Enclosed are the results of the 2026 Ed Zercher Strength Classic held annually in Clark’s Gym. We’re not exactly sure how old this meet is, but it’s around 40 years old! There are still records from this event going back to 1988, so it’s at least 38 years old. This year’s rendition was scheduled for 24 – 25 January 2026, but some deep snow and bitter cold (apologies to our clubs further north!) forced an extension of the timeline. And this years’ event drew only six lifters. Admittedly, this event is physically one of the toughest in the USAWA pantheon of meets. The Zercher meet this year contained 12 lifts, some of which can be difficult to do if you have physical limitations.
On the women’s side, two lifters, Janet Thompson and Allison Lupo competed and they were close throughout the event. Janet emerged the winner by about 70 lbs, though age and weight separated the two a bit more. Both lifters were at the top of their game, and their Hip Lifts and Harness Lifts produced some excellent results. Janet turned in a 705 pound lift which set an age and weight record. She set new standards in five events and tied her best in two others. Allison’s Harness Lift totaled 605 pounds in spite of a knee that has bothered her for some years. This was an age / weight record as well as an “ALL” record. She totaled seven new records three of which were also ‘ALL’s.
On the Men’s side, Jeff Wenzel and Travis Luther paced the field with Jeff taking the top spot by a wide margin in raw weight (7,440 lbs). However, when the age and weight factors came into play, the score was much tighter! Jeff posted age/weight adjusted top scores in seven of 12 events and set an age weight record on top of that (Bench Press, Feet in Air), picking up in 2026 where he left off in 2025 with another meet win! Travis was not far from a 7,000 lb total checking in with 6,785 lbs when all was said and done, as well as top marks in two age/weight adjusted events. Jeff and Travis put on quite the show with a pair of 2,000 lb Harness Lifts. Jeff was also strong with the Hand and Thigh Lift and Travis with an impressive Hack Lift. John Carter and Tony Lupo were much closer in the battle for third. Both lifters have some injuries that hamper them on at least three of the lifts. John pulled out third place and showed he still has ‘game’ with top finishes in three of 12 age adjusted events. He set an impressive age / weight record with 1600 lbs in the Hip Lift. Tony managed a third place finish in raw weight, but 4th overall, setting two new standards in the Bench Press, Feet in Air and the Deadlift Heels Together.
With the publication of the 4th Quarter Postal, we can now crown the postal champions. We use strongman scoring so if (8) women competed in Q1, 1st place would get 8 points, 2nd place would get 7 points, etc. At the end of the year, the athlete with the highest total points wins the championship.
Stacy Todd bested the women’s field with consistency. She was near the top in 1st and 2nd quarter and was first in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Lisa Gore was in 2nd place and Jessica Hopps was in 3rd place.
Abe Smith bested the men’s field with 96 total points. Barry Bryan was a close 2nd with 91 points and Jeff Wenzel completed the podium with 86 points.
Congratulations to our winners and our Grand Slam athletes who participated in all four postal events. (48) athletes participated in at least one postal event, but the following (21) athletes were committed: Stacy Todd, Lisa Gore, Jessica Hopps, Kim Van Wagner, Janet Thompson, Allison Lupo, Abe Smith, Barry Bryan, Jeff Wenzel, Dan Jones, Travis Luther, Randy Smith, Denny Habecker, Wade Marchand, Dave Hahn, Sanjiv Gupta, Nils Larson, Frank Ciavattone, Mike Locondro, Bill Clark and Jerome Licini.
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
