by Al Myers
Today I was thinking about all of the GREAT lifting performances done in the USAWA throughout this past year. I have been fortunate to have witnessed many of these performances firsthand. I’ve given it a little thought and I have came up with the LIST of PERFORMANCES that I have watched during this past year, and compiled my TOP TEN. This list is completely of my opinion, and does not represent any official view of the USAWA. It also only includes lifts that I have seen myself – as there are many other great lifts done in the USAWA that I did not have the privilege of viewing and thus are not on this list. I have also ranked them – but this was extremely difficult as they are all worthy of top recognition. I might have well just “flipped a coin” to determine the order – but here it goes!!! I’ll even do the countdown from number 10.
10. Doug and Jera Kressly’s Team Deadlift of 650 pounds.
Doug and Jera Kressly performing a Team Deadlift at the 2012 USAWA Team Championships.
At this year’s USAWA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS, Doug and Jera entered the first Mixed Pair (male & female) team in the Championships history. And to add to the drama of this – the two of them are married! I was extremely impressed when we got to the last event, the deadlift, and they pulled 650 pounds. I was really worried Doug was going to let Jera down and not pull his weight on the lift!
9. Denny Habecker and his Clean and Jerk at the Gold Cup.
Denny Habecker at the 2012 IAWA Gold Cup in Glasgow, Scotland.
I’ve already told the story about Denny and his performance at the 2012 IAWA Gold Cup in Scotland, despite being sick with the intestinal flu. I was impressed that he would even attempt to lift feeling like that. However, I DID NOT sit in the front row when he was lifting as I didn’t want to be in the path of any possible eruption!
8. Joe Garcia’s 1400# Hand and Thigh Lift at the Deanna Meet.
Joe Garcia and his signature lift, the Hand and Thigh Lift, at the 2012 Deanna Springs Meet.
Garcia and the Hand and Thigh Lift are becoming synonymous. You think of one and you have to think of the other. I keep thinking one of these days Joe G will lose his touch with the H&T which will give me the edge – but it doesn’t look like it will ever happen! I knew my chances of winning the Deanna meet was over at this point.
7. Dale Friesz and his 154# Ring Fingers Deadlift at the Presidential Cup.
Dale Friesz won the 2012 USAWA Presidential Cup with this lift.
Last year Dale “the Miracle Man” Friesz performed a 122# Ring Fingers Deadlift and I raved and raved about it. Now he’s UPPED his record to 154 pounds – that’s over a 30 pound increase! This was the lift that WON Dale the prestigious PRESIDENTIAL CUP this year. I beginning to think there must be bionics in that prosthetic leg of his.
6. Larry Traub’s 529# Jefferson Lift at the National Championships.
Larry Traub (left) receiving his award at the 2012 USAWA National Championships in Las Vegas, NV.
Everyone knows Larry is an “out of this World” deadlifter, but at the 2012 USAWA National Championships in Las Vegas he also showed he is quite good at the Jefferson Lift as well. Larry is 58 and only weighs 200 pounds, which makes his lift all the more impressive. It would take over a 630# Jefferson Lift for an Senior Age group lifter (at the same BWT) to beat Larry in this lift with the age correction. We make lifters weigh to verify their bodyweights, but we don’t make lifters show their ID’s to verify their ages. Larry looks like he’s only 30. Maybe it’s time for him to be “carded” at the next meet?
COMING TOMORROW – THE REST OF THE TOP PERFORMANCE COUNTDOWN!
