We are looking at the future of CrossFit. After nine events and three days of competition across four divisions, the fittest teens on Earth have been crowned.
At the close of the day for the younger boys division, 15-year-old Ty Jenkins, who took top five in every event, was proudly waving the American flag at the top of the podium.
Nate Ackermann proved that if you string together enough second-place finishes, you will end up with a first. After logging his sixth second-place finish during Event 9, Ackermann claimed the title of Fittest on Earth in the Boys 16-17 division.
For the girls, Olivia Kerstetter dominated the competition with four event wins in the Girls 14-15 division. And — no surprises here — Emma Lawson became the reigning champion for the Girls 16-17 division.
Read on for event highlights for each age group from the final day of competition.
EVENT 7:
(Boys/Girls 16-17)
For time:
15 bar muscle-ups
30/24-cal. ski erg
100 double-unders
12 bar muscle-ups
30/24-cal. ski erg
100 double-unders
9 bar muscle-ups
30/24-cal. ski erg
100 double-unders
(Boys/Girls 14-15)
For time:
15 bar muscle-ups
25/20-cal. ski erg
100 double-unders
12 bar muscle-ups
25/20-cal. ski erg
100 double-unders
9 bar muscle-ups
25/20-cal. ski erg
100 double-unders
Boys 14-15
Gustavo Pusch shocked the crowd on Day 1. Winning two events, he rose to the top of the leaderboard. But, staying at the top was the hardest part. He struggled in Day 2 and was bumped down to fourth heading into the third and final day. Event 7 was his chance for redemption.
It was a tug-of-war for first place between Pusch and Isaiah Webber, and Pusch needed a win to pull himself into a podium spot. But, Webber was relentless in his pursuit of his first event win. He finished his last set of double-unders just seconds before Pusch and crossed the finish line in first place followed by Pusch in second.
Event 7 Rankings:
1. Isaiah Weber - 11:28.52
2. Gustavo Pusch - 11:40.16
3. Ty Jenkins - 13:06.39
Girls 14-15
Event 7 was not a sprint event, but the teens treated it as one. The pressure was on to gain as many points as possible during the last day of competition.
CompTrain athlete Trista Smith led the girls early in the event. At five feet tall, she had to focus on reaching high to get the most out of each pull of the ski erg and she mastered the technique. She was also dominant on the bar muscle-ups, but it was Olivia Kerstetter who commanded the double-unders, taking the win and earning a much-needed 100 points to push her back to the top of the leaderboard.
“(The double-unders) definitely took time to get used to. I was tripping up a lot at the beginning, trying different techniques like jumping higher or moving my rope faster,” Kerstetter said in a post-event interview with Amanda Krenz. “But as I got further in and more fatigued, they felt more natural.”
Event 7 Rankings:
1. Olivia Kerstetter - 12:15.98
2. Jenna Michelotti - 12:34.97
3. Trista Smith - 12:38.24
Boys 16-17
Nate Ackermann, the overall leader heading into Day 2, proved consistency is key. He had not won a single event heading into Event 7 but still sat atop the leaderboard with a slew of second-place finishes across the previous events. His second-place streak continued in Event 7.
Event 7 was a race between Ackermann and David Bradley — who sat in second overall heading into Day 2 — as they distanced themselves from the pack early in round 1. But, Bradley came out on top, taking the first-place title, with Ackermann left adding another second-place tally to his record.
David Bradley during Event 7 — Photo by Charlotte Foerschler
Event 7 Rankings:
1. David Bradley - 10:55.39
2. Nate Ackermann - 11:23.32
3. Elias Simbürger - 12:48.92
Girls 16-17
Just one spot away from the podium, Sophie Shaft started the final day of competition hungry for a win.
After racing through the bar muscle-ups and 24 ski erg calories, Shaft looked at her judge out of the corner of the eye, waiting for the green light to drop the rope in her last set of double-unders. With the judge’s hand in the air signaling the last few reps, she completed the set and raced to the finish line with a big smile across her face. This was Shaft’s first event win. She finished with a time of 13:08:92.
Sophia Shaft during Event 7 — Photo by Charlotte Foerschler
Event 7 Rankings:
1. Sophia Shaft - 13:08.92
2. Anine Linnea Keen Hansen - 13:13.69
3. Olivia Sulek - 13:41.56
EVENT 8:
Ages 16-17 only
7-min. AMRAP of:
10/8-cal. Echo bike
10 burpee box jump-overs (24/20 in.)
Boys 16-17
Event 8 presented another endurance workout for the 16- to 17-year-olds as they fought for a few more points before the final showdown in Event 9.
David Bradley took the win for the event with Rökkvi Gudnason sliding into second with only three fewer reps than Bradley. Overall leader Nate Ackermann took third place with 108 reps.
Event 8 Standings:
1. David Bradley - 113 reps
2. Rökkvi Gudnason - 110 reps
3. Nate Ackermann - 108 reps
Girls 16-17
It was another race between Emma Lawson and Olivia Sulek in Event 8 — a race that could determine who would become the champion of the Girls 16-17 division. Sulek was at Lawson’s heels, just 30 points out from the first-place spot.
Both athletes were battling for the top spot, and Sulek came out on top with a score of 97 reps, just 1 rep more than Lawson. However, the event win was not enough to close the gap and take the overall lead from Lawson. Sulek remained in second heading into the final event.
Event 8 Rankings:
1. Olivia Sulek - 97 reps
2. Emma Lawson - 96 reps
3. Sophia Shaft - 93 reps
EVENT 9:
Ages 16-17
For time:
10-8-6-4-2
Wall walks
Thrusters (185/135 lb.)
Ages 14-15
For time:
10-8-6-4-2
Wall walks
Thrusters (135/95 lb.)
Boys 14-15
After making its debut in the 2021 Open, the wall walk has proven to be a good test for athletes this year. It challenges an athlete’s composure, and starting too quickly, especially in a descending rep scheme, can cause issues.
The 14- to 15-year-old boys learned this lesson quickly, and as the clock continued to tick, you could see them fatiguing, many flopping on the ground after each rep.
For first- and second-place leaders Ty Jenkins and Isaiah Weber, this event picked at their weaknesses. The barbell cost Jenkins precious seconds in the last few rounds, bumping him down to a fifth-place finish. Weber was caught on the wall walks and finished just seconds before the time cap at 10:46:52. He took sixth.
Both athletes have been consistent throughout the competition and were able to stay atop the leaderboard despite their Event 9 finishes.
Meanwhile, RJ Mestre and Gustavo Pusch shined in the event, taking first and second place, respectively. This placement was essential for Pusch, as it bumped him into a podium position.
RJ Mestre during Event 9 — Photo by Charlotte Foerschler
Event 9 Rankings:
1. RJ Mestre - 08:27.16
2. Gustavo Pusch - 08:36.28
3. Rafael Candeias - 08:55.72
Girls 14-15
Lucy McGonigle and Olivia Kerstetter had a mad fight to the finish heading into the last event. McGonigle needed to beat Kerstetter by two places to take the lead and win the title of Fittest on Earth for the Girls 14-15 division.
Kerstetter held on tight to her lead, finished her last few reps of thrusters, and crossed the finish line in 6:14.86. She became the champion in the Girls 14-15 division. McGonigle raced across the finish line in second place, sealing the second-place podium spot.
Olivia Kerstetter during Event 9 — Photo by Meg Ellery
Event 9 Rankings:
1. Olivia Kerstetter - 06:14.86
2. Lucy McGonigle - 06:40.47
3. Bianca Miller - 06:53.23
Boys 16-17
In Event 9, the spotlight was on Elijah Subiono, who moved the 185-lb. thruster as if it was an empty barbell. Finishing in 9:57.22, Subiabo secured his first event win.
“I’ve been training wall walks ever since they showed up in the Open,” Subiono told sideline reporter Amanda Krenz after the event. “I knew at some point they would come back.”
Event 9 Rankings:
1. Elijah Subiono - 09:57.22
2. Nate Ackermann - 10:44.16
3. Hiko O Te Rangi Curtis - CAP+2
Girls 16-17
Paulina Haro, known at home as “the girl who lifts a lot,” did not disappoint in this shoulder-fatiguing event.
She finished with an impressive time of 7:21.97, over a minute faster than second-place finisher Jadzia Onorati-Phillips. After jumping over her bar and crossing the finish line, Haro grabbed the Mexican flag and waved it to the crowd with pride while tears of joy ran down her face. That placement secured her a spot on the podium.
Paulina Haro during Event 9 — Photo by Meg Ellery
Event 9 Rankings:
1. Paulina Haro - 07:21.97
2. Jadzia Onorati - 08:48.06
3. Emma Lawson - 09:03.06
Overall Standings After Day 3
Boys 14-15
1. Ty Jenkins (610 pts.)
2. Isaiah Weber (570 pts.)
3. Gustavo Pusch (565 pts.)
Photo by flsportsguy photography
Girls 14-15
1. Olivia Kerstetter (585 pts.)
2. Lucy McGonigle (560 pts.)
3. Hailey Rolfe (520 pts.)
Photo by flsportsguy photography
Boys 16-17
1. Nate Ackermann (815 pts.)
2. David Bradley (755 pts.)
3. Hiko O Te Rangi Curtis (685 pts.)
Photo by flsportsguy photography
Girls 16-17
1. Emma Lawson (825 pts.)
2. Olivia Sulek (780 pts.)
3. Paulina Haro (670 pts.)
Photo by flsportsguy photography
Cover photo by Meg Ellery