How Good was Ed Zercher?

by Atomic Athletic on Friday, May 4, 2012 at 4:11pm ·

Comparing old records to modern records can be tough. In the case of Ed Zercher, we can compare contemporary results in the Olympic lifts.

The Olympic weightlifting contests were very different in the early 1930s. The biggest difference being in the number of lifts contested in a single day. Today, there is just the Two Hand Snatch and Two Hand Clean & Jerk, but way back then it was a weightlifting pentathlon, including the single hand version of those lifts and the military press. Of course, the equipment was less sophisticated and the rules slightly different.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=IGIWF

At the Fifth Annual Western AAU Weight Lifting Championships Ed Zercher (Bodyweight 156 Pounds), had the following lifts:

One Hand Snatch 120 lbs.

One Hand Clean & Jerk 130

Two Hand Military Press 170

Two Hand Snatch 145

Two Hand Clean & Jerk 200

Total 765

Ed was also a Loader and Official in the meet.

As a comparison, John Terlazzo (Olympic Gold Medalist Tony Terlazzo's brother) won the 148 pound class at the 1935 AAU Junior Nationals, as well as John Terpak and Walter Good, as reported in the same issue of The Arena & Strength.

Terlazzo (148 #) Terpak (148 #) Good (165 #)

OHS 143 lbs. 126 ½ 159 ½

OHCJ 159 ½ 143 176

THMP 181 ½ 176 203 ½

THS 187 187 192 ½

THCJ 242 --- 275

Total 913 632 ½ 1006 ½

(I believe Terlazzo's OHS was his National Record, but it is not mentioned as such in the accompanying article.) Terpak went on to win a Gold Medal in the 1936 Olympics and Good took 14th in the 1936 Olympics.

As you can see, when it came to the five lift Olympic contests, Ed was not quite up to Olympic caliber, but he was not far off.

Thom Van Vleck reports on the USAWA web site (usawa.com) that “The oldest record listed that has a verified date (Old record list from Bill Clarck) is a Harness Lift done by Ed Zercher, Sr with 2150lbs in 1940.” He also reports, “Clark stated that the below records were Missouri Valley AAU marks prior to 1941.  So, while we don’t know the exact year these were set, they were set prior to or in 1941. “

Aug. 3-4, 1963 Iron Man Lifting News reported on the 3rd Annual Heart of America Festival, which contested 15 different events, of which Ed (age 56) competed in the following:

Roman Chair 610 lbs., Leg Press-Unsupported 10 Reps 600 lbs.

The Zercher Squat was also a lift at this meet, but Ed did not compete in it. However, he did officiate.

Ed continued to be a judge for Olympic weightlifting contests in the 1960s, Iron Man Lifting News has him listed as an official for the Dec 7, 1964 Missouri State Weightlifting Championships, Missouri State AAU Olympic Weightlifting Championships at the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, December 10, 1967. He was also an official for the March 30-31, 1968 Missouri State Penitentiary Weight Decathlon, during which they contested 10 lifts, including the “ Zercher Lift”. The Emcee was Bill Clark.

Ed did not lift in either contest.

See the Zercher Lift in competition here: http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=VID004

Zercher would likely have been considered a “Presser”, but his One Hand Snatch was quite good as well. If powerlifting had been an organized sport in the 1930's, I suspect that with his pressing ability transferring to the bench press, his record in the deadlift and obvious ability with leg pressing and other squat-type movements, he would have really done well, if not taking some national or world titles.

For your own research, you will want to start by looking at Strength & Health Magazine: http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=MAG006

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe

USAWA

2012 USAWA "Heavy Event" Championships will be taking place at the Atomic Athletic Great Black Swamp Olde Time Strongman Picnic