The 2016 Masters Online Qualifier has come to a close.
Over the weekend, the world’s top-200 masters athletes in each of the five age categories (40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60+) took on an additional four workouts ranging from a 1-rep-max deadlift (Event 2) to a speedier version of 15.5’s rowing and thrusters (Event 1), as well as an AMRAP of double-unders, chest-to-bar pull-ups, and hang power cleans (Event 3), and 55 bar-facing burpees, 34 overhead squats and 21 muscle-ups for time (Event 4).
The athletes have five scores tabulated in order to determine their final rank in the Online Qualifier: four scores from the Online Qualifier workouts and one score based on their finish in the Open.
In the coming days, CrossFit Games organizers will review video from the top-40 athletes in each age division. The top 20 will be invited to the Games in Carson, California (July 19-21). Fans can get their Mid-Week 3-Day ticket package to the Games for $75 starting this Thursday, April 28, on AXS.com. All of the other Games ticket packages also include access to the Masters and Teenage Competitions, so there's no way to go wrong.
Until then, let’s look at some highlights from each division.
40-44
MEN
Look up the final standings of the 2008 CrossFit Games, and you’ll see Breck Berry’s name in 14th place overall. The former individual competitor is now old enough to compete in the Masters 40-44 Division, and earned himself a trip to the Games.
Strongman Rob Orlando is tied for 20th! He still has a chance at qualifying for the Games if two people withdraw or have their scores adjusted after video review. Orlando performed well on the four Masters Qualifier workouts, never finishing outside the top 50 (with a lowest placement of 47th on Event 1, 3:55). His lowest score is a 68th Open worldwide rank.
Kenny Ochoa entered the MOQ in first, but had a rough time on the 1-rep-max deadlift (425 lb. at 165 lb. body weight) dropping him to 122nd on Event 2. Combined with a 61st-place finish on Event 1 (4:02), Ochoa fell eight ranks outside of qualification.
Trevor Bachmeyer was the only masters-aged man to qualify for regionals as an individual competitor with an 11th-place finish in NorCal in the Open. Now he's in 22nd place in the 40-44 Division with a shot of qualifying for the Games.
WOMEN
The eight women in the 40-44 Division who qualified for regionals as individual competitors also qualified for the Games as masters. Congratulations to:
- Helen Harding – 1st (Pacific Regional)
- Jolaine Undershute – 2nd (West Regional)
- Jen Hauser– 2nd(Atlantic Regional)
- Janet Black – 7th (South Regional)
- Samantha Stevenson-Archer – 9th (West Regional)
- Karen McCadam – 14th (West Regional)
- Viki Cirkvencic – 20th (West Regional)
- Annie Sakamoto - 3rd (California Regional)
Helen Harding backed up her Open win with a MOQ win.
Carey Kepler, the bronze medalist at the 2009 CrossFit Games, has qualified for her first Games as a masters competitor.
CrossFit’s Director of Training and Certification Nicole Carroll had solid performances on the MOQ workouts, earning 35th overall. She stayed in the top 50 with the exception of the 1-rep-max deadlift (67th) and her Open worldwide finish (83rd). To better understand the caliber of the competition in this division, consider this: the 127-lb. athlete got 67th place with a 305-lb. deadlift! (The heaviest lift was 376 lb. by 157-lb. athlete Merrill Mullis.)
45-49
MEN
Steve Johnson moved ahead of the Grundler brothers with nothing but top-10 finishes on the MOQ events. Johnson won Event 1 (3:35), deadlifted 517 lb. for Event 2 (sixth), completed 571 reps on Event 3 (10th), and finished Event 4 in 8:43 (sixth).
Totallng 26 points, Johnson finished 40 points ahead of second-ranked James Grundler and 41 points ahead of third-ranked Bill Grundler.
WOMEN
Expect a rivalry among Cheryl Brost, Tonia Osborne and Kylie Massi at the 2016 Games. Only 4 points separate the division’s top-3 women (Brost 16, Obsborne 19, Massie 20).
They all had stellar performances in the Open (top 5 overall) and the MOQ (top 10 on all events).
50-54
MEN
Reigning champion Joe Ames unfortunately failed to qualify for the 2016 Games with a 33rd-place finish in the MOQ.
Ron Ortiz entered as the top seed and held onto that top spot. He'll be the man to beat at the Games.
Ben Smith’s dad, Chuck Smith, is now famous for his 600-lb. deadlift, which was shared on CrossFit’s social media. It was the heaviest deadlift of any masters athlete, and it was set by a 50-year-old. He also did well on Event 1 (4:54, 44th) and Event 3 (375, 66th), but couldn’t exceed 113th on Event 4 (18:22) and 126th in the Open. Smith finished the MOQ in 54th overall.
WOMEN
Shellie Edington secured her second consecutive MOQ win, putting her in a tie for most MOQ wins with Shawn Ramirez, Will Powell, Scott Olson and Lynne Knapman.
It will be a great competition packed with exceptional Games vets—Shellie Edington, Susan Habbe, Kelli Dean and Dawn Regnier Sibilia.
55-59
MEN
Will Powell came out on top for the second consecutive year, tallying a mere 27 points.
A familiar name holds second: Gord Mackinnon. The Games veteran has been unable to return to Carson, California, for the last three years due to injuries, despite qualifying as the top seed in 2012, 2013, 2014, and the fourth-ranked athlete in 2015. We’re hoping the streak is over and Mackinnon will be healthy and able to compete come July.
Dads of famous CrossFit athletes earned their own spots at the Games. Spencer Hendel’s dad Andrew (12th) and Chad Cole’s dad Dennis (17th) will be traveling to Carson to do more than watch their kids.
Brian Curley was the first masters champion, winning the single 50+ Division at the 2010 Games. Six years later, he’s still in contention for the world stage. With solid performances in the MOQ, Curley finished a mere five spots outside of the cut (25th).
WOMEN
Congratulations to Lynne Knapman for securing her seventh invitation to the CrossFit Games! She has qualified for the Masters Competition every year since its inception in 2010, a feat of fitness and longevity unmatched by any other masters athlete. With seven Games appearances to her name, she’s in the company of other seven-time Games athletes, such as Rebecca Voigt and Chris Spealler.
This is also Knapman’s second consecutive MOQ win.
Shout out to the moms of famous CrossFit athletes who competed in the Masters Qualifier, including Rob Forte’s mom Nella (10th), Kristi Eramo’s mom Donna (22nd), Camille Leblanc-Bazinet’s mom Danielle Leblanc (42nd), Rory Zambard’s mom Lisa Long (47th), and James Hobart’s mom Lucie Hobart (153nd).
60+
MEN
2014 Games champion Scott Olson is returning in style with a MOQ win. The 64-year-old athlete deadlifted 446 lb., and sped through the rowing and thrusters in 4:21.
WOMEN
Lidia Beer made her comeback after a year off, earning the top position in the Women’s 60+.
She will compete alongside reigning champion Rosalie Glenn (7th in MOQ) and 2014 champion Karen Wattier (17th in MOQ).
Three women who were 60 years old or older deadlifted more than 300 lb.! Denise Kuhr and Karyn Marshall deadlifted 320 lb. (Marshall clean and jerked 303 lb. in 1989), while Deb Diamond joined them in the 300 Club with a 309-lb. lift.
Conspicuous Absences
Some top athletes did not compete, or did not compete in all of the MOQ workouts.
Women 40-44
26th place in the Open: Becky Conzelman (did not compete)
48th place in tne Open: Angie Hay (did not compete)
Women 45-49
7th place in the Open: Chris Perrins (did not compete)
Men 45-49
4th place in the Open: Jeremy Herider (did not compete)
Women 50-54
25th place in the Open, 2nd place at the 2015 Games: Tracy Maceachern (did not compete)
19th place in the Open: Colleen Fahey (did not compete)
Men 50-54
7th place in the Open: Frank Colavita (submitted scores for Events 2 - 4)
Women 60+
6th place in the Open: Donna Walters (did not compete)
Note
The Leaderboard is still in flux. The rankings were accurate at the time of writing but may have shifted. The Leaderboard is always the most up-to-date source of information about the competition.