The Masters Competition begins this Tuesday, July 21.
40-44
Men
1. Shawn Ramirez (1st in 2014)
2. Darren Ellis
3. Travis Page
4. Dominic Adam (9th)
5. Dan Wells
6. Michael Moseley (13th)
7. Chris Weir
8. Robbie Davis (5th)
9. Jason Uberuaga
10. Charlie Cassara
11. Chad Augustin (6th)
12. James Grundler
13. Stacey Adams
14. Jarett Perelmutter
15. Gabriel Romero
16. Robert Ho
17. Christopher Bourke (12th)
18. Jeffrey Prejean
19. Dusty Hyland
20. Chris Exarhos 14th)
The reigning champion Shawn “the Ram” Ramirez has returned the clear favorite after dominating qualifying competitions. The 41-year-old former collegiate wrestler snatched 247 lb. on his way to earn four top-10 finishes in the 2015 Masters Qualifier. His performance was so consistent that 93 points separated him from his closest rival, Darren Ellis.
Still, Ramirez isn’t taking anything for granted.
“Reason is, most of the athletes I talk to and know, are not peaking during the Open and the Qualifier. So I expect to see greater numbers and output from my competitors at the Games when we all are at our peak performance,” Ramirez said. “With that said, I don’t allow the pressure to get to me; In fact, I feed off it and allow it to motivate and drive me.”
Ellis, the owner of CrossFit New Zealand, jumped from 28th in the Open to second after excellent performances in the Masters Qualifier. A regional competitor from 2009-2013, Ellis could prove a significant challenger to Ramirez.
In addition to the returning athletes in the division, watch out for newcomers like Dusty Hyland and Jarrett Perelmutter. Hyland is best known for coaching Lindsey Valenzuela, the silver medalist in the 2013 Games, but he’s also an excellent athlete who competed in gymnastics at a Division 1 college years ago. Perelmutter, a long-time regional competitor from Brick CrossFit, will make the transition to masters this year.
Women
1. Karen McCadam
2. Jolaine Undershute
3. Amanda Allen (1st)
4. Pamela Gagnon (8th)
5. Elizabeth Warren
6. Tonia Osborne (10th)
7. Jen Hauser
8. Cheryl Brost (2nd)
9. Lynn Cassolis
10. Janet Black (7th)
11. April Lowe
12. Miwa Andrus (15th, withdrew)
13. Kelly Edelmann
14. Jessica Fitzgibbons
15. Laura Matuszak
16. Aida Koepplinger
17. Jenny Jacobsen (2011 Games Individual Competitor)
18. Wanda Brenton (2014 Games Individual Qualifier)
Karen McCadam missed qualification for the individual division at the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games by one spot. Now, the 40-year-old athlete is leading the Masters Women 40-44 Division.
McCadam’s close miss came during her fourth consecutive appearance at the North West Regional. She’s an experienced CrossFit athlete, with incredible numbers: a 177-lb. snatch, for example.
She enters the Games as the winner of both the Open, and the Masters Qualifier. That might in part be thanks to her enviable training partners—Games athletes Regan Huckaby (individual), Christine Wells (45-49) and Kelly Edelman (40-44).
I’m very excited to be competing this year with all the (women) in the 40-44 division,” McCadam said. “I plan to savor every moment and just enjoy the experience of competing at this level. I’m confident and prepared coming into the competition because I’ve trained hard to get there.”
McCadam, though, isn’t the only athlete fresh out of the individual division.
Amanda Allen, the two-time champion, warmed up for the competition by taking on athletes half her age at the Pacific Regional in Wollongong this May, where she finished 13th overall. Plus, don’t forget multi-year Games athlete Cheryl Brost, 2011 Games competitor Jenny Jacobsen and 2014 Games qualifier Wanda Brenton.
Sitting quietly in second overall is Jolaine Undershute, who I believe stands a real chance of making it onto the podium. The 43-year-old finished one spot outside of the podium in the 40-44 division at the 2013 Games, before switching to the individual division in 2014 where she qualified, but did not compete in, the Canada West Regional.
45-49
Men
1. Bill Grundler
2. Matthew Swift
3. Ocey Leavitt
4. Steve Johnson
5. Scott DeTore (16th)
6. Vic McQuaide (4th)
7. Ron Ortiz (5th)
8. Karl Dyall (3rd)
9. Scott Jenkins
10. Scott Tasaka
11. Craig Eisman
12. Jeff Tincher (2nd)
13. Albert Police
14. Ron Mathews
15. Jeff Dempsey
16. Sean Marsh
17. Jeffrey La Monica
18. Bob Ruano
19. Gregg Geerdes
20. Steve Hartle
Bill Grundler, the 46-year-old former firefighter and color commentator at the Games, has been competing against men half his age at the Southern California Regional for years.
Long reticent to join in the masters competition, preferring to compete individually instead, Grundler finally signed up in order to entice younger brother James to compete. Incredibly, both Grundlers qualified for the Games.
It takes the excuse of 'I'm too old,' out of the equation, he says.
“I have always said that the masters division is important for CrossFit because it shows what humans can do as we get older,” Grundler said. “I mean, look at the specimens out there on both the men’s and the women’s sides!"
“That being said, my goal has always been to qualify for the Games in the (individual) division and it still is. This doesn’t mean that I don’t think the masters division is competitive or anything. But the Games in the (individual) division is my dream. I have never thought about ‘These guys are half my age.’ I just think ‘I want to beat these guys.’ I think that’s what a competitor does. Part of that mentality I had during my fire career also. The fire (or whatever incident) doesn’t care if you are old or young, healthy or sick, 100 percent or injured, yet you still have to perform and win (or complete the task). I don’t like to have or use excuses. When the ‘3-2-1 … go!’ goes off, let’s just go and see what happens.”
The Californian will need to watch out for a man from down under. CrossFit Brisbane’s Matthew Swift earned eighth in the division at the 2013 Games, and has jumped to second overall so far this season. Swift, an affiliate owner since 2006, has more years of exposure to CrossFit than most athletes in the world. He showed that off with a 264-lb. snatch in the Masters Qualifier.
“This is my tenth year of CrossFit and I definitely understand my body more than I did when I first started competing, which helps a lot with deciding how to approach workouts,” Swift said. “Having said all that, one of the cool things about masters is that everyone has a lot of experience!”
Women
1. Chris Perrins
2. Kylie Massi
3. Erika Benavides
4. Kim Holway (1st)
5. Stephanie McGuirk
6. Kristi Lunny (13th)
7. Francine Pehi
8. Joyanne Cooper (9th)
9. Amy Mandelbaum (5th, withdrew)
10. Jennifer Kawaguchi
11. Karyn Silvestri (8th)
12. Tracey Magee
13. Eberle Funches
14. Kelly Greco
15. Dawn Regnier Sibilia (7th)
16. Leilani Balaban
17. Christine Wells (10th)
18. Eva Thornton
CrossFit the Club earned seventh place at the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games, thanks in part to the contributions by teammate Chris Perrins.
Now the the 46-year-old athlete has made the switch to masters, and dominated both the Open and the Masters Qualifier earning first place on three of the four qualifying events.
“I’m honored and humbled to think that people perceive me as being the favorite, and I do feel some pressure to perform up to a certain standard that other people expect from me,” Perrins said. “But while the Open and qualifying took place in my own gym, this competition is obviously on a ‘neutral court’ and on the world stage, so I won’t have the ‘homecourt advantage’ and I know that I must perform at my very best if I am to live up to those high expectations that have been placed on me.”
Perrins will face reigning champion Kim Holway as well as another team athlete. Kylie Massie, who enters the second-ranked woman in the division, recently competed in the Pacific Regional with Games team CrossFit Athletic.
“Team competition is very different to individual competition but I do feel I have benefited from having competed with the CrossFit Athletic team,” Massi said. “One big benefit of competing at regionals is learning how to deal better with the waiting between workouts as this can be a real issue on the nerves if you're not careful. It also gave me an insight into how I handle disappointment, as well as elation depending on how each event went.”
Unfortunately, the silver medalist at last year’s Games, Karen McCune, declined her invitation.
Erika Benevides will be another athlete to watch after she climbed from 11th in the Open to fourth overall after the Masters Qualifier.
50-54
Men
1. Joe Ames (13th)
2. Allen Duarte (7th)
3. Steve Parsoneault (10th)
4. Curtis Dunn
5. Kurt Stein
6. Freddy Camacho
7. Bubba Hagood (15th)
8. Frank Wray (4th)
9. Jeff Goebel
10. Billy Goodson
11. Robert Boshoven (6th)
12. Lonnie Ataman
13. Jody Clements
14. Chris Podesto
15. Dennis Cole
16. Troy Miller (9th)
17. John Busch (18th)
18. Perry Siplon
The top two men at last year’s Games, Will Powell and Brig Edwards, will not return to defend their positions on the podium since Powell aged up into the 55-59 division and Edwards declined his invitation.
Adding to the losses, the top athlete in the division in the Open and the Masters Qualifier, Bryan Shockley, declined his invitation, as well.
This leaves Joe Ames, the second-ranked man in the Open and the Masters Qualifier, as the de facto leader. A former marathoner and triathlete, Ames found CrossFit in 2012 and two years later competed at the 2014 Games, finishing 13th in the 50-54 division.
Ames was disappointed to hear that Shockley wasn’t competing this year.
“I did hear that Bryan dropped out and my first thought was an injury. I am not sure what happened, but he had an incredible Open and (Masters) Qualifier, so I hope to compete against him in the coming years.”
Even though he enters as the highest-ranked athlete, Ames is aware that it’s any man’s game.
“Every athlete has made incredible sacrifices to get to this point and every athlete has the mindset that they can win it all,” Ames explained. “This year I will come in ranked at the top end of the rankings, whereas last year I just barely crept into the top 20, but my mindset is the same.”
He added: “Like the other guys, I hope that the events suit my strengths and that I will be able to game plan and then execute to the best of my ability. If that all plays out, then I should do well.”
Women
1. Shellie Edington (3rd in 45-49 Division in 2014)
2. Tracy Maceachern
3. Marion Valkenburg (8th)
4. Patti Carson (12th, withdrew)
5. Kelli Dean (3rd)
6. Colleen Fahey (10th)
7. Donna Dowd
8. Cindy Kelley (2nd)
9. Diane Urban
10. Laurie Meschishnick
11. Dawn Hagermann
12. Gaile Binder
13. Sue Oakman
14. Lisa Lauve (15th)
15. Sue Velott
16. Jacqueline Janet
17. Hylie Thompson (7th)
18. Susan Habbe (6th)
19. Bonnie Lynn (9th)
20. Shari Ortiz
Shellie Edington earned the bronze medal in the Masters Women 45-49 Division at the 2014 Games, and will be hard to shake from the top of the 50-54.
Edington followed her first-place finish in the Open with a dominant performance in the Masters Qualifier where she won two events. A gymnast her entire life, Edington is the owner and operator of Tumblin4Kids, a gymnastics program for children in Ohio.
Edington knows from experience that being the favorite has no guarantees attached to it.
“Last year I placed 60th in Open, 15th in the qualifier and third at the Games. I was not favored at all. So, I focus on training hard and being ready for whatever comes my way,” Edington said.
As for her fellow competitors, Edington understands the struggles and sacrifices they all have to go through to fulfill their athletic aspirations.
“I have great respect for all the master competitors. Everyone trains hard and must overcome multiple obstacles in their lives as they juggle training, career and family,” Edington said. “I know that I have some stiff competition and it motivates me to train even harder!”
Mary Beth Litsheim, the reigning champion, will not return to the competition this year but the silver and bronze medalists, Cindy Kelley and Kelli Dean, will.
Though, Edington’s stiffest competition might come from Tracy Maceachern, an accomplished CrossFitter and Olympic weightlifter. Maceachern earned the silver in the 45-49 division at the 2012 and 2013 Games, finished in the top 10 in the team competition at the 2013 South West Regional, and set the USAW National record for her age and weight class in the snatch and total.
55-59
Men
1. Will Powell (1st in the 50-54 Division in 2014)
2. David Gantz
3. Mike Helkens
4. Steve Marino
5. Michael Bridges (12th)
6. DeWayne Sapp
7. David Hippensteel (5th)
8. Troy Straith
9. Wayne Evans
10. Steve Hamming (1st)
11. Timothy Vivian
12. Brian Curley
13. Marco Arredondo (3rd)
14. Tom Bourdon (11th)
15. Dan Brannagan
16. Mark Fischer (4th)
17. Lars Boss Thomsen
Will Powell won the Masters Men 50-54 Division at last year’s Games, and now, at 55, is poised to win the 55-59.
“It is definitely a confidence booster having been to the Games twice before, and having won the Games in 2014,” Powell said. “I also know that depending on programming any one of these men is capable of winning, so it is cautious confidence.”
Especially since he will be in a new division where the weights tend to be scaled down.
“I had some concerns about the reduction in loads as my strength is my main asset,” Powell explained. “I do better with heavier loads compared to most of my peers. I also have worked on increasing my VO max as historically the workouts have been lighter and faster. I have done some homework on my competition and found them to be very capable of winning depending on the programming.”
Powell enters a division that is missing reigning champion Steve Hamming and two-time champion Gord Mackinnon. Both had to withdraw due to injury.
Marco Arredondo, the silver medalist in 2014, returns to Carson as the 13th-ranked man while the fourth-place finisher in 2014, Mark Fischer, slips in at 19th. Either the field has grown more competitive with a fresh batch of athletes, or we can expect to see a lot of re-sorting once the athletes are tested with Games-style events in the Los Angeles heat.
Women
1. Lynne Knapman (5th in the 50-54 Division)
2. Susan Clarke (1st)
3. Michelle Barnes
4. Patty Failla (3rd)
5. Heidi Fish (3rd at the 2010 Games 50+ Division)
6. Trish Hering
7. Monique Madison
8. Pam Kusar
9. Gayle Howard
10. Donna Bruce
11. Ronda Henry
12. April Kitagawa (10th)
13. Diane McKinney
14. Kathy Ehrsam (2nd)
15. Camille Acton
16. Beth Hoppe (8th)
17. Jo Marley
18. Diana Flynn (5th)
19. Kim Camacho (17th)
20. Debby Brouwer (9th)
Australian athlete Lynne Knapman was fifth at the 2014 Games in the Masters Women 50-54 Division. Now 55, she’s tearing up her new division. In the Open, she was top five in every workout. In the Masters Qualifier, she was top three in every event.
“I’m really pleased with my performance in the Open and Masters Qualifier,” Knapman said. “I’m a one-and-done person so it’s reassuring but I’m never confident about my score when I log it. Never did I expect to be first.”
A full-time math teacher with no sports background, Knapman insists she’s not a natural athlete.
“It takes me ages to pick up a new skill,” she said.
She added: “I still get nervous before the Games. Even now if I think about it, I get a little anxious. Every year I have competed, I take away a lesson that I incorporate into my training. Competing also shows up your weaknesses so that gives you something to focus on, as well. I'm more confident and calmer as a competitor because of my experience and have a better idea of how I perform under pressure. My coach frequently says … ‘nothing you haven’t done before.’ So true.”
Canadian Susan Clarke is in position to defend the title. She was only 7 points behind Knapman after the Masters Qualifier, and the two athletes will likely be neck-and-neck in Carson.
“I think Lynne has proven herself as a very capable athlete coming first in the Open and the qualifier. Absolutely looking forward to meeting her and competing against her and our top 20,” Clarke said.
The second- and third-ranked women at the 2014 Games will return, as well. Watch out for Kathy Ehrsam and Patty Failla.
60+
Men
1. Stephen Angove (2nd)
2. Robert Caslin
3. Terry Peters (6th)
4. Charles Sullivan
5. Thomas Ackerman (3rd)
6. Brett Wilson (4th)
7. Tim Anderson
8. Chuck McDonald
9. Lance Schaefer (5th)
10. John Kane (9th)
11. Steve Pollini
12. Terry Howard (18th)
13. Garry Jones
14. Denny Hawkins
15. James Kelleher
16. Greg Clewis
17. Clarke Holland (8th)
18. Dirk Winkelmann
19. Michael White
Stephen Angove, the silver medalist in 2014, has a strong chance of winning the division. The man who kept him from the top of the podium last year, three-time champion Scott Olson, will not return to Carson.
When Angove didn’t see Olson on the leaderboard, he reached out to see what had happened.
“I was disappointed that he had an injury,” Angove said. “He’s like the Rich Froning of masters and he has set the standard for the Men's 60+.”
Angove, and the man on his heels, Robert Caslin, have both only recently started CrossFit training and competition.
As Angove tells it, “In 2014, my son got me to register for the Open just for the fun of it. “Next thing I know after the Open I was 34th and finished the qualifier at seventh going into to the Games. I never dreamed that I would be going to the Games that summer. So before I was a CPA that does CrossFit, but now I’m a CrossFitter that works as a CPA. There isn’t anything like the CrossFit environment. The coaches and the members are all like extended family.”
Similarly, Caslin started CrossFit just two years ago. This season he earned second place after the Open and Masters Qualifier, by finishing in the top 10 in every qualifying event. The 60-year-old Bostonian has some impressive listed numbers including sub-3 Grace, a 450-lb. deadlift and a 385 lb. back squat.
Caslin, who ironically refers to his personal philosophy as, “Have fun and don’t finish last,” admits he was surprised by his place on the leaderboard and credits the coaches and athletes at his box CrossFit Southie for the progress he’s made.
“All of this absolutely gives me confidence because I know I can compete and hold my own with the all the other amazing athletes in my age group,” Caslin said.
Women
1. Deb Diamond
2. Katherine Stojkovic (11th)
3. Bernadette Elliot (4th)
4. Vicki Good
5. Alison Locke
6. Janet Rogers
7. Rhonda Pierce
8. Sandy Hill
9. Nancy Acosta
10. Sandy Heelan
11. Debby Baker
12. Polly McKinistry
13. Nancy Steen (7th)
14. Mary Schwing (2nd)
15. Rosalie Glenn
16. Becca Hartley (13th)
17. Mona Latimer
18. Joke Dikhoff (8th)
Deb Diamond enters as the top-ranked athlete thanks to her three top-five finishes in the Masters Qualifier, which were enough to offset her 20th-place finish in the Open.
In the weeks since the qualifier, Diamond admits she’s felt like an athlete in the spotlight.
“I do feel like I have a target on my back!” Diamond said. “The events in the qualifier were definitely in my wheelhouse but I’m not taking anything for granted. I know the Games will be a tough competition and I have to be ready for anything.”
Diamond’s coaches have helped her address her weaknesses, including improving her endurance, which she readily admits is a challenge since her “recovery is not as quick as when I was younger.”
She added: “I’m planning to give it my all, and I will be happy no matter where I place.”
Of the three medalists last year, third-place finisher Bernadette Elliott is the one most likely to find her way back to the podium. A retired high-school teacher, Elliot is a former runner with eight marathons under her belt, including the Boston marathon, which she ran in just over three hours. Elliot stood in third after the Masters Qualifier.
Karen Wattier, last year’s champ, is not in contention and 2014 silver medalist Mary Schwing enters in 14th place.
Katherine Stojkovic, a self-described evangelist for CrossFit for women in their 60s, could very well make the podium. A lifetime recreational athlete before finding CrossFit two years ago, Stojkovic qualified for the 2014 Games and finished in the middle of the pack. Since then, the petite athlete—who stands at 4-foot-11 and weighs 111 lb.—has clearly made strides, entering the Games as the second-ranked woman.
Mountaineer Sandy Hill was the 34th woman to climb Mount Everest, and the second woman to climb the highest mountain on all seven continents. She survived the 1996 Mount Everest disaster that took the lives of eight people. Now Hill has turned her attention to a new sport and was eighth after the Masters Qualifier.