Take a moment to look back on the biggest stories of the Open in North Central.
The 2012 CrossFit Games Open has come to a close and the rosters for Regionals are set. Both veterans and new faces will be traveling to McCook, Ill., in May.
Take a moment to look back on the biggest stories of the Open in North Central.
MEN
Coming in 1st place is CrossFit Games veteran Brandon Pastorek. He held 1st place in all but Week 1 of the Open. Pastorek’s plan for training for Regionals is simple. “Just eat right and train hard,” he says. “No more pizza until after Regionals.”
Following only 13 points behind Pastorek is Justin Allen. He finished 5th place at the 2011 North Central Regional, and will have some extra motivation this year. Allen plans to add “more multiple workout days. Also, I am having Rudy Nielson of Outlaw CrossFit to help with my programming for the upcoming weeks.”
Not all of the big names excelled in the Open. The 2011 Open winner in the North Central, Jon Alexander, 2011 Games Athlete Armand McCormick, and five-year CrossFit competition veteran Breck Berry, all finished outside the top 25. Whether or not this was by design, they will all still have a chance to compete at Regionals.
WOMEN
Experience went a long way in the women’s competition. Out of the top 10 women only two, Keysha Benzing (CrossFit Madtown) and Jaime Noyce (CrossFit 515), weren’t in the top 15 at the 2011 North Central Regional. Benzing and Noyce were, however, both on top 15 teams last year.
After a disappointing finish at the 2011 Games, it seems Deborah Cordner Carson has something to prove this year. Only finishing outside the top five in Workout 12.1, Carson ended the Open in 1st place with an 11-point lead. “My favorite workout was week two,” Carson explains. “Mostly because it was a WOD that truly tested my progress from last year. I think any of the other weeks I was pretty much right around what I would have done if given the chance to do them last year...give or take a few reps. But last year I'm not positive I would have got any where near the 120's of the snatches.”
Kelley Jackson never fell out of the top three throughout the Open. Going to Regionals for her second year, Kelley has been working on not specializing. “I needed to be strong and fast, not the strongest or fastest," Jackson says.
Her strategy seems to have paid off.
Finishing the Open in 4th is Megan John. Her three top 10 performances show she’s ready to compete for a qualifying position this year. Similar to Allen, John just missed a shot at the 2011 CrossFit Games.
TEAMS
After remaining in the top 10 through out the Open, veteran team CrossFit Omaha took over 1st place from QCCF Awesome. Team Awesome led for four of the five weeks until CFO bumped them in to 2nd.
At the end of Week 4, both Windy City CrossFit and ML CrossFit were facing elimination. Clutch performances from both teams secured them a spot at Regionals.
Thirty teams qualified for Regionals, and it’s going to be a fierce battle for the top three spots that continue on to the Games. Current top teams may be comprised of athletes who will compete as individuals making their team not as competitive.
Although they didn’t qualify for Regionals, CrossFit Enhance didn’t walk away empty-handed. With 520 athletes registered for the Open, the Decatur, Ill., affiliate is the “Largest Team Worldwide” winner. They won 520 tickets to the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games in Los Angeles, Calif., and their affiliate fee has been waived for life.
MASTERS
There are four age groups in the Masters division – 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, and 60-plus. Unlike the Team and Individual competitions, Masters do not compete at the Regional level. The top 20 in each category advance to the Games.
Last year’s 54-59 champion, Shelley Noyce will be making a return trip to California. She finished outside the top three worldwide in only two of the Open workouts. She isn’t the only Noyce who performed well in the Open. Her son Bobby finished 12th, and daughter Jamie 7th.
The North Central Region will be represented well at the 2012 CrossFit Games. We will have 10 athletes traveling to California in July.
Women’s 45-49 Division
Ingrid Hurley - CrossFit St. Charles
Amy Ruggerberg - Quad City CrossFit
Stacy O’Reilly - CrossFit Minnesota
Women’s 50-54 Division
Barb Landerth - CrossFit Bellator 1
Men’s 54-59 Division
Denny Hawkins - CrossFit Northwest Arkansas
Greg Major - Bulldog CrossFit
Women’s 54-59 Division
Shelley Noyce - CrossFit 515
Diana Davidson - CrossFit St. Louis
Rhonda Pierce - CrossFit Rockford
Cindy Little - CrossFit Springfield