Franks Barbell Club hosted ins annual New Years Eve Record Breaker event again this year; this year opening up to remote entries. 2025 brought in an amazing 15 lifters from Massachusetts, Colorado, and Missouri. It’s great to see so many joining in the festivities and ringing in the new year by clanging some heavy weights!
Massachusetts Officials: Frank Ciavattone, Wade Marchand, Nils Larson, Jessica Hopps (in training) Dan Jones (in training)
Jessica Hopps, 159lbs, 75K- 41 Years old Little Finger Lift- Left- 39.5 lbs Ring Finger Lift- Left- 67 lbs Middle Finger Lift- Left- 77 lbs Index Finger Lift- Left- 64.5 lbs Index Finger Lift- Right- 67 lbs
Dan Jones, 186 lbs, 85K- 41 years old Hand and Thing Lift- 1050 lbs Hacklift- ring fingers- 97lbs Straddle Lift- little fingers- 77lbs Straddle Lift- Middle Fingers- 215 lbs Straddle Lift- Ring Fingers- 158 lbs
Nils Larson, 238lbs, 110k, 66 years old Middle finger lift RIGHT- 212 lbs Middle finger lift LEFT- 201.5 lbs Bench press Alternate grip- 206 lbs Bench press- feet in the air- 220 lbs Bench press one arm LEFT- 40lbs
Frank Ciavattone, 270 lbs, 125K, 70 years old 2 hand vertical bar, 2”- 341 lbs 2 hands vertical bar, 1”- 341 lbs Civattone Deadlift, LEFT-208 lbs Thumbless Deadlift, LEFT- 187 lbs Thumbless Deadlift, RIGHT-187 lbs
Clarks Gym Officials: Lisa Gore, Bill Clark, Jeff Wenzel, Dave DeForest, Tony Lupo
JANET THOMPSON, 164.5lbs, 75K, 68 years old Deadlift – Fulton Bar – 160. Deadlift – Fulton Bar – left – 86. Side press left – 15. Side press -right – 15.
LISA GORE, 219 lbs, 100K, 60 years old Jefferson lift – Fulton Bar – 225. Deadlift- Fulton Bar – 277. Deadlift – Index fingers – 95. Deadlift – Middle fingers – 95. Deadlift – ring fingers – 95.
TONY LUPO, 244lbs, 115K, 59 years old Clean and press -heels together – 140. Clean and press seated – behind neck – 110. Dumbbell press – right – 62. Dumbbell press – left – 90. Clean and Jerk – left – 90.
DAVE DeFOREST, 184lbs, 85K, 65 years old Snatch – two dumbbells – 2×45 – 90. Swing – two dumbbells – 2×45 – 90 Seated press from rack – 95. Press – dumbbell – right – 55. Deadlift – Inch Bar – two bars – 2×85 – 170.
JEFF WENZEL, 230 lbs, 105K 50 years old Side press – left – 75. Side press – right – 75. Press from rack – seated – behind neck – 140. Snatch – two dumbbells – 2×65 – 130. Dumbbell deadlift – right – 255.
LOGAN WENZEL, 77lbs, 35K, 11 years old Swing – left – 15. Vertical bar deadlift – one bar – 2 inch – 56. Side press -left – 10. Side press – right – 10. Deadlift – left – 50.
Colorado Officials – Jarrod Fobes, Sanjiv Gupta, Nisha Gupta, Kim Van Wagner (in training)
Sanjiv Gupta, 205.9 pounds (95KG class) – 54 years old Deadlift, 3″ Bar – 305 pounds Dumbbell Walk – 83 pounds Pinch Grip Deadlift, One Hand, Left – 45 pounds Pinch Grip Deadlift, One Hand, Right – 45 pounds Side Press, Dumbbell, Left – 50 pounds
Diya Gupta, 112.5 pounds (55KG class) – 18 years old Vertical Bar Deadlift, 1 Bar, 1″, Right – 101 pounds Vertical Bar Deadlift, 1 Bar, 1″, Left – 96 pounds Vertical Bar Deadlift, 1 Bar, 2″ Right – 90 pounds Vertical Bar Deadlift, 1 Bar, 2″ Left – 90 pounds
Jarrod Fobes , 220.4lbs (100kg class) 48 years old Deadlift, 3in bar: 355lbs Pull up: 40lbs Bearhug: 230lbs Cheat curl, dumbbell, right: 92lbs Deadlift, Fulton bar: 365lbs
Kim Van Wagner, 128.8lbs (60kg class), 58 years old Crucifix: 30lbs Bearhug: 130 lbs Clean and Press, Heels together: 62.5 lbs Clean and Press on knees: 65 lbs Clean and Jerk, behind neck: 65lbs
The Colorado venue of the Team Championship was a rollercoaster of testing the lifts with ad hoc teams, rearranging the teams, warming up and finally beginning competition.
With the Clean & Press being the first lift, Kim and I quickly realized that our height difference would not allow anything more than a token lift. Diya decided to do double duty and joined up with both Nisha and Kim to allow everybody to compete. Jarrod, who had just recovered from an injury, was willing to lift with me.
As none of us had much experience with team lifts, the warmups were crucial as each team seemed to have a faster puller and a slower puller. All the teams eventually figured out a communication style and pace so they could stay in synch. Jarrod and I struggled to find good positions on the bar. Eventually we found spots where we could have pressing power and stay out of each other’s way. The deadlift was infinitely easier than the clean & press.
Once competition was underway, everything went smoothly. We opted for rising bar so all the teams were following themselves.
Clark’s Championship Gym had (3) teams also. The power couple of Allison & Tony Lupo was the only M/F team (I applied a 1.16 Gender modifier to their score). Tony pulled double duty partnering with Dave DeForest for the highest unadjusted total. Finally, the entry of Jeff Wenzel and Travis Luther joined the mix.
The most fun was freestyle and I need to add some commentary.
Team Vertical Bar, 2”, Right Hand – Executing this lift requires an extremely close relationship, think husband and wife or sisters. Facing each other did not work. Trial and error showed the lifter closest to the pin should grab higher and the lifter further away should grab lower. Plus, both hands need to fit in the top 6 inches. Once the technique was established, the team lift moved a lot of weight. First ever Team Vertical Bar.
Team Side Press, Right Hand – I thought this lift would be incredibly easy, but it was anything but. The team tried facing each other and facing in the same direction. Facing each other resulted in some rotation of the bar but facing the same direction through off timing. The best set up was facing the same direction and having the person who could see their teammate match their speed. The weight lifted does not sound like much, but two attempts at a heavier weight were both misses. First ever Team Side Press.
Team Pinch Grip, Strict, Right Hand – This seemed like a fun lift, but it was much harder than I expected. It made sense to face each other and pull on 45-pound plates. The challenge was pulling speed. If either teammate was pulling faster, the lift was over. In the end our team lift with one hand each was the same as either of our two hand lifts, which only makes sense as I am typing this out. First ever Team Pinch Grip Deadlift.
Team Dumbbell Clean & Jerk, Left Hand – First ever team dumbbell clean and jerk and only second ever team dumbbell lift. Considering how hard a press or push press can be, timing a jerk is extremely impressive.
Team Hip Lift – While there have been a few Team Hip Lifts performed, this lift really impressed me. The coordination of moving together with that much load is amazing and then holding it for the down command and trusting your partner to do the same.
A final note on team lifts. A missed lift can be disastrous and needs to be thought out in advance. If your partner cannot hang out to a clean or pauses during the press, or the barbell is starting to slip, I encourage having a plan for dumping the weight rather than it swinging under the control of only one lifter.
Women’s Junior Division Winners – Diya Gupta and Nisha Gupta Women’s Open Division Winners – Kim Van Wagner and Diya Gupta Mixed Master Division Winners – Allison Lupo and Tony Lupo Men’s Open Division Winners – Jeff Wenzel and Travis Luther Men’s Master Division Winners – Dave DeForest and Tony Lupo Men’s Master Division Runners Up – Sanjiv Gupta and Jarrod Fobes Freestyle Winner – Sanjiv Gupta and Jarrod Fobes
Lifters
Lift
Weight
Adjustment
Blindt
Points
Sanjiv/Jarrod
Pinch Grip, Strict, RH
106
0.928
3.252
319.9
Diya/Nisha
V-Bar, 2″, RH
120
1.959
1.020
239.7
Kim/Diya
Side Press, Bar, RH
45
1.595
2.855
204.9
Dave/Tony
DB, C&J, LH
82
0.963
1.6821
132.8
Allison/Tony
Hip Lift
1075
1.117
0.104
124.9
I honestly could not decide which lift deserved the win. All of them met the guidelines of originality, degree of difficulty and execution. The Vertical Bar, 2” Right Hand was the most original lift. The Hip Lift had the highest degree of difficulty. The Side Press had the best execution. In the end, I fell back on my estimated USAWA Blindt (degree of difficulty) to select a winner. I could have also been biased as that pushed Jarrod and I to the top. If anybody would like to see the videos, feel free to reach out to me.
COMPLETE RESULTS:
Location: High Country Vigour, Lakewood, CO and Clark’s Gym, Columbia, MO Meet Director: Sanjiv Gupta Meet Scorekeeper: Sanjiv Gupta Date: December 20, 2025
Officials: (3-Official System) Sanjiv Gupta, Nisha Gupta, Jarrod Fobes, Kim Van Wagner (in training), Bill Clark, Tony Lupo, Allison Lupo and Jeff Wenzel
Lifts: Clean & Press; Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip
Lifters
C & P
DL, C
TOT
PTS
Dave/Tony
210
605
815
784.9
Sanjiv/Jarrod
205
585
790
733.2
Jeff/Travis
180
605
785
652.7
Kim/Diya
105
300
405
645.8
Allison/Tony
150
426
576
643.5
Diya/Nisha
75
245
320
626.8
Diya Gupta / Nisha Gupta – Age 16, Bwt – 112 (55 KG Class) Diya Gupta (18 years old, 112# Bwt) & Nisha Gupta (16 years old, 84# Bwt) Team Clean & Press – 75 pounds Team Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip – 245 pounds Freestyle – Vertical Bar, 2”, Right Hand – 120 pounds
Kim Van Wagner / Diya Gupta – Age OPEN, Bwt – 127.7 (60 KG Class) Kim Van Wagner (58 years old, 128# Bwt) & Diya Gupta (18 years old, 112# Bwt) Team Clean & Press – 105 pounds Team Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip – 300 pounds Freestyle – Side Press, Bar, Right Hand – 45 pounds
Sanjiv Gupta / Jarrod Fobes – Age 48, Bwt – 218.1 (100 KG Class) Sanjiv Gupta (54 years old, 204# Bwt) & Jarrod Fobes (48 years old, 218# Bwt) Team Clean & Press – 205 pounds Team Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip – 585 pounds Freestyle – Pinch Grip, Strict, Right Hand – 106 pounds
Allison Lupo / Tony Lupo – Age 59, Bwt – 244 (115KG Class) Allison Lupo (59 years old, 197# Bwt) & Tony Lupo (59 years old, 244# Bwt) Team Clean & Press – 150 pounds Team Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip – 426 pounds Freestyle – Hip Lift – 1,075 pounds
Dave DeForest / Tony Lupo – Age 59, Bwt – 244 (115KG Class) Dave DeForest (65 years old, 185# Bwt) & Tony Lupo (59 years old, 244# Bwt) Team Clean & Press – 210 pounds Team Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip – 605 pounds Freestyle – Clean & Jerk, Dumbbell, Left Hand – 82 pounds
Jeff Wenzel / Travis Luther – Age 33, Bwt – 228 (105KG Class) Jeff Wenzel (50 years old, 228 # Bwt) & Travis Luther (33 years old, 174# Bwt) Team Clean & Press – 180 pounds Team Deadlift, Ciavattone Grip – 605 pounds Freestyle – N/A
Taken from IAWA.UK Facebook Posts, December 17, 2025
Results – The 2025 Old Time Strongman World Championships – 13th December
Venues: Derby England, Lebanon PA USA, Perth W Australia, Denver, Colorado USA, and Guest Lifters Venue: Belfast, Ireland
A fantastic 42 Lifters took part from England, Ireland, Australia and USA. A great big thank you goes out to all who were involved at all of the venues. It was a truly amazing day. It bodes well for the future of IAWA….Well done Everyone!
The results have been submitted to the Records Registrar for checking on Records. The Irish team did not have any officials as their leader Stevie is still recovering from heart surgery, but they still took part to lift as guests which was amazing, and though they were just guests they were meticulous about observing all the correct rules of competition and platform attire, so thank you to Dolores and Simon. The wheels are in motion for getting qualified officials for them soon, Dolores is already studying the rule book.
NATIONS TEAM EVENT RESULTS:
Team Event – Based on the Top 7 Scoring (as USA had 7 complete lifters totals)
1 England 3427 Amended Points 2 Australia 2531 Amended Points 3 USA 2412 Amended Points
Guest Lifter Irish Team – For Comparison – 2738 Amended Points (would have placed them Second!)
TOP TEN INDIVIDUAL RANKED LIFTERS OVERALL:
1 Chloe Brennan ENG 613.03 2 Mark Haydock ENG 593.19 3 David Reeve AUS 553.62 4 Olivia Clarksmith ENG 482.25 5 Joshua Davidson ENG 472.26 6 Barry Bryan USA 432.23 7 Emily Haydock ENG 426.35 8 Jamie Oates ENG 422.17 9 Paul Hallam ENG 419.90 10 Matt Jones ENG 403.260
Top Irish Guest Lifters for Comparison: Delores McGuckin 463 pts and Stanley Hamilton 448 pts would both have made the top ten listings
BEST LIFTER TITLES
Best Male Junior: Leo Moss ENG Best Female Junior: Emily Haydock ENG Best Female Open: 1 Chloe Brennan ENG 2 Olivia Clark Smith ENG 3 Kayliegh Lamb ENG Best Female Masters: 1 Claire Vize Cowper ENG 2 Kim Van Wagner USA 3 Melanie Deighton AUS Best Male Open Division: 1 Josh Davidson ENG 2 Matt Jones ENG Best Male Master: 1 Mark Haydock ENG 2 David Reeve AUS 3 Barry Bryan USA Irish Guest Comparison: Delores McGuckin could have been best Female Master Carl Arbuthnot could have been best Male Junior
BEST LIFTER TITLES PER AGE GROUP:
Best Junior Emily Haydock ENG Best Open Division Chloe Brennan ENG Best Master 40+ Jamie Oates ENG Best Master 45+ Paul Hallam ENG Best Master 50+ Mark Haydock ENG Best Master 55+ Kim Van Wagner USA Best Master 60+ Mike Locondro USA Best Master 65+ Barry Bryan USA Best Master 70+ Steve Sherwood ENG Best Master 75+ Barry Pensyl USA Best Master 80+ David Reeve AUS
TOP TEN LIFTERS – HACKENSCMIDT FLOOR PRESS
1 Chloe Brennan ENG 156.52 2 Barry Bryan USA 145.47 3 David Reeve AUS 142.56 4 Josh Davidson ENG 139.93 5 Mark Haydock ENG 139.84 6 Jarrod Fobes USA 137.05 7 Olivia Clarksmith ENG 132.12 8 Peter Phillips AUS 120.77 9 Paul Hallam ENG 114.10 10 Emily Haydock ENG 113.01
Guest Lifters Ireland Comparison – None would make the top ten
TOP TEN LIFTERS – PEOPLES DEADLIFT
1 Mark Haydock ENG 369.90 2 Chloe Brennan ENG 339.12 3 David Reeve AUS 319.98 4 Olivia Clarksmith ENG 251.04 5 Emily Haydock ENG 246.56 6 Joshua Davidson ENG 244.87 7 Jamie Oates ENG 229.53 8 Steve Sherwood ENG 226.85 9 Charlie Carrabott AUS 224.32 10 Barry Bryan USA 215.04
Guest Lifters Ireland Comparison – Delores 276 – Stanley 249
TOP TEN LIFTERS – DUMBELL TO SHOULDER
1 Chloe Brennan ENG 117.39 2 Matt Jones ENG 111.80 3 Olivia Clarksmith ENG 99.09 4 Paul Hallam ENG 95.85 5 David Reeve AUS 91.08 6 Jamie Oates ENG 90.17 7 Joshua Davidson ENG 87.46 8 Steve Sherwood ENG 85.07 9 Mark Haydock ENG 83.45 10 Claire Vize Cowper ENG 77.93
Guest Lifters Ireland Camparison – Delores 107 – Stanley 101 – Samuel 94
The Steve Schmidt Backbreaker Pentathon was held on December 6 – 7 at Clark’s Gym in Columbia, MO and remotely. This event has been held annually for over 30 years, and the name was inspired by the legendary Steve Schmidt, whose records in many of these lifts may never be broken.
This year we had entrants from two clubs outside of Columbia, Frank’s Barbell Club, and High Country Vigour. The competition was as spirited as the time of year, which is to say it was fervent and the results were close. In the Women’s Division, all three competitors totaled close to, or over, 2000 lbs in raw weight. When age and weight were considered Lisa Gore held on by 18 points to win the 2025 Women’s Division. Lisa Gore also set age and weight, and All records in each event. Janet Thompson finished second, getting records in two events and tying personal bests in two other events. Allison Lupo set four records as well. Some impressive individual performances can be acknowledged. Lisa Gore’s 1006 lbs in the Back Lift was 5th best in the USAWA Women’s Division. Allison Lupo’s 700 lb was commendable nearly doubling her previous best. Janet Thompson was the top competitor in the Neck Lift, and all three women lifted 600 or more pounds on the Harness Lift.
The men’s competition was close as well as Dan Jones lifted 216 lbs (only 3%) more than teammate Nils Larson in raw weight. But when age and weight were accounted, Nils Larson is the 2025 Men’s Division Champion and the only lifter to break the 6800-point level! Not only that, Nils set four age and weight records including an impressive 610 lb Neck Lift. Dan Jones finished second but also set two records. His Hand and Thigh lift of 1050 lb was best in the Men’s Division. At third and fourth place, Jeff Wenzel was the third competitor to lift more than 6000 lbs in raw weight, and Frank Ciavattone lifted more than 5500 lbs as well. However, with age and weight figured in, Frank Ciavattone finishes third, and his efforts were rewarded with four age and weight records missing the fifth by a mere 11 lb! This included a second best 380 lb Neck Lift. Thus, Frank’s Gym garnered the top three places among the men. Jeff Wenzel finished fourth, but put up some big numbers including the top Back Lift at 1855 lbs, and second in both the Harness Lift and Hand and Thigh lifts. Team Clark also featured David DeForest and Tony Lupo finishing fifth and sixth. Dave DeForest set two records, one being a second best 380 lb in the Neck Lift. Tony Lupo set two records this year, getting or tying personal bests in all but one lift. Wade Marchand finished seventh as he could not do the Neck Lift, but he still was impressive in setting three records! High Country Vigour’s Sanjiv Gupta contributed as well in spite of the lack of proper equipment, but he showed his mettle in the record day lifts with two different thumbless deadlifts at 300 lbs. These were among the most impressive record day efforts. Well done everyone!
