NY WSO Newsletter: Q1 2026
- jamesamcd
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
Our 2026 first quarter newsletter was emailed to the NY WSO membership on Friday, April 3rd. Because emails through the BARS website are limited to active USA Weightlifting members, the newsletter has also been posted here for those without an active membership.
In this e-mail:
- Athlete Rankings.
- Coach of the Year.
- Outstanding Athletes.
- Youth & Junior Scholarship.
- Arnold Recap.
- Hall of Fame Updates.
- In Memoriam: Bill Deni.
- New Podcast Episodes.
- States Dates.
- State Records.
- Upcoming Events.
- Stay Connected.
We hope everyone has had a great start to 2026. As we enter April, the first part of the year has already been a busy and productive time for our WSO, and we have much to share!
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Athlete Rankings
In January, we posted the 2025 Athlete Rankings to our website. Congratulations again to all the athletes on the list. We’re proud to celebrate your outstanding achievements from last year once more. Rankings from 2022, 2023, and 2024 can also be found on our website.
Click here to learn about and view the rankings.
Coach of the Year
Congratulations again to our 2025 Coach of the Year, Bryant Illenberg of Gryphon Strength Barbell. The NY WSO is proud to recognize your contributions to athlete development and your impact on strengthening the sport within our local community.
Click here to read more about the coach of the year award.
Outstanding Athletes
Each year, our WSO recognizes athletes and celebrates their extraordinary dedication to training, competition, and overcoming challenges in the sport. Congratulations again to our award winners: Juniors Angelina Mintz and Robert Rohde, Masters Nidia Pardo and Bryan Jow, and Seniors Nidia Pardo and Marc Marquez award winners.
Click here to reach more about the outstanding athlete award.
Youth and Junior Scholarship
Applications are open for our Youth and Junior Athlete Scholarship. Application Deadline: Thursday, May 21. This scholarship provides financial support to NY WSO athletes attending the USA Weightlifting National Championships Week.
Click here to read more about the scholarship or submit an application.
Virus WL Series 1 Recap
Our WSO had an incredible showing at this year’s Virus Weightlifting Series 1. 87 athletes from New York registered, 52 medals were earned (17 gold, 22 silver, and 13 bronze), and 21 state records and standards were broken.
Click here to read the full medal report.
Click here to read the full record report.
Hall of Fame Updates
We’ve recently added write ups for Murray Levin and Artie Drechsler to our website along with a more substantial article for John Davis. Thank you to Artie Drechsler of Weightliftng.org for allowing the WSO to display his articles. Obtaining or writing articles for the remaining HOF members lacking bios is an ongoing project.
Click the links to read about: Murray Levin, Artie Drechsler, and John Davis.
In Memoriam: Bill Deni
Our WSO was saddened to hear the news that NY Hall of Fame member Bill Deni passed away at the age of 98 in early March. A write up with more about Bill and his contributions to the sport was posted on our blog.
Click here to read the article about Bill Deni.
New Podcast Episodes
New podcast episodes are available to watch or listen to on YouTube and Spotify. In January, James interviewed our newly crowned Coach of the Year, Byrant Illenberg, for a deep dive into his thoughts on coaching. Then in March, Sara and James sat down with Julia Falamas to learn more about her and USA Weightlifting’s Coaching Development Program.
States Dates
The 2026 NYS Championships was officially sanctioned back in January. The event will take place again in Binghamton, NY on the weekend of Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th. Recently, additional important dates future participants might want to mark on their calendars were posted.
Click here to see big states dates.
Click here to read more event details.
State Records
We saw 37 state record and record standards broken in the first quarter of the year. That’s a great start to 2026 and we look forward to seeing many more records fall as athletes rise to the occasion and make big lifts on competition platforms.
Click here to view our state records.
Upcoming Events
We have 6 meets, 2 USAW Level 1 coaching courses on the calendar.
You can find event dates, meet director contact information, and registration links on either the NY WSO or USA Weightlifting websites. As always, volunteers are essential for the success of any event. We highly recommend reaching out to meet directors to offer a helping hand officiating or loading.
Click here to view the New York events listing.
Click here for information on volunteering.
Stay Connected
Follow our social media channels to stay in the loop on current events. Tag us in your lifting videos so we can celebrate your lifting success with you!
Facebook:
State & Regional Instagram Pages:
YouTube:
Thank You,
James McDermott
NY WSO President
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