We are at the end of the individual awards and by no means the least. The 2026 USAWA Newcomer of the year (Men) is Isaac Bankens, from Iron Sharpens Iron Weightlifting Club in Lake Charles, LA. Isaac is the latest in a string of young people winning this award. And it’s great to see young people joining our sport! Isaac was voted Lifter of the Month in February. He is a relatively quiet individual who does very well in school (way to go!), and when he’s not studying, he’s competing in all-around lifting and in grip sport! Isaac finished first in the junior men’s division of the 2026 Bayou Beast Bash. He’s a great sport as well as he puts up some big numbers but does not make a show of it. There’s even a great video of him doing a 435-pound Dinnie lift on his dad’s Facebook page, none other than Jeff “T-Rex” Bankens. Isaac is a chip off the old block, and in the coming years will give dad a run for his money! But, like his dad, he’s a fun guy to be around. Congratulations Isaac Bankens, the 2026 USAWA Newcomer of the year!
This year’s winner of the USAWA Courage Award (women) is Lisa Gore. Lisa joined Clark’s Gym about two years ago and has been wreaking havoc on the USAWA’s record book ever since then. With 363 age / weight or all records, she now ranks #1 all time. In fact there are many events where she has the heaviest lift ever among the women. When Lisa was growing up, she worked on her dad’s pig farm. She’s served in the Army Reserve Nurse Corps, retiring as Major. She had a prior career teaching posing and competing in Figure Competitions and lifted weights since her mid 20’s, was obsessed with the strong female physique, then and lifted in the gym before it was fashionable for women. Always made fun of by friends for being naturally strong, but it was also beginning 2020 when she was diagnosed with a herniated disc, leg weakness and severe pain. She was told surgery or stem cells would be the treatment. Luckily she was last patient to get stem cells from a doctor in Las Vegas during Covid and began a long rehab with physical therapy, spinal alignment, and allowing the stem cells to work. Covid ended up being a blessing with less of a patient load, she worked through healing times. She thought she would never be able to return to heavy weights, scared to push her limits.
In April 2024 Allison and Tony Lupo introduced her to the USAWA in and she became addicted to our brand of all-around lifting. She’s been a valued member of Clark’s gym and brings fun and inspiration to our group. Lifting has helped her recover and brought her back to lifting the ‘Popeye Weights’ at Clark’s Gym (see picture below). Lisa has also struggled with some other health issues with Meniere’s which affects balance in the inner ear, and is affected by intracranial pressure that could be serious enough that if she’s not careful, she won’t be able to compete again.
Like everyone in our sport, hearing from your doctor that you should or can no longer compete whether it’s for two months or ever again hits us hard. Late last year and early this year, she was told she needed to take a break, with a bought of Vertigo that she hadn’t had for 10 years. There was no real time frame given for her to return. Passing balance training at MU, she slowly started making her way back into the gym early this summer with some light lifting. Her doctor made her lose weight and was still freaking out over the amount of weight she lifts. Lisa tried worked within her doctor’s recommendations and by the end of August has made it back to her old form. She still needs to be careful with her health (depending on the lift) – but she’s dealing with it with a smile and good humor. Lisa believes in tenacity and fortitude and personal excellence, never giving up. In her day job, she works at the MU hospital as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, has her DNAP, runs her own Medspa business, and is active in local politics. Congratulations to this years Courage Award Winner (Women) Dr. Lisa Gore!
It was a fun weekend at Clark’s Gym when Bill enjoyed a lifting doubleheader – a meet to celebrate his 94th birthday anniversary – and chance to say “thank you” to the members of Clark’s Gym who have survived 14 meets in the gym this past 12 months, along with the Show-Me State Games power meet for the 37th straight year – and the gym’s handling of the third USAWA national meet in the past four years.
The dinner was for the 20 gym members who have made it all happen, year after year, and now have had to survive a doubling of the gym rental to go along with all the lifting and the associated duties that go along with 14 meets in a year’s time. The gym would have closed had it not been for the actions of the members, Bill is quick to say.
It was also a time for Bill to establish an age group record. Only he has recorded an entry in the record list past the age of 90. He finished 18th among the 25 male lifters.
He also enjoyed the opportunity to lift in the same meet with Tony Cook of England. He and Cook co-founded the IAWA beginning in 1982 and finalized the details of the organization in December, 1986. Tony was joined by five British lifters who are listed in the results here with a note that they did not figure in the awards for the USAWA-sanctioned part of the competition – along with others from the community who Bill invited to join in the lifting just for the hell of it. Cook won the duel between the co-founders. He just turned 90 and finished 13th here.
A great time was had by all.
And it has been a long time since a meet drew 33 lifters that was not the USAWA postal.
Bill has sanctioned his 95th birthday bash for August 18, 2027, a date that will find him in a new age bracket – 95-99.
There are powerful figures in the comics and movies, like Superman, Hulk, etc.. But, when I think of real-life powerful human beings, I think of Frank Ciavattone – this year’s USAWA Courage Award Winner. First, friend him on Facebook, you’ll see some amazing pictures of his physical power over the years. One of my favorites (below – from 1993) is Frank looking like he’s going to sink a 253 pound marble stone for a lay-up. Google his name, and you will find details for amazing feats of strength. For example, he is the first American to lift the Dinnie Stones and was inducted into Massachusetts Hall of Fame for wrestling. He is also in the USAWA Hall of Fame and now ranks 3rd all-time with more than 450 records. Frank may be known for his physical toughness, but you will find he is a person who displays toughness of character and spirit. This year has been particularly difficult for him – in a way that would knock down most people. In the past, he battled and survived some serious health issues. Through it all he maintains a kind and positive demeanor. This is another and more important reason to friend him as he is always posting words of wisdom, strength, and inspiration. He is loved by his family and friends. By day, Frank has his own business as a heavy equipment operator. He wrote a book about the difficulty of keeping Boston operating and then opening it up after the Blizzard of 1978. He founded and leads Frank’s Barbell Club in Walpole, MA – which is a group that is more like a family. But, even more important to him, you will find words like kindness, character, and generosity used to describe his personality. He is a true gentleman. Congratulations to one of the living legends in the USAWA as the 2026 Courage Award Winner!
This year’s version featured three different lifts or variations of a lift from last year’s roster. As was the case last year, the idea was to choose lifts that are challenging, yet something most folks can perform. Also, we wanted lifts that typically don’t exceed 100 lbs. Five lifters hit that mark on the Jefferson Deadlift with Little Fingers, and three on the Ziegler lift, two on the Finger Lift Thumb, and one each on Side Press Dumbbell, Lateral Raise Lying, and Crucifix. That’s only 13 of the 160 lifts. Lifters who hit 100 lbs were Jeff Wenzel (4), Riley Wenzel, Dan Jones, and Frank Ciavattone (2), Toby Ortega, Nils Larson, and Tony Lupo (1). For Women, the equivalent mark would be 75 lb and Lisa Gore hit that mark in the Jefferson Lift. I have notes below for each lifter as to where you place overall, in your age category, in your weight category, for raw weight moved, and how many events each Women’s lifter finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd after Lynch and Age adjustment. For the Men’s, I noted 1st through 5th for each event.
In spite of temperatures near 90 F and dewpoints from 75 – 80 F in Columbia of course, the turnout was fantastic. We had 16 lifters from five gyms compete. Two people emerged as the champions of a challenging two days – on the women’s side, Lisa Gore from Clark’s Gym was the repeat champion. On the men’s side, Jeff Wenzel (Clark’s Gym) knocked on the door last year. This year he kicked it in to win the Men’s title. On the Women’s side RJ Jackson and Jessica Hopps finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, while on the Men’s side, Riley Wenzel and Toby Ortega finished 2nd and 3rd place.
Some interesting notes: Lisa Gore would place 3rd of all 16 lifters when a gender adjustment was applied. Also, while the father and son team of Jeff and Riley Wenzel finished at the top, they also became the first M/M team to do the Anderson Press at 305 lb. Lifters who set records in every event were Lisa Gore (10), RJ Jackson (6), Toby Ortega (10), and Nils Larson (10).
Some lifters who did the event last year saw some vast improvements due to more equipment and better health. Jarrod Fobes and Jerome Licini were up by 36% and 32%! Other lifters were up too. Lisa Gore was up 23%, Riley Wenzel 13%, Allison Lupo 8%. Toby Ortega and Jeff Wenzel were slightly up.
Thank you to all who participated. The response was great. The weights may have been light, but there was a ton of fun and camaraderie. The results below showed that there was a lot of good lifting that took place from good lifters – including six male and female lifters who are top 10 on the Individual Records list. As we look down the road for the future, we will swap in some different lifts and take out a few to keep the list fresh. Additionally, we’ll look for a date that is further away from other meets, possibly during a cooler month.
Any suggestions for next year’s event will be welcome.
*USAWA Age/Weight Record, **USAWA ALL Record. NE = No equipment
WOMENS DIVISION
NAME
Age
Age Category
Weight lbs / (kg)
Weight (Class)
LynchFactor
AgeConcern
Lisa Gore
60
60
217.0 / 98.6
100
0.8536
1.21
RJ Jackson
64
60
102.0 / 46.4
50
1.4329
1.25
Jessica Hopps
42
40
158.0 / 71.8
75
1.0280
1.03
Kim Van Wagner
59
55
128.6 / 58.5
60
1.1842
1.20
Allison Lupo
60
60
200.0 / 90.9
95
0.8926
1.21
Crystal Diggs
39
ALL
176.0 / 80.0
80
0.9612
1.00
NAME
Side Press (H)
Jefferson Deadlift Little Fingers
Lateral Raise Lying
Thor’s Hammer
Pinch Grip Strict (H)
Lisa Gore
45R**
80**
44**
26**
41R**
RJ Jackson
35R*
45**
30*
NE
38R**
Jessica Hopps
30L**
55**
20
24.5**
42R**
Kim Van Wagner
30R**
26**
20
18
26R
Allison Lupo
27R**
32**
20t
16*
29R*
Crystal Diggs
30R**
61**
20
NE
31R**
NAME
Crucifix
Zeigler Clean and Jerk
Finger Lift Thumb
Rectangular Fix Fulton
Weaver Stick Forward
Lisa Gore
60**
71**
36R**
60**
3.0**
RJ Jackson
30*
0
33R**
NE
NE
Jessica Hopps
30t
45*
46L**
42**
3.25**
Kim Van Wagner
20
26**
38R**
35**
0.5*
Allison Lupo
20**
40**
26R**
30**
1.75**
Crystal Diggs
30
53**
23R**
NE
NE
NAME
Total Weight
Lynch Factor(Weight)
Age Concern
Rank
Lisa Gore
466.0
397.78
481.31
1
RJ Jackson
211.0
302.34
377.93
2
Jessica Hopps
337.8
347.21
357.62
3
Kim Van Wagner
239.5
283.62
340.34
4
Allison Lupo
241.8
215.79
261.10
5
Crystal Diggs
248.0
238.38
238.38
6
MENS DIVISION
NAME
Age
Age Category
Weight lbs / (kg)
Weight (Class)
LynchFactor
AgeConcern
Jeff Wenzel
51
50
232.0 / 105.5
110
0.8235
1.11
Riley Wenzel
21
ALL
150.0 / 68.2
70
1.0262
1.00
Toby Ortega
46
45
158.5 / 72.0
75
1.0262
1.07
Dan Jones
42
40
200.0 / 90.9
95
0.8926
1.03
Wade Marchand
57
55
163.0 / 74.1
75
1.0076
1.18
Frank Ciavattone
71
70
263.0 / 119.5
120
0.7733
1.38
Nils Larson
67
65
239.0 / 108.6
110
0.8112
1.30
Tony Lupo
60
60
244.5 / 111.1
115
0.8018
1.21
Jarrod Fobes
49
45
211.5 / 96.1
100
0.8655
1.10
Jermone Licini
67
65
230.3 / 104.7
105
0.8268
1.30
NAME
Side Press (H)
Jefferson Deadlift Little Fingers
Lateral Raise Lying
Thor’s Hammer
Pinch Grip Strict (H)
Jeff Wenzel
97R**
115
124
41
71R
Riley Wenzel
60Rt
105
70
41t
31R
Toby Ortega
65L**
105**
84*
41*
51L*
Dan Jones
60R
110**
70
44.5
55L**
Wade Marchand
40R*
77*
30*
26.5*
47L*
Frank Ciavattone
30R*
110*
50*
22*
50L**
Nils Larson
60R*
55*
70*
22*
50L*
Tony Lupo
101L**
70*
44
39
61R**
Jarrod Fobes
80R**
45
40
28*
58R
Jerome Licini
35R*
55**
16*
21.2*
33.7R*
NAME
Crucifix
Zeigler Clean and Jerk
Finger Lift Thumb
Rectangular Fix Fulton
Weaver Stick Forward
Jeff Wenzel
120*
121*
59R*
85*
5.0
Riley Wenzel
80
111**
42R**
70**
3.0
Toby Ortega
80*
55*
34R*
65*
3.0*
Dan Jones
70*
135**
71.5R**
68**
5.75**
Wade Marchand
70*
85**
71.5R*
85*
4.5
Frank Ciavattone
40
55*
132L**
85*
6.0t
Nils Larson
60*
70*
101R**
73*
4.75*
Tony Lupo
24
71*
51R*
60*
4.0*
Jarrod Fobes
45
45
78R**
45*
2.5
Jerome Licini
16
45*
37R*
55*
3.0*
NAME
Total Weight
Lynch Factor (Weight)
Age Concern
Rank
Jeff Wenzel
838.0
685.74
768.02
1
Riley Wenzel
613.0
651.74
651.74
2
Toby Ortega
583.0
598.27
640.15
3
Dan Jones
689.8
615.67
634.14
4
Wade Marchand
521.5
525.46
620.05
5
Frank Ciavattone
580.0
448.34
618.71
6
Nils Larson
565.8
458.94
596.62
7
Tony Lupo
525.0
420.95
509.34
8
Jarrod Fobes
466.5
403.76
444.13
9
Jerome Licini
317.0
262.10
340.72
10
Women’s Overall Champion: Lisa Gore
Crystal Diggs, 6th overall, 1st ALL, 1st 80 kg, 3rd Raw Weight, Events: 2nd (Zeigler Clean), 3rd (Jefferson DL), 4th (1). Records: 5 ALL (of 7 events).
