Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne is going back to Cali.
Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne is the name on everyone’s lips in the Pacific with a dominant performance on the final day sending them back to the Games.
Affiliates from around Australia, New Zealand and Asia packed the stands at the WIN Entertainment Centre to see which boxes would be represented at the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games.
At the start of the day, Schwartzs was comfortably at the top of the leaderboard and near certain to return to the StubHub Center in July. Barring disaster, Zaks Pack East Tamaki looked sure to make its first trip to the Games, but the rest of the five qualifying positions were still up for grabs with five teams separated by less than 30 points.
TEAM EVENT 6
Muscle-up proficiency proved the difference in the team’s triplet of GHD sit-ups, muscle-ups and hang power cleans.
The moment the first women got to the rings from Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne and CrossFit Athletic, the two teams started to pull away to build commanding lead over the rest of the field in the final heat.
Schwartzs’ gymnast Jaime Goodwin made easy work of the muscle-ups, gliding through two unbroken sets of 5 to establish a small lead over CrossFit Athletic.
“Today, for us is all about having some fun and getting the job done,” Goodwin said. “We’re just keeping composed and doing what we know how to do.”
As the two teams’ women moved to the 135-lb. power cleans just 1 rep separated Schwartzs and Athletic, but they were more than 20 reps ahead of the rest of the field.
With their supporters cheering ferociously from the stands, Athletics women made lighter work of the barbell to take a 5-rep lead and hit the finish mat in first place.
But the rings would again make the difference.
Schwartzs’ men flew through their 50 muscle-ups, while the Athletic men slowed to single reps. Their dominance in gymnastics helped them them build a huge lead, which they only extended on the 50 reps of 205-lb. hang power cleans.
Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne hit the finish mat first in a time of 18:34—almost two minutes ahead of Athletic—and quickly celebrated with its affiliate members in the crowd.
“The job’s not done, but we’re actually having the ability to have fun out there now,” Schwartzs’ Jordan Bender said.
Kylie Massi of CrossFit Athletic said the team’s strategy was to send its strongest athletes out to the rings first, and then strategize on the go.
“We got a few no reps, but that’s all part of the sport and you have to take it, just get back up and keep plugging away,” Massi said. “We’ve got a fantastic team, they’re all really great guys and everyone works well together. It went well for us today.”
Team Event 6 Results
1. Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne (18:34.0)
2. CrossFit Athletic (20:28.9)
3. Zaks Pack East Tamaki (21:48.7)
4. Southern CrossFit (22:22.8)
5. Team Creature (23:08.4)
TEAM EVENT 7
Only two teams in the world have finished Event 7 so far, and one of them is from the Pacific Regional.
As the teams took to the floor for the final event, the atmosphere in the crowd was tense as seven teams competed for four qualifying spots that were still up for grabs with Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne the clear leaders.
The follow the leader style chipper of rowing and deadlift holds, strict handstand push-ups and handstand holds, toes-to-bars and dead-hang holds, and overhead walking lunges was a game of strategy with teams allowed to choose their own order.
Just three teams—Injustice Crew, Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne and CrossFit
Athletic—opted to send out their women first.
The tactic paid off for Schwartzs who pulled ahead of the pack during the handstand push-ups with team member Penny Kemp having no trouble with the strict movement, while other teams struggled to do more than singles.
Southern CrossFit was first to send an athlete to the overhead lunges with Schwartzs’ Kemp in second.
But from that moment on, it was all about Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne as the team’s athletes moved onto the lunges like a conveyer belt.
The crowd was deafening as Schwartzs’ last athlete hit the finish mat to make it just the second team worldwide to finish the event, along with OPEX Red out of the South Regional.
Bender said the team was stoked with its result.
“We have to thank our coach Ben Schwartz,” Bender said. “He made training a living hell for us and we came out on top because of how hard he pushed us. We’re really glad our team from Melbourne came up and supported us. They’re loud as anything and it’s a really special feeling.”
The race of the event, however, was between CrossFit Active, CrossFit Southern and CrossFit Rocks, who exchanged the lead multiple times. The race was high pressure since going into the event, CrossFit Rocks was in fourth, Southern CrossFit in fifth and CrossFit Active in sixth, and only five teams would advance to the Games.
It was a phenomenal individual performance from CrossFit Rocks’ Kate Gordon that helped her team claim second place.
Gordon completed the overhead lunges unbroken as though she was holding a PVC pipe as the clock wound down.
The performance was enough to get her team a 10-rep lead over CrossFit HPU.
Rocks’ athlete Tristan Lahey said while the team didn’t have an overwhelming strength, it stayed consistent over the weekend. Team member Brent Paxton agreed.
“It was a big grind and we practiced it a few times and changed the order around to make the most reps we could,” Paxton said.
Team Event 7 Results
1. Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne (19.47.4)
2. CrossFit Rocks (CAP+98)
3. CrossFit HPU (CAP+108)
4. CrossFit BAGUS (CAP+109)
5. Range of Motion (CAP+117)
CrossFit Games Qualifiers
1. Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne (660 points)
2. Zaks Pack East Tamaki (567 points)
3. CrossFit Rocks (553 points)
4. CrossFit Athletic (524 points)
5. CrossFit Active (520 points)
