Jack Hile--College Rugby Player Gets Serious

March 22, 2012

Heidi Jones

Jack Hile is a college student with one eye on his studies, and the other firmly focused on the CrossFit Games.

Hile fell in love with CrossFit a year and a half ago when he joined CrossFit Newton in the winter of 2010. He competed in last year’s Open, but says he didn’t take it seriously. This year, Hile has approached his workouts as a competitive athlete.

His weaknesses last year proved to be rowing, the deadlift and strict presses. This year, he has attacked all three.

Hile is on the rugby team at Connecticut College where he is used to the pain of hard hits and brute strength. He takes this tolerant acceptance of “pain makes you stronger” to his CrossFit workouts. “The most effective way for me to conquer my weaknesses is to just suck it up,” he says. “I know what I hate and I do it until I hate it a little less.”

“The most effective way for me to conquer my weaknesses is to just suck it up ..."

When it comes to CrossFit, Hile tries to think of the zaniest exercises to build strength and stamina like, “finding a log in the woods and bringing it to my shoulders in a workout.” 

He works out at the college gym under the programming of the owner of CrossFit Newton, and then hits up that Box when he is home on break.

CrossFit is not just something Hile does to keep in shape for rugby. In fact, Hile’s lifetime goal is to make it to the Games. His strengths this year are anything bodyweight related and in terms of workouts, he says the longer the duration the more he likes it. That mantra might also describe this college athlete’s future in CrossFit. Hile is in this for the long term and won’t be satisfied until he gets a berth to the Games.

At just 20 years old, Hile is off to a great start. Heading into the final Open workout, he's ranked 20th in the North East. With the top 60 in each region qualifying for Regionals, he's nearly locked in a spot at the next stage of competition. And if his 136 burpees on 12.1 and 420 reps on 12.3's triplet are any indication, he's got a metabolic engine that will be competitive with the region's best.

Hometown: Wellesley, Massachusetts

Team: CrossFit Newton

Squat: 365 pounds

Clean: 265 pounds

Snatch: 205 pounds

Deadlift: 400 pounds

Fran: 3:01

5K 18:43