There are some new faces popping up in SoCal this year. Keep an eye on these men and women.
Above photos by Michael Brian (Pictured above: Joey Altobelli)
Pictured above: Anne Marie May
Pictured above: Amanda Barelli
Pictured above: Chris Brown
Pictured above: Ryan Lee
Pictured above: Anneke Marvin
Pictured above: Henry "Hank" Lopez
Pictured above: Sherry Herrin
The CrossFit Games season is about to begin and SoCal is ready. Along with the top athletes in the region, there are a few new faces to keep an eye on in this year’s Open.
Women
Amanda Barelli
Five-year CrossFitter Amanda Barelli has made it to Regionals every season since 2009, when she was on the winning team with Northwest CrossFit at the Ranch in Aromas.
At the 2012 SoCal Regional, Barelli was slated to do well as an individual, but passed out due to heat exhaustion after Event 4 and ended up in 31st place overall.
Recovered and focusing on her strength, Barelli is training at CrossFit Ethos Ladera Ranch. Two months ago, she switched from a combination of her own programming plus main site, to the Outlaw Way. She has since seen PRs such as a 135-lb. snatch, 175-lb. clean and jerk and a 225-lb. squat.
Squat: 225 lb.
Deadlift: 285 lb.
Clean and Jerk: 175 lb.
Snatch: 135 lb.
Diane: 4:09
Cindy: 21 rounds
Grace: 2:05
400-meter Sprint: 0:59
800-meter Sprint: 2:25
Mile: 5:40
Anneke Marvin
Anneke Marvin, 37, recently took first place in an Olympic lifting meet. She also won every workout at the California Affiliate League Partner Competition in November. Marvin is the co-owner of CrossFit Temecula South, a coach on Coach Burgener's Olympic Lifting Certification staff, a former Marine officer and a college track star. She was on track to qualify for last year’s Regional. However, just before Open Workout 12.5, Marvin crashed on a dirt bike and split her arm open from elbow to wrist.
This year, she has vowed to avoid pulling any crazy stunts. Specifically training for Regionals with multiple workouts per day under coach Casey Parlett, Marvin “feels like things are right this year.”
Squat: 225 lb.
Deadlift: 275 lb.
Clean and Jerk: 170 lb.
Snatch: 132 lb.
Isabel: 3.09
Cindy: 25 rounds
Anne Marie May
As a former All-American Division-1 collegiate swimmer, and two-time U.S. Olympic Team Trials participant, Anne Marie May of CrossFit Pacific Coast in Santa Barbara, Calif., started CrossFit three months ago. A few weeks in, she finished Grace in 2:51, and nailed a 165-lb. push press just after learning the movement.
May also performed her first muscle-up on a whim just before she started CrossFit.
Deadlift: 300 lb.
Clean: 175 lb.
Fran: 5:37
Grace: 2:51
Jackie: 7:47
Sherry Herrin
In 2011, Sherry Herrin, won the Women’s Masters Division of all four Next Level Invitational events in Southern California. This year, 42-year-old Herrin entered the Advanced Women’s rather than Masters division, and still swept first. At the OC Throwdown, Herrin made another big showing in the Masters division, taking sixth.
This year will be Herrin’s first time entering the Open and she is aiming for the Home Depot Center.
“Doing well in competition brings credence to me and provides me with the power to inspire belief and trust in extraordinary effort,” she says.
Back Squat: 185 lb.
Deadlift: 290 lb.
Snatch: 120 lb.
Clean and Jerk: 160 lb.
Men
Henry “Hank” Lopez
At 5-foot-5-inches and 160 pounds, Henry “Hank” Lopez finished eighth in the Open and seventh at the Mid Atlantic Regional last year. He’s since moved to Southern California for school, and abandoned his home garage for CrossFit Invictus.
During the 2012 NorCal Holiday Invitational, Lopez suffered a shoulder dislocation. Instead of calling it quits, Lopez reset his shoulder and helped Team Invictus take first place at the competition.
Front Squat: 352 lb.
Deadlift: 485 lb.
Clean and Jerk: 286 lb.
Snatch: 229 lb.
Fran: 2:21
Fight Gone Bad: 471
Max Muscle-ups: 24
Max Pull-ups: 81
500-meter Row: 1:31
Joey Altobelli
After last year’s Open, Joey Altobelli was unhappy with his 103rd-place finish in SoCal. At the time, he was busy opening his affiliate, CrossFit Intersect.
Now that CrossFit Intersect is up and running, Altobelli has dedicated his time to intensive training, and has since claimed podium spots in SoCal at Beach Cities Battle (first), the Next Level Invitational (third) and the Winter Shakedown (second).
In the months leading up to this year’s Games season, Altobelli followed a combination of Outlaw and CrossFit Invictus programming. He has recently switched to following CrossFit Invictus exclusively.
Squat: 415 lb.
Deadlift: 500 lb.
Press: 205 lb.
Clean and Jerk: 325 lb.
Snatch: 265 lb.
Fran: 2:59
Diane: 3:34
Grace: 1:37
Isabel: 2:18
Chris Brown
When Chris Brown took 30th at the 2012 SoCal Regional, he felt underprepared with his “random programing.” This year, under Coach Bryan Boorstein and alongside training partners Kenneth Leverich and Ryan Fischer, a more determined Brown is making huge gains in both his strength and metabolic conditioning. At the 2012 Regionals, Brown finished Diane in 5:16; he now has a sub-three-minute Diane.
Armed with a 310-lb. clean and jerk and a 2:11 Fran, Brown says he’s ready.
“Structure and planning are the key. There is a plan every day, week, month and training cycle. When you trust the program, the coaching and the system, all I have to do is show up and give the hard work necessary to succeed.”
Squat: 425 lb.
Deadlift: 475 lb.
Clean and Jerk: 300 lb.
Snatch: 240 lb.
Fran: 2:11
Grace: 2:08
Helen: 7:07
Filthy Fifty: 17:20
Fight Gone Bad: 412
Max Pull-ups: 48
400-meter Sprint: 1:03
5K Run: 18:00
Ryan Lee
Ryan Lee surprised the region by taking second place in the Legendary Competitor’s Next Level Invitational Competition in SoCal in February. This former Sergeant was introduced to CrossFit last year when his commander hung a set of rings in one of Saddam Hussein's old palaces. Lee was the only man there to complete a muscle-up.
Now back in America and a member of Orange Coast CrossFit, Lee combines his box’s regular programing with main site programming. He has increased his running and lifting to strengthen his endurance and speed.
Squat: 345 lb.
Deadlift: 405 lb.
Press: 210 lb.
Bench: 315 lb.
Power Clean: 240 lb.
Fran: 3:03
Grace: 2:32
Helen: 7:40
800-meter Sprint: 2:23
1-Mile Run: 5:35
