts at Vegas

by Al Myers

I know everyone has to be wondering what the National Records are for the lifts being contested at this years Nationals.  I sorted them off and included them in this blog (at the bottom).  Four of the five lifts have been contested at several past Nationals, but the Curl – Reverse Grip will be contested for the first time.  This means that the top lift in each weight class will be a NEW National Record in that lift! 

The One Arm Clean & Jerk has been contested at 6 past Championships (2010, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2002, 1994).  The best women’s National Record belongs to Carolyn Goolsby, who at the 2002 Nationals, performed a 1-arm C&J of 66 pounds.  The top men’s lift is held by Matthew Doster, who lifted 166 pounds at the same 2002 Nationals in Ambridge. Close behind is Barry Bryan, who lifted 160 pounds at the 1991 Nationals.

The One Arm Hack has been contested 5 times (2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1994), and is the 13th most represented lift at the National Championships. The best women’s mark belongs to Amorkor Ollennuking, who at the 2001 Nationals lifted 220 pounds!  That is an unbelievable lift!  The best men’s record belongs to Frank Ciavattone – who at the 2002 Nationals in Ambridge lifted 402 pounds with his right arm. That great lift is also the best one arm Hack of ALL TIME in the USAWA.  That’s one reason why Frank is the GRAND BEST LIFTER in the history of the USAWA – he has put up BIG LIFTS in BIG NATIONAL MEETS!

The Pullover and Press has been contested in three past Nationals (2009, 1998, 1996).  The top womens record belongs to Cara Collins, who lifted 77 pounds at the 1998 Championships.  The top men’s mark also is held by Frank Ciavattone, who lifted 336 pounds at the 1996 Nationals in Mansfield.  I’m close behind with 320 pounds at the 2009 Champs, followed by Chad Ullom at 311 pounds.

The Jefferson Lift has been contested 3 times as well (1994, 1993, 1992). As you can see, it has been several years since this lift has been in a Nationals, so it is nice to see the Jefferson Lift (or Straddle as some call it) has made it’s way back to the big stage. The top womens mark belongs to Jacqueline Caron/Simonsen who lifted 342 pounds in the 1993 Nationals, while the top mens record is held by Bob Hirsh, who lifted 634 pounds at the 1994 Nationals in East Lake.  Bob did this huge lifted while lifting in the 75 kilogram class!!! Other top lifts were by Bob Moore (1992) and Frank Ciavattone (1993).

I fully expect to see several National Records to be broken this year.  After all now we have an incentive to do so since these National Records will be available to give everyone something “to shoot for”!

NATIONAL RECORDS FOR THE 2012 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 

RECORD LIST – 2012 NAT

The GRAND BEST LIFTERS

by Al Myers

As promised the other day, I am going to announce the GRAND BEST LIFTERS (for both men and women) in the 25 year history of the USAWA.  This award is going to the lifters that currently have the most National Records (records set only at the National Championships).  To do this requires a lifter not only to be a GREAT LIFTER, but also has shown the committment to have competed in several championships, thus showing longterm support to the USAWA.  Just winning the OVERALL BEST LIFTER at a couple of championships won’t be enough.  Now the drumroll please…..

MEN’S GRAND BEST LIFTER – FRANK CIAVATTONE

WOMEN’S GRAND BEST LIFTER – NOI PHUMCHAONA

Frank has a total of 45 Nationals Records and Noi has a total of 53 National Records.  Those are amazing accomplishments!!  Both of these lifters are well-deserving of this title, the BEST of the BEST, as there are several other “worthy” lifters in the running.  With the men I’m thinking of guys like Bob Hirsh, Chris Waterman, John McKean, John Monk, Ed Schock, Bill Spayd, and others.  For the women, I’m thinking of Jacqueline Caron/Simonsen, Amorkor Ollennuking, Cara Collins, and others.

The National Record List contains 902 records covering 57 lifts (including single arm lifts) that have been contested in the National Championships.

WOMEN NATIONAL RECORD LIST
(for lifters that have 10 records or more)

RANK LIFTER RECORDS
1 Noi Phumchaona 53
2 Cara Collins 19
3 Jacqueline Simonsen 15
4 Amorkor Ollennuking 13
5 Jeanne Burchett 11
6 Kerry Clark 10
7 Cindy Garcia 10

MEN NATIONAL RECORD LIST
(for lifters that have 10 records or more)

RANK LIFTER RECORDS
1 Frank Ciavattone 45
2 Al Myers 30
3 Bob Hirsh 27
4 John Monk 26
5 Chris Waterman 23
6 Denny Habecker 21
7 (tie) Randy Smith 19
  John McKean 19
9 Jim Malloy 18
10 (tie) Joe Ciavattone 17
  Chad Ullom 17
12 (tie) Joe Garcia 14
  Bob Geib 14
14 (tie) Dennis Mitchell 13
  Bill Spayd 13
  Art Montini 13
17 John Vernacchio 12
18 Dale Friesz 11
19 Ed Schock 10

Osteoblasters Weightlifting Club

by Thom Van Vleck

The Osteoblasters Logo.

I work at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri (and we have a sister campus in Mesa, Arizona).  The University centers on several programs that are all healthcare related.  The “granddaddy” of them all is the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine which was founded in 1892 and produces some of the finest Doctors in the world!  I am the Director of Counseling and I really enjoy my work helping these students who will in turn help so many in their career.

For years, I have wanted to start a weightlifting type club.  We have a fine fitness center (Thompson Campus Center) run by Dan Martin who is very supportive of weightlifting and fitness in general.  Since I have worked here, I have had many students involved in the Jackson Weightlifting Club, my Scottish Highland Games, and in a few of the USAWA meets as well (last year Joe Costello, an ATSU graduate, competed in the Old Time Strongman Nationals).  Recently, I finally found a couple of motivated students who helped me get this done.   Their names are Mike McIntyre and Jared Nichols.  Out of that, the Osteoblasters Weightlifting Club was born.  The sports teams of the past at ATSU had a skull and crossbones as their logo and an “O” as their “letter”.  So I created a logo that had crossed barbells with a skull surrounded by an “O” as a tribute to the school’s past.  The world Osteoblaster comes from the name of a cell that helps break down bone to rebuild it stronger after stress (such as exercise).  That cell is called an “Osteoblast” (I can’t make that up!).  Plus, KCOM is an Osteopathic school so it just seemed right.

I had hoped we might get 10 or so to join the club. Imagine my surprise when over 50 joined!   We had a wide range of students from many different athletic backgrounds.  Some had been outstanding college athletes, some just weekend warriors, but they all had the common thread of using weightlifting to reach their goals and wanted something more than a weight room full of machines, benches, and squat racks.  They wanted to be able to do Olympic style lifting and training, strongman training, and more dynamic type stuff than is typically allowed in the average gym.  So, we got Dan Martin of the TCC to buy us some bumpers and other equipment and we utilize the basketball gym area by pulling out large rubber mats for platforms.  We started 4 sessions a week and this fall we will move to 6 a week!  We will go out back of the TCC and lift off the parking lot, throw Highland Games weights, toss kettlebells around, pull sleds, you name it and we’ve probably done it.  Today’s youth want to lift, but they don’t want to be boxed into powerlifting, weightlifting type meets.  They want variety, and I’m hoping the USAWA will give them some variety.

My hope is that the OWC will help the JWC when it comes to the meets that I do.  The JWC is hosting the Old Time Strong man Championships again this fall and I’m hoping that students will volunteer to help as well as compete! I am also hoping to sanction a meet for the OWC this fall!  This could be a beautiful relationship!     Plus, I can help these guys lift and train….and I”m “on the clock”!   Can’t beat that!

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