North Central Scouting Report

February 14, 2012

Alex Tubbs and Jake Woolfenden

 

 

Being a veteran competitor doesn’t guarantee you anything in CrossFit. 

 

Ginny King

 

Megan John

 

Bobby Noyce

 

Nell Shuttleworth

 

 

 

 

The 2011 Regionals proved to be a difficult test for everyone. Heavy weights and high skill movements exposed the weaknesses of many athletes who performed well in the Open. With a year to train their weaknesses you can bet these veterans will be ready. Being a veteran, however, doesn’t guarantee you anything in CrossFit. It’s proven time and time again that unknown athletes can come out of the woodwork and surprise everyone. Here are a few athletes who you are likely to hear more about throughout the season.

Jared Stevens
 
Jared Stevens has gone all-in with his CrossFit training. A former European Football League (EFL) player, body-builder, and strength and conditioning coach, Stevens has focused all of this experience at a chance of being the Fittest on Earth.  Having recently opened an affiliate in Ozark, Mo., (CrossFit 417), he has given himself completely to the CrossFit training method.  He acknowledges he has a natural bent toward strength-biased workouts, however he has been programming a lot of skill work and threshold WODS to work his weaknesses. Having CrossFitted for less than a year, Stevens has been taking part in a few offseason competitions, including the WOD Club Open where he placed 16th in order to prepare for the competitive environment of the 2012 season.  Stevens expects to use his experience playing college and professional football as an advantage on “game days” throughout the Open.  Watch for Stevens to use this long-term athleticism to quickly show progress in the sport with proven results in the North Central Region.    
 
Age: 27
Height: 6’
Weight: 210
 
Diane: 5:23
Fran: 2:53
Grace: 1:18
Deadlift: 500
Back Squat: 475 
Bench Press: 365
Clean and Jerk: 335
Snatch: 225
 
Bobby Noyce
 
“The human body is capable of incredible things and through CrossFit, we are disproving limitations that we all thought were impossible,” says Bobby Noyce of CrossFit 515 in Des Moines, Iowa. “I really enjoy doing things that people think are crazy and wonder why you would even want to do that.”
 
At Regionals in 2011, he finished 3rd place on Event 4, but came in last place on the thruster ladder. This offseason, Noyce has been working on becoming a more well rounded athlete. “I do not really stay strict to any strength program, just pick a movement I feel I haven't done relatively recently and try to go heavy, seems to be working.” If you look at his numbers, strength will not be a weakness this year.
 
Age: 22
Height: 6'
Weight: 190
 
Annie: 3:57, 6:44 (GHDs), 14:17 (Triples/GHDs)
Barbara: 24:46
Diane: 4:54
DT: 9:28
Fran: 2:16
Linda: 22:49 (9/15/10, squat cleans)
Nancy: 9:25
Grace: 2:01
Deadlift: 500#
Back Squat: 415#
Bench Press: 275#
Clean and Jerk: 255#
Snatch: 185#
1001 Burpees: 73:54 
 
Ryan Davis
 
Two short years ago, Ryan Davis of CrossFit Springfield in Springfield, Ill., looked at his 5-foot 9-inch, 284-pound self in the mirror and realized he needed to make a change. Going into the 2012 CrossFit Open, Davis is down to 190 pounds and is literally kicking ass in the gym.  Now a full-time fire fighter, Davis is using the same focus, determination, and discipline he used to drop nearly 100 pounds toward a shot at the 2012 Games.  Having utilized the 2011 season as an opportunity to identify weaknesses and improve upon his CrossFit skills, he is more well rounded and his overall capacity has continued to increase.  In late 2010, the idea of doing Fran RX’d would have been nothing more than a crazy dream.  One week ago Ryan PR’d with a time of 2:17, as prescribed.  With this much proven determination, Ryan Davis is one to watch in the 2012 North Central Open.      
Age: 26
Height: 5'9
Weight: 190
 
Fran: 2:17
Grace: 1:53
Deadlift: 455
Back Squat: 455
Bench Press: 275
Clean and Jerk: 265
Front squat: 365 x5
Overhead Squat: 285
Snatch: 205
Fight Gone Bad: 406 
Air Force WOD 4:18 
 
Ginny King
 
CrossFit OKC’s in Edmond, Okla., Ginny King is ready to redeem her performance from last year. She was her own worst enemy at Regionals. “I lost focus during the Thruster WOD and found myself starring at a ‘frozen at eye level’ bar, a thruster weight that I can at least five rep any day.” King says. “Instead of having a thruster of 155 and finishing in the top five on WOD 2, I finished 17th. Even though I tried to shake it off, I let that mistake creep into my mind the rest of the weekend.” 
 
King came into Regionals in 4th and left in 8th place. This year she’s been working on her weaknesses, both mental and physical, so she can reach her goal of making it to the Games.
 
Age: 29
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 132
 
Annie: 5:35
Diane: 7:09
Fran: 2:52 
Nancy: 13:35
Grace: 2:52
Fight Gone Bad: 372
Karen: 7:09
Elizabeth: 9:07
Cindy: 21 + 6 squats
 
Front Squat: 205
Thruster: 155
Deadlift: 310
Back Squat: 235
Bench Press: 145
Clean and Jerk: 165
Snatch: 135
 
Megan John
 
Megan John, of CrossFit Manhattan Kansas, is no stranger to CrossFit competitions. She has been competing since 2010 and is looking to better her 4th place finish at Regionals last year. This offseason Megan has been working Skip Miller of Front Range CrossFit (Denver). She has also attended all of their CrossFit camps. 
 
Age: 32
Height: 4'10.75"
Weight: 120
 
Annie: 5:25
Diane: 6:34 
DT: 9:34 
Fran: 3:25 
Nancy: 10:54 
Grace: 2:27 
 
Deadlift: 303
Back Squat: 255 (Low Bar)/230 (High Bar)
Bench Press: 148
Clean and Jerk: 154
Snatch: 123 
Front Squat: 205
 
Nell Shuttleworth
 
You wouldn’t think that a Boston Marathon qualifier could also be a competitive CrossFitter, but Nell Shuttleworth of Chi-Town CrossFit will prove you wrong. She had a solid 16th place finish at last years Regionals, and a 1st place finish at the Garage Games – War of the WODs.  
 
Shuttleworth uses CrossFit as a training tool for her endurance events. She explains, “I only do CrossFit three times a week (maybe four if I feel up to it).  I ride my bike one to two times a week in the winter, swim one to two times a week, and run once a week.  In the summer, I row on the water as much as I can.”  This year she’s excited to put her training to the test.
 
Age:  33
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 135
 
Annie:  6:38
Diane:  8:26
Fran:  6:13  (95 pounds)
Nancy:  16:46
Deadlift:  285
Back Squat: 220
Clean and Jerk:  135
Snatch:  95
2k Row: 7:19
Marathon:  3:37