Category Archives: USAWA Daily News

LIFTER OF THE MONTH, MAY 2025 – JESSICA HOPPS

Jessica Hopps has shined during the month of May by winning the 2025 USAWA Heavy Lift Championship with a very impressive 1830 pound total to earn May Lifter of the Month honors. This came on the heels of the March New England Winter Heavy Lift Classic where she won the women’s field with a 2000 pound total.

Jessica has records on the books going back to 2013. She has competed at National Championships and World Championships and is well on her way to the Century Club with 65 records to her name.

Congratulations Jessica!

Lebanon Valley Record Day 2025 – Results

The L.V. Record Day this year had 4 lifters set 19 new records. Although our numbers were small, we all had a great time lifting. New lifter, Jerome Licini came out from Allentown and did 5 excellent lifts. Mike and Jerome’s lift’s were judged by Barry Pensyl and Denny Habecker. Barry’s Lifts were judged by Denny and Jerome[ official in training}. Denny’s lifts were judged by Barry and Jerome.

  • Mike Locondro – 62 – 216 Lbs. – 100 Kg. Class [60-64 ]
    • Dumbbell to Shoulder – 45 Kg. – 99 Lbs.
    • Bent Over Row – 100 Kg. – 220 Lbs.
    • Anderson Squat – 150 Kg.. – 330 Lbs.
    • Peoples Deadlift -172.5 Kg. – 380 Lbs.
  • Jerome Licini – 67 – 252 Lbs. – 115 Kg. Class [65- 69]
    • Thumbless Deadlift 120 K – 264 Lbs.
    • Thumbless Deadlift – Overhand Grip – 80 Kg. – 176 Lbs.
    • Wrist Curl – 50 Kg. – 110 Lbs.
    • Jefferson- Fulton Bar – 75 Kg. – 165 Lbs.
    • Kennedy Lift – 110 Kg. – 242 Lbs.
  • Barry Pensyl – 77 – 127 Lbs. – 60 Kg. Class [ 75 – 79]
    • Bench Press – One Arm – Left – 19.5 Kg. – 43 Lbs.
    • Press from Rack- Behind Neck – 27.5 Kg. – 60 Lbs.
    • Snatch from Hang – 20 Kg. – 44 Lbs.
    • Rectangular Fix – 18.5 Kg. – 40 Lbs.
    • Snatch – Dumbbell – Left Hand – 15.8 Kg. – 35 Lbs.
  • Denny Habecker – 82 – 182 Lbs – 85 Kg. Class [ 80 – 84 ]
    • Bench Press- Alternate Grip -57.5 Kg. – 126 Lbs.
    • Deadlift- Middle Fingers – 61 Kg. – 134 Lbs.
    • Deadlift- Stiff Legged – 101 Kg. – 222 Lbs.
    • Habecker Lift – 80 Kg. – 176 Lbs.
    • Finger Lift- Left Index – 25 Kg. – 55 Lbs.

A Grip Champs Story

by Ben Edwards

The 2025 USAWA Grip Champs contest was held in Lakewood, Colorado this year at Sanjiv Gupta’s High Country Vigour Gym.  I enjoyed the solo drive and made frequent stops to stretch my legs.  It’s always nice seeing the mountains get bigger in my windshield on the way to Denver.  But it stings a bit on the return trip when I watch the mountains get smaller in the rear view mirror.  I spend a lot of time on road trips gripping the steering wheel way too hard.  It’s an unconscious habit, unfortunately.  Then when I get wherever I’m going I always feel like I’ve had a low key grip session, which isn’t super helpful when I’m traveling to a grip contest.  It has become a running joke between me and my wife.  She used to drive me to grip contests to “save my hands,” lol. 

I felt like I kind of “knew” Jarrod Forbes from seeing his name on the contest results write-ups for a few years.  Especially since we are both about the same age and same bodyweight category.  It was nice finally meeting him in person.  He is a super funny and humble strong guy!  We had a good time chatting about martial arts and a mutual friend in Lawrence.  I also enjoyed visiting with his friends who came to watch the contest.  Aaron and Kate.  Not sure of the spellings.  But they were also from Lawrence, so it felt like a small world.  He was definitely stronger in the pinch than I was.  I barely held on to my 3rd attempt by the tips of my fingers.  We technically ended up with the same result in the pinch event.  But he had at least 5lbs more in him that day. 

Sanjiv’s daughter Nisha was very impressive and really made me wish that my daughter Josie had made the drive with me to compete.  Last year Josie said she wanted to compete at the 2025 Grip Champs…  She is 12 years old though.  So a year for her is about equivalent to a decade in grown up time.  There is always next year.  Hope springs eternal.  Nisha had the most impressive lift (IMO) of the meet with a nearly-bodyweight 2” vertical bar pull.  And she did it on the SLICKEST (as in slippery) 2” vbar I’ve ever laid hands on.  If she had pulled on the well-seasoned 2” vbar I have in my garage, I’m 100% confident she would have gone well over her bodyweight. 

Sanjiv was a blast to spend time with!  I enjoyed his and his family’s hospitality over the weekend.  It was a well run contest.  I got a kick out of touring his gym and playing with some of the equipment. 

There was a funny moment on the hack lift when I lost my balance and fell backwards.  Got a video of that and then posted a screenshot of it on Facebook.  Actually made a successful 3rd attempt on the same weight (303lbs) that I wiped out on a few minutes after falling down. 

The 2″ vertical bar is usually my strongest event. No excuses, I only pulled 200lbs a few inches off the ground both hands on two attempts. Pulled 170lbs super high and easy on a test pull before securing it as a successful attempt. Should’ve gone with 190lbs vs. 200lbs. Sanjiv’s 2″ vertical bar is the slickest (slippery) that I have ever lifted on. It was pretty amusing. I pulled 207lbs on my 2″ vbar at home about 10 days before this contest. Big difference in surfaces. 

Ben Edwards

LIFTER OF THE MONTH, APRIL 2025 – JEFF WENZEL

April was an exciting month with meets being held in Colorado and Missouri. Jeff Wenzel earned lifter of the month with some incredible lifts in the Club Championships and winning the Bench Press Heptathlon. His 250-pound Reg Park Bench Press was good for an all-ages record at 110kg.

Jeff has been enthusiastically competing and setting records since 2023 in the 45-year-old age category and since the 50th Birthday Bash in the 50-year-old age category. Jeff is a member of the Century Club and was honored as 2024 Newcomer of the Year.

All-Round weightlifting is a family sport in the Wenzel household. Spencer (17), Logan (10) and Riley (20) quickly in Jeff’s footsteps. They tend to favor the obscure and currently all four athletes hold records in the Anderson Squat, Jackson Press, Roman Chair Sit-up, Pinch Grip Deadlift and Bench Dip.

Congratulations Jeff!

Reminder to vote for awards and fill out the Future of USAWA Survey!

Our Awards Director, Tony Lupo, would like to ask everyone to vote for the 2025 USAWA Awards if you haven’t already. You can find all the information you need here about the awards and how to vote. You just need to send an email, and votes are due by May 31, 2025.

Also, the survey about the future of USAWA is about to close—the deadline was April 30 but I will allow a few more days for any stragglers to submit their responses. Here is more information about the survey, which includes a link to fill it out. It should only take a few minutes of your time. Current, past, and potential future members are all invited to respond.

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