Tag Archives: Heavy Lift Championships

USAWA Heavy Lift Championship – Results

May 2nd was the USAWA Heavy Lift Championship with live venues being hosted across United States. In the end, Jessica Hopps completed a three-peat having one in 2024, 2025 and again this year in 2026. Nils Larson won his second time, notching his first win in 2023. Thanks to all of the host venues and promoters for a fantastic event.

Complete Results:

USAWA Heavy Lift Championship
Frank’s Barbell Club, KCSTRONGMAN, and High Country Vigour
Walpole, MA; Turney, MO; Lakewood, CO
May 2, 2026
Meet Director: Jessica Hopps
Scorekeeper: Jessica Hopps

Officials: Jessica Hopps, Dan Jones, Wade Marchand, Nils Larson, Frank Ciavattone, Eric Todd, Lance Foster, Tony Lupo, Sanjiv Gupta, Jarrod Fobes, Kim Van Wagner, Nisha Gupta

The Lifts: Neck Lift, Hand & Thigh Lift, Hip Lift

Bodyweight and Lifts in Pounds

WOMENS DIVISION

LifterAgeBWNeckH & THipTotalPoints
Jessica Hopps42158240622112619882802.0
Nisha Gupta1786901702094691109.4

MENS DIVISION

LifterAgeBWNeckH & THipTotalPoints
Nils Larson66240637872154630553143.1
Dan Jones421933601122182233043103.6
Frank Ciavattone71264380775151026652716.8
Carl Puzin69216350610130022602516.1
Wade Marchand56164225620112619712317.6
Anthony Lupo60247250550112019201855.1
Everett Todd1313730042050012201729.2
Jarrod Fobes4921510059484315371452.6
Sanjiv Gupta5420819048362312961303.5
Joshua Guerin4125615059484315871269.4
Lance Foster602692005500750694.3

As a multivenue event, each location will be submitting a meet report.

HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIPS POSTPONED!

By Eric Todd

This decision has not been an easy one for me.  It came with lots of time and deliberation (and coaxing from mama).  I detest living as though I am afraid of something which I am not.  However, it felt imprudent at this time to go on with the heavy lift championships next month as planned.  I don’t want to be the guy responsible for other people getting sick.  At any rate, we are postponing this indefinitely.  Notice I said “postponed” and not “cancelled.”  This meet has been contested annually since 1994.  I don’t wish to see that run end, particularly on my watch!  So, it is my intention to still host this meet in 2020.  Hopefully this pandemic foolishness will slow down, and we can go back to living like free people. I will keep membership informed, but I will most likely be looking at a date in the fall that does not conflict with nationals/worlds.  I will also be contacting those athletes from whom I have already received entries to see what you want me to do with your entry fee.  You can apply it toward the meet later in the year or I can tear up you check.  Your choice. In the meantime, as my optimistic club members recognized, this just gives us more time to train for it in order to put up huge totals.  In the meantime, stay safe everybody!

Heavy Lift Championship

By Eric Todd

***POSTPONED TILL FURTHER NOTICE***

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT

2020 USAWA HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIPS

John Douglas executing a hand and thigh at the 2018 Heavy Lift Championship

John Douglas executing a hand and thigh at the 2018 Heavy Lift Championship

2020 will see the Heavy Lift Championship make its way back to the “House of Iron and Stone” in God’s country, Turney, MO.  This will be the third time myself and the KCSTRONGMAN crew have hosted this event.  The first was 2015, and then again in 2018.  Both affairs were rather well attended, and I hope the same will be said about this competition.

This championship has a rich history.  It has been contested since 1994, making it the longest running championship in the USAWA besides the National Championship. Over the 25 years it has been contested, it has seen 11 different male champions and 8 different female champions.  The Ciavattone family has been rather dominant in the men’s division with seven titles.  Five of those can be credited to big Frank, who ties Steve Schmidt as the most decorated Heavy Lifter in our organization.  The most dominant woman heavy lifter in the organizations history has been Cara Collins with 3 titles to her name.

This year’s event will be held in my big tin can.  It is an excessively large quonset hut with a gravel floor.  We do have flat platforms for lifting on, though.  There is not much in the way of climate control in my gym.  This should not be too much of an issue, as it is usually pretty nice in May, but there are occasions when it can get rather warm.  Please be prepared for this if you choose to compete.  There is also no running water in the tin can.  I usually provide some bottled water for the lifter’s consumption.  The facilities come in the form of an outhouse to the back.  If you are too “high society” to use an outhouse, there is a gas station with public restrooms about 6 miles to the southwest.

That being said, it is a fantastic facility in which to move large amounts of weights.  We have hundreds a plenty, and lots of change on top of it.  I will have my neck harness and hip belt for you to use of you choose, but feel free to bring your own.  The neck harness is made specifically for my dimensions, so if your head is much bigger or smaller, it might not work that well for you.

I hope to have a good turnout for this meet.  There are lots of big hitters out there in the USAWA, with lots of top heavy lifters still competing.  Hopefully we can get many of them in the same place and make this a meet to remember.

MEET DETAILS:

Meet name: Heavy Lift Championship

Date: May 9, 2020

Location: 10978 SW Pueblo Dr, Turney, MO

Promoter: Eric Todd and KCSTRONGMAN

Sanctioned by : USAWA-membership is required of all lifters

Lifts: Neck Lift, Hand and Thigh, Hip Lift

Cost: $25 (Checks can be made out to Eric Todd)

Awards: There will be awards for the lifters

This is a drug tested event.  Please only enter if you know you can pass a drug test!

ENTRY FORM  (WORD) – Heavy Lift Entry

ENTRY FORM (PDF) – Heavy Lift Entry

Heavy Lift Championship

By Mark Raymond

MEET –

2019 USAWA HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIP

HeaviesGroup19

 

The meet was a great success. We had 6 lifters from Massachusetts and New York.  It was held at Frank’s Barbell Club in East Walpole, Massachusetts.

The Lestan brothers, Chris and Eric, were outstanding on the platform! It’s always good to see them in action.

Michael Rabich from Queens, New York, showed lots of enthusiasm as he performed his lifts. We always enjoy spending time with Michael when he comes to visit.

Congratulations to Joe Ciavattone Sr who was overall champion of the meet.

Thanks to Frank and Joe Sr. who officiated the meet.

A special thank you to Peter Vuono for cheering us on throughout the event.

And a special thank you Frank for welcoming us all into his home and treating us to pizza after the event.

Results are as follows:

USAWA Heavy Lift Championship

Frank’s Barbell Club, East Walpole, Massachusetts

May 11th2019

Meet Director: Mark Raymond

Host: Frank Ciavattone

Meet Announcer/Scorekeeper: Frank Ciavattone

Officials – Frank Ciavattone, Joe Ciavattone Sr.

All lifts recorded in pounds

 

Lifters using the one official system:
LIFTER AGE WEIGHT M/F CLASS
Frank Ciavattone 64 292 M 125 Kg/60+ Masters
Joe Ciavattone 50 236 M 110 Kg/50+ Masters
Lifters using the three official system:
LIFTER AGE WEIGHT M/F CLASS
Chris Lestan 23 271 M 125 Kg/Open
Eric Lestan 14 148 M 70 Kg/14-15 Juniors
Michael Rabich 38 195 M 90 Kg/Open
Mark Raymond 56 252 M 115 Kg/55+ Masters

 

 

Lift 1 Neck Lift
Lift 2 Hand and Thigh Lift
Lift 3 Hip Lift
Lifter Age Weight Lift 1 Lift 2 Lift 3 Total # Total Points
Chris Lestan 23 271 700 1000 1800 3500 2668
Eric Lestan 14 148 110 550 800 1460 1885
Frank Ciavattone 64 292 110 300 600 1000 920
Joe Ciavattone Sr. 50 236 600 1000 1500 3100 2813
Mark Raymond 56 252 110 800 1200 2110 1951
Michael Rabich 38 195 400 1000 1200 2600 2357
Record Day Lifts
Lifter Lift #
Michael Rabich Squat – Lunge 240

 

Heavy Lift Championships

By Mark Raymond

2019 USAWA HEAVY LIFT

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday May 11, 2019

Meet Sponsored by and to be held at:

Franks Barbell Club

204 East Street, Walpole, MA 02032

 

Meet Directors:          Mark Raymond & Frank Ciavattone

                                        Email: owdmr@aol.com    Cell: 781-801-0947

 Sanctioned by: USAWA (Membership Required)

 

 Lifts:                     Neck Lift, Hand & Thigh, Hip Lift

 

Divisions:            Juniors, Women, Masters, Seniors & Open

 

Entry Fee:           $55.00 (Will include T-Shirt and Award.)

 

Awards:               1st, 2nd, & 3rd in each weight class and age division for

                              Masters, Juniors, and Women, based on total

                              poundage lifted.  Best Lifter Awards for each age

group in Masters, Juniors, Seniors(20-39), and Women by formula.

 

Nearby Lodging:     Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel

                                    28 Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035 508-543-5500

                                    *Home of the Super Bowl Champs-New England Patriots!*

                                    Best Western Plus-The Inn at Sharon/Foxboro

                                    395 Old Post Road, Sharon, MA  02067  781-784-1000

ENTRY FORM – 2019 USAWA HEAVY LIF1 Entry Form

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