The 2023 Age-Group Semifinal Winners

May 16, 2023

Kelley Laxton

After three days and four tests, only 10 athletes from each age division were awarded a ticket to Madison, Wisconsin. Take a look at the athletes advancing to the final stage, the 2023 NOBULL…
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The fittest 30 age-group athletes in the world fought for a ticket to the finals at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Age-Group Semifinal from April 28-30. 

After three days and four tests, only 10 athletes from each age division were awarded a ticket to Madison, Wisconsin. Take a look at the athletes advancing to the final stage, the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games. 

14-15 

Boys 

  1. Dayne Indraji

  2. Jermeie Jourdan

  3. Jose Pablo luna Alpizar

  4. Kūlani Subiono

  5. Pau Martin Tiers

  6. Lincoln Lafaver

  7. Leonardo Cruz

  8. Caden Mavity

  9. Cesar Tihista

  10. Pablo Tronchon

Girls

  1. María Granizo

  2. Miley Wade

  3. Brynn Cupp

  4. Marissa Nichols

  5. Marley Francis

  6. Mira Varga

  7. Tayah Bebzuck Marom

  8. Ava Labounty

  9. Trenna Gessell

  10. Ceslaisar Élina

 

Standing at the top of the Boys 14-15 leaderboard is 15-year-old Dayne Indraji from Canada. Indraji will be headed to his first CrossFit Games in August. Joining the CrossFit Open right at the age of eligibility, he finished his 2022 season in 29th at the Age-Group Semifinal. This year, he came back to take it all. Indraji finished the Open second in the North America East region, eighth in Quarterfinals, and first at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Age-Group Semifinal. 

María Granizo from Guatemala also swept the Girls 14-15 competition upon her 15th birthday. Granizo finished her 2022 season in 20th at the Age-Group Semifinal. This year, she has taken a clean sweep, securing first in the Open, Quarterfinals, and now Semifinals. She will join Indraji in Madison at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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16-17

Boys

  1. Ty Jenkins

  2. Kaiden Myers

  3. Kaiden Hogan

  4. Isaiah Weber

  5. RJ Mestre

  6. Ka’eo Subiono

     6.  Kyle Muckleroy

     8.  Brandyn Gaskill

     9.  Gustavo Pusch

   10. Hugo Jansson

Girls 

  1. Olivia Kerstetter

  2. Trista Smith

  3. Lucy McGonigle

  4. Elia Del Olmo

  5. Jenna Michelotti

  6. Reese Littlewood

  7. Hayes Willard

  8. Bergrós Björnsdóttir

  9. Veronika Voríšková

  10. Hailey Rolfe

 

The two-time reigning CrossFit Games teen champs top the 16-17-year-old age group. Seventeen-year-olds Ty Jenkins and Olivia Kerstetter excelled in the teen division, jumping up to compete with the big dogs early. 

Kerstetter has been vying for a spot at the Games as an individual since 2022, and Jenkins has now joined her, competing in both the Individual and Age-Group Quarterfinals this year. Although Jenkins did not make the cut, Kertstetter ranked within the top 40 at the Individual Quarterfinal and will compete live in Pasadena, California, at the North America West Semifinal alongside the fittest women in the world. She already has a ticket to the Games in the teen division. Still, if she ranks in the top 10 at the individual Semifinal, she would be the youngest athlete on the field in the Individual Women’s division at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games.

 

 

35-39

Men 

  1. Scott Panchik

  2. Richard Froning Jr.

  3. Lars Kristensen

  4. Sam Dancer

  5. Bryan Wong

  6. Jullien Lopez

  7. Frederik Aegidius

  8. Gintas Petrikas

  9. Josh Marunde

     9.   Adam De Jong

Women

  1. Chyna Cho

  2. Amy Morton

  3. Stacie Tovar

  4. Svetlana Veselova

  5. Caroline Klutz

  6. Laurie Clément

  7. Colette Casey

  8. Dani Horan

  9. Belinda Bekker

  10. Carmen Perez Ruiz

 

The 2023 season has brought some new faces to the 35-39 division, as former individual and team stars are reaching the age of 35. 

Two notable men who ranked within the top 10 during the Age-Group Semifinal are nine-time CrossFit Games athlete Scott Panchik and six-time Affiliate Cup champion on team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom Rich Froning. 

Although Panchik announced his retirement from competitive CrossFit in 2021, he couldn’t call it quits. While he has been focusing his time more on coaching and running his affiliate, Panchik continues to show his athleticism after topping the Men’s 35-39 leaderboard during the Semifinals, punching his 10th ticket to the Games. 

On the women’s side, eight-time Games athlete Chyna Cho will make her ninth appearance at the Games, returning for a second time in the Women’s 35-39 division. The 36-year-old finished the Age-Group Semifinal with a 34-point lead on second-place finisher Amy Morton.

 

Panick at the 2021 CFG

Scott Panchik at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games 

 

40-44

Men 

  1. Samer Zaarour

  2. Rudolph Berger

  3. Franktišek Heribán

  4. Bruno Militao

  5. Micheal Laverriere

  6. Chicho Quesada

  7. Christian Jensen

  8. Caine Hayes

  9. Ryan Woodall

  10. Roy Viger

Women 

  1. Andreia Pinheiro

  2. Jenn Ryan

  3. Rachel Green

  4. Samantha Briggs

  5. Deanna Posey

  6. Rebecca Voigt Miller

  7. Rachel Cesa

  8. Kelly Abney

  9. Hope Cicero

  10. Megan Apostoleris

 

Lebanon’s Samer Zaarour has taken his first Age-Group Semifinal win, up from his second-place finish in 2022, and will be attending his second CrossFit Games. Zaarour finished three of the six tests in first place.

Four men in the 40-44 division have received their first invitations to the CrossFit Games — Bruno Militao from Portugal, Chicho Quesada from Costa Rica, Christian Jensen from Norway, and Roy Viger from the United States.

A few familiar faces have appeared within the top 10 on the women’s side, and U.K. favorite Sam Briggs will be one to watch if she accepts her invitation to the Games in August. Last year, Briggs retired from full-time competitive CrossFit to return to her pre-CrossFit career as a firefighter. Training in her free time, Briggs continues to be a fierce competitor, earning her 11th ticket to the Games after her fourth-place finish at the 2023 Age-Group Semifinal. 

 

Samantha Briggs at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games

Samantha Briggs at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games | Photo by Duke Loren

 

45-49

Men 

  1. Jason Grubb

  2. Christopher Anderson

  3. Gerar Garcia

  4. Mike Kern

  5. David Levy

  6. Ryan Rettke

  7. Justin Lasala

  8. Andrea Di Salvatore

  9. Spencer Whiteley

  10. Vlad Liashkevich

Women 

  1. Kelley Fiel

  2. Danica Rolfe

  3. Laura Nielsen

  4. Merituuli Kallio

  5. Amy Chapoton

  6. Gabriela Azevedo

  7. Luciane Macias

     7.  Carolina Gutierrez

     9. Jaci Cale

     9. Carrie Rieger 

 

Another three men will join the group of rookies headed to the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games from the 45-49 division. Gerar Garcia from Spain has made it past the Quarterfinals stage for the first time, finishing the Semifinals weekend strong in third. Ryan Rettke from the U.S. has competed in six Age-Group Quarterfinals, vying for a spot in Semifinals since 2018. This is the first time he has advanced to Semifinals, and he now holds a ticket to the Games. Italy's Andrea Di Salvatore is the last man to receive his first ticket to the Games out of the 45-49 division. Di Salvatore placed 520th at the 2021 Age-Group Quarterfinal, took a year off, and came back with a vengeance placing fifth at the 2023 Age-Group Quarterfinal and eighth at the Age-Group Semifinal. 

Three women from the 45-49 division will be waving the Brazilian flag proudly at the 2023 Games in August. Gabriela Azevedo finished the Age-Group Semifinal in sixth, and Luciane Macias and Carolina Gutierrez tied for seventh. Azevedo competed at the Games in 2021, but Macias and Gutierrez will be rookies if they accept their invitations. 

 

First-place finisher Jason Grubb at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games

First-place finisher Jason Grubb at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games | Photo by Charlotte Foerschler

 

50-54

Men 

  1. Giulio Silvino

  2. Sean Patrick

  3. Bob Ruano

  4. Artur Komorowski

  5. Nathan Loren

  6. Cory Dague

  7. Clint Paddock

  8. Matt Cia

  9. Jason Leeves

  10. Eric C. Smith

Women 

  1. Kim Purdy

  2. Tea Gebbie

  3. Cheryl Brost

  4. Lori Pruitt

  5. Nicole Abbott

  6. Nathalie Connors

  7. Cindy Hinkle

  8. Julie Rappaport

  9. Tara Gemer

  10. Janne Naomi Rørvik

 

Entering the 50-54 division for the first time this year is five-time Games masters athlete Giulio Silvino, and he has exerted his dominance. Silvino took first place at the Age-Group Quarterfinal and once again at the Age-Group Semifinal. Can he keep the streak alive in Madison?

Sliding into second is the oldest athlete in the division, 54-year-old Sean Patrick. He is 2022’s reigning champion in the 50-54 division and will be vying for a second title this year. 

On the women’s side, Kim Purdy — 2022’s Fittest Woman on Earth in the 50-54 division — has dominated her competition again taking first place for the first time at the Age-Group Quarterfinal and the Age-Group Semifinal. She is on track to defend her title.

 

Kim Purdy at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games

Kim Purdy at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games | Photo by flsportsguy photography

 

 

55-59

Men 

  1. Kevin Koester

  2. Dion Walmsley

  3. Liemerson Caporalli

  4. Jody Hendrix

  5. John Kim

  6. Robert Davis

  7. Art Erickson

     7.  Ryan Joe Hamby

     9.  David Usandizaga

   10. Anders Amren

Women 

  1. Leigh Coates

  2. Alexia Fineman

  3. Shanna Bunce

  4. Jennifer Kawaguchi

  5. Kim Stambaugh

  6. Laurie Meschishnick

  7. Tracy Macuiba

  8. Linda Elstun

  9. Kristi Lunny

  10. Maricruz Prieto

 

Three-time Fittest Man on Earth in the 55-59 division (2017, 2019, 2021) Kevin Koester has returned to competition after taking the 2022 season off, looking to reclaim his crown. He continues to inspire the CrossFit community with his strength and determination at the age of 56. 

 

 

Two women in the 55-59 division entered this season at the tail-end of the division but continue to prove their athleticism. Fifty-nine-year-olds Linda Elstun and Laurie Meschishnick are long-time masters athletes. Elstun has been to the CrossFit Games eight times and Meschishnick nine — both starting their Games careers in the 45-49 division. Both athletes are looking to finish their year strong before moving to the 60-64 division in 2024. 

 

60-64

Men 

  1. Stuart Swanson

  2. Shannon Aiken

  3. Patrick McCarty

  4. Tom Fameree

  5. Eric Cohen

  6. Tony Turski

  7. John Gary

  8. Brian Wilson

  9. Michael Wall

  10. Gerardo Schiatti

Women

  1. Betsy Vanderburgh

  2. Susan Clarke

  3. Judith Tynan

  4. Patricia McGill

  5. Debbie Downing

  6. Georgina Jarden

  7. Lynne Knapman

  8. Yvonne Howard

  9. Giannina Titus

  10. Debbie Corwin

 

Sitting at the top of the Men’s 60-64 leaderboard is CrossFit Level 1 Trainer out of Ocean State CrossFit Stuart Swanson. Competing in the masters division since 2014, Swanson has taken a clean sweep of the 2023 season, coming in first place worldwide in the Open, Age-Group Quarterfinal, and Age-Group Semifinal. He will be seeking his first championship title at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games. 

The women’s 60-64 division is filled with seasoned Games athletes, including five-time Fittest Woman on Earth (55-59 and 60-64 divisions) Susan Clarke and 12-time masters Games athlete Lynne Knapman. Clarke and Knapman finished the 2023 Age-Group Quarterfinal in second and seventh, respectively.

 

Susan Clarke

Susan Clarke at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games

 

65+

Men 

  1. Daniel Miller

  2. Tom Muhlbeier

  3. David Hippensteel

  4. John Mariotti

  5. John George

  6. Freddie Cherry

  7. Mark Peters

  8. Hugo Braun

  9. Jean-Louis Duret

  10. Kevin Cunningham

Women

  1. Pauline Sciascia

  2. Dava Jensen

  3. Julie Holt

  4. Marcia Yager

  5. Karin Gogolsky

  6. Patti Walkover

  7. Silvana Volpe

  8. Carol Lynn Thistle

  9. Page Lockhart

  10. Karen Dawkins

 

The two oldest men to be invited to the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games are breaking barriers in athletics at the age of 67. Nine-time masters Games athlete David Hippensteel holds three championship titles (2016-2018) and continues to be a fierce competitor taking third at the 2023 Age-Group Semifinals. John George from CrossFit Breckenridge has qualified for his first CrossFit Games this year, improving significantly from his 104th placement at the 2022 Age-Group Quarterfinal. 

For the women, two 68-year-olds have punched their tickets to the Games — sixth-place finisher Patti Walkover and seventh-place finisher Silvana Volpe. Walkover has been competing in the masters division since 2016, with a Games appearance just last year. She finished in sixth. Volpe attended the CrossFit Games in 2018 and 2021, finishing 10th in both years. 

 

David Hippensteel

David Hippensteel at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games | Photo by Charlotte Foerschler

 

What’s Next?

Every athlete listed in this article has been invited to compete for the title of Fittest on Earth at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games from Aug. 1-6, and you can watch them compete live in Madison, Wisconsin. Tickets are still available for purchase HERE. 

Check out more information at Games.CrossFit.com. 

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