USAWA Club Championship

High Country Vigour

Clark's Championship Gym

2025 marks the return of the Club Championship which had not been contested since 2019.  This is a great format where clubs total their top three lifters to form an adjusted total and bragging rights as the strongest club of the year.

From 2010-2012 it had been hosted at Ambridge Barbell Club.  From 2013-2019 it had been contested at Ledaig Heavy Athletics.  Beyond the host clubs only four other clubs had competed in the Club Championship (Atomic Athletics, Dino Gym, Habecker’s Gym and Joe’s Gym).

In 2025, we tried something different allowing lifter to lift live at High Country Vigour or submit results remotely.  There was only one taker with Clark’s Championship Gym submitting an entry.

Also new since the last time the event was hosted, was the 1.33 gender modifier.  Women had competed in the past but were at a disadvantage when contributing to the team total.

Clark’s Championship Gym brought a full squad of (11) athletes lifting in Missouri and Michigan, including powerhouse, Randy Smith.  The team included (3) Junior athletes, (2) Open athletes and (7) masters athletes.  Clark’s Gym also had the oldest and youngest athletes at 70 years old and 10 years old respectively.  Notably absent was Abe Smith, defending National’s Overall Best Lifter and Athlete of the Year, who was recovering from some injuries.  Surprisingly present was Tony Lupo competing with a bad shoulder and torn pec and Randy Smith competing with a recent hamstring injury.

High Country Vigour had (4) athletes lifting in Colorado, (3) seasoned masters athletes and (1) newcomer who is calmly starting to set records in the 16–17-year-old age group after a birthday in February.

In Colorado, we had some exciting lifting and fourth attempts for records.  Nisha had an impressive 50-pound Zercher after some really sketchy warm-ups.  Jarrod had a massive 102-pound fourth attempt Turkish Get Up which is an all age class record at 100kg (he also owns the 85kg and 95kg all age class records).  Kim had a scary moment with a missed Turkish Get Up that came down on her non-lifting wrist.  She showed tremendous courage finishing the meet with not only a solid 143-pound competition deadlift, but also a fourth attempt 153 pounds to extend her all age class 60kg record.

We also had some amusing struggles with the Turkish Get Up.  Nisha’s technique went from the ground to a squat stance without passing through a kneeling position.  Sanjiv’s final attempt somehow had both knees on the ground before going into a kneeling position and driving up.

Top Individual Lifts

• Best Dumbbell Snatch – 95 pounds by Jeff Wenzel
• Best Zercher – 335 pounds by Jeff Wenzel
• Best Turkish Get Up – 92 pounds by Jarrod Fobes
• Best Deadlift, Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip – 268 pounds by Randy Smith

Final Standings:

1st – Clark’s Championship Gym

2nd – High Country Vigour

Meet Results:

USAWA Club Championship

High Country Vigour

Lakewood, Colorado

April 5, 2025

Meet Director - Sanjiv Gupta

Officials – Jarrod Fobes, Sanjiv Gupta, Bill Clark, Tony Lupo, Dave DeForest, Jeff Wenzel

Scorekeeper – Sanjiv Gupta

Lifts: Snatch, Dumbbell, One Arm; Zercher; Turkish Get Up; Deadlift, Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip

Clark’s Championship Gym – 2223.9 Adjusted Points

Lifter-Age-BWT-Snatch-Zercher-TGU-DL-Total-Points

Randy Smith-70-197-68 (L)-305-35-268-676-827.7*

Travis Luther-32-169-90 (R)-90-320-85-225-720-709.9

Dave DeForest-65-176-66 (R)-275-25-200-566-686.3

Jeff Wenzel-50-241-95 (R)-335-60-265-755-677.0

Riley Wenzel-20-152-70 (R)-225-60-200-555-586.6

Lisa Gore (F)-59-212-30 (L)-155-25-185-395-544.9

Logan Wenzel-10-72-10 (R)-45-10-85-150-514.1

Tony Lupo-59-236-81 (L)-135-26-225-467-457.7

Janet Thompson (F)-67-163-20 (R)-85-7-150-262-457.3

Tim Market – 18-147.5-45 (R)-120-40-175-380-422.0

Allison Lupo (F)-58-193-20 (R)-95-5-125-245-353.4

Officials – Bill Clark, Tony Lupo, Dave DeForest, Jeff Wenzel

*Randy Smith – No official, ineligible for records

High Country Vigour – 1856.0 Adjusted Points

Lifter-Age-BWT-Snatch-Zercher-TGU-DL-Total-Points

Jarrod Fobes-47-216.4-87 (L)-250-92-253-682-629.5

Sanjiv Gupta-53-208.4-77 (R)-250-50-243-620-616.9

Kim Van Wagner (F)-57-125.6-32 (L)-101-44-143-320-609.6

Nisha Gupta (F)-16-87.4-22.5 (R)-40-15-93-170.5-440.8

Officials – Jarrod Fobes and Sanjiv Gupta

Extra Attempts for Records:

Nisha Gupta – Zercher – 50 pounds

Kim Van Wagner – Zercher – 106 pounds

Jarrod Fobes – Turkish Get Up – 102 pounds

Kim Van Wagner – Deadlift, Fulton Bar, Ciavattone Grip – 153 pounds