USAW American Open 2 Recap

Last weekend  our team traveled out to Valley Forge Pennsylvania  to compete in the American Open Series 2. We had 8 in house athletes competing last weekend from PFP Barbell.  We came in with high expectations with 4 of our 8 athletes in positions to earn Masters Medals and everyone ready to hit personal records in their lift . Overall the weekend was a massive success with all 8 athletes making a total and personal bests for many of them. As has become the norm, our team was positive and supportive and helped each other throughout the weekend in whatever way they needed . Even though for the most part our weekend was great we left with some things to work on going forward, to be more successful . 

Gerald Spencer 77E (195 entry total) 
Snatch: 82, 86x,88x
Clean and Jerk: 102,108,114x
Total: 190kg 

Gerald started us off at the AO Series and did not disappoint. Going 3 for 6 and hitting a 190kg total .  In the back he looked strong and focused . He was VERY close to hitting lifetime bests this weekend and only a few little things got in the way. On the snatches he he hit an easy opener at 82kg , on his second lift however he lost his grip and wasn't able to complete his attempt, we knew he was good for more. On his final snatch we took 88kg which would be a PR. He really went for is but was called on a slight press-out.  Clean and Jerks went well making his first two lifts 102 and 108 . His final lift just wasn't here this time but he should be good for that and more in the future. Even though his total wasn't quite as high as we wanted , there was a lot of good to take away from his efforts. Once a few little things are cleaned up we expect Gerald to make huge steps forward in his lifting. 

 
Andre J. Ainsworth 62B (130kg entry total) 
Snatch: 56, 59, 62(PR)x
Clean and Jerk: 69x, 69, 73
Total: 132kg  (PR) 
 
We had high expectations for Andre going in. He has made huge strides in confidence and technique and it showed this weekend. We went 4 for 6 and hit a PR total at 132kg . He also finished first in his age group bringing home a Gold Medal for our team .  Every meet Andre gains a little more confidence, and he was only a few lifts away from hitting even bigger PR's. The theme of the weekend continued however and press-outs cause us to leave some kilos out on the platform. 

Marisa Galli 58D ( 118kg entry Total) 
Snatch: 48, 51, 54 (PR) x
Clean and Jerk: 68, 71, 74
Total: 125kg( PR) 

Marisa has worked her butt off this training cycle and it showed. She went 5 for 6 hitting a big 7kg PR on her total and placing 32nd out of 71 competitors this weekend. On the snatches she smoked her first two lifts and barely missed a life time PR on the third lift. Marisa is much stronger in her Clean and Jerks so we were really exited to see how she would do there. She didn't disappoint hitting all three lift with ease and tying her lifetime best clean and jerk ! She had an amazing meet and this momentum should help carry her to bigger things down the road . She has a bright future and she is barley scratching the surface of what she is capable of .  She crushed it in the back as well she was relaxed and focused like a veteran competitor well past her experience level.  

 
Laura Scheirer Woodward 48A (112 Entry total) 
Snatch: 45,48,50x
Clean and Jerk: 58,61,64x
Total: 109 total
 
Laura had an awesome meet winning her age group and finishing 6th overall in the open class! Being our most experienced competitor I knew she could have a big meet, but training leading up to the meet has been hit or miss so we knew she would have to be on top of her game. On both the snatch and the clean and jerk she did exceptionally well making her first 2 lifts and going for a big one on the third before coming up a little short. The press-out monster was back and we got 2 tough calls that would have given her that coveted 6 for 6 meet . Laura is BACK! We are ready to address some weaknesses and I expect her to build on this performance and have a great competitive season. 


Maggie Duer 63D (135 Entry Total) 
Snatch: 56,59,61x
Clean and Jerk: 73,77,80x
Total: 136kg 

Maggie got things rolling on Day 2. After a long day of coaching on Friday she was ready to attack these lifts. Snatches went well making her first two before missing a competition PR on her final attempt. Then came time for clean and jerks, after a really good snatch session I was excited to see what she would do here. The first two lifts were awesome , on her third attempt she decided to take 80kg for a lifetime PR . This was huge for many reasons. Earning a PR attempt on a big stage like this is what you want and what you train for so I was pumped to see what she would do with it. She came out and smoked the clean but was a little short on the jerk. Overall she had a really good meet, PRing her total ,  and is ready to train her butt off to have an even better performance next time. 
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Dom Gomez 94c (225 Entry Total) 
Snatch: 100,104,109x
Clean and Jerk: 127x,127,130
Total: 234kg total

Dom's time finally came . He spend most of the weekend treating, taking pictures, and helping coach out team in the back , so I was really excited to see how he would do . Dom ended up having a really good meet  totally 134kg only 1kg under his all time best . His group was extremely close and Dom overcame a lot to put together a solid meet. I feel like with a solid few months of training under his belt , this fall should be really productive for him and new PR's are on the way. 

 
Brandi Darby 90C (126kg Entry Total) 
Snatch: 60,65, 68x
Clean and Jerk: 65,70,75x
Total:135kg total 

Brandi ended day 2 for us in typical Brandi fashion. We all know she is strong enough to get it done, but the question was would the big stage , bright lights, and national judges add up to a great meet or a disaster? Man on Man she was READY! 4 for 6 for a 10kg total PR after dropping a weight class! Both misses were press outs...(noticing a theme here?) so she was close to a massive 18kg PR if we could have tightened a few things up . She ended up finishing 3rd in her age group and weight class to become the first ever legally blind weightlifter to medal at a national meet! 


Tonja Ayala 90+B (95kg Entry Total ) 
Snatch: 41,43x,44x
Clean and Jerk: 50,54,60x
Total: 95kg total 

Tonja closed out our weekend for PFP Barbell. She went 3 for 6 on the day winning her weight class and totaling 95kg on the day. Going in we knew Tonja had a chance for a really good meet if she could hit her positions . Being a masters lifter mobility is not always they athletes friend so she needed to be as close to perfect as she could to have a great meet. All three of the lifts she missed were really really close but called for press outs. Tonja is a great athlete and we will clean some things up so she will be ready to dominate the 55+ age group next year! 

Overall we had an awesome weekend as a team . Everyone supported each other , lifted well, learned some valuable lessons , and are hungry to improve. Time to build upon this success and dive into our new program. Our overhead need work , so for the next twelve weeks out team will focus on upper body strength and stability while staying sharp in our lifts. PFP Hybrid: Operation Swoll Patrol is on the menu ! Lets get it !
 
If you want to join this awesome group of lifters email : 
tom@pittsburghfitnessproject.com