The competition is tight in the North West with numerous ties in Events 2 and 3.
The races for the podium got tighter on Friday afternoon, as the athletes tackled the strength and skill needed for both overhead squats and burpee muscle-ups. The men’s race especially remains tight, with six men tying for first in Event 2.
Team
All the women and men hit the floor together for two back-to-back seven minute competitions in which the women tackle Event 2, the 3-rep max overhead squat ladder, and the men swing into Event 3, a burpee muscle-up AMRAP. After a two minute transition the genders swap and complete the other event.
Led by a crowd pleasing overhead squat triple of 295 pounds by Jerome Perryman, CrossFit Fort Vancouver takes another number one spot (1235) on Event 2. Spokane Valley and Jet City occupied the number two (1190) and number three (1180) spots, respectively for Event 2. CrossFit Coeur d’Alene proves they are a powerhouse in the region coming in fourth (1170). Event 2 was a tie in the fifth spot (1150) between Intensify Team A and CrossFit Bellevue.
Jet City takes the top billing in Event 3 with 104 combined burpee muscle up reps with CrossFit Fort Vancouver coming in second with one less rep.
Event 3 also brought some new teams to the limelight including an elated Boise CrossFit. Not many teams have three women that can continue to move through the burpee muscle-ups. Petra Jauregui admitted, “I’ve been the one person on our team who has struggled with the burpee muscle-ups. I can be hit or miss with them and today it was all clicking just in the nick of time.” Jauregui’s teammate Courtney Yamada-Anderson agreed, “It all hinged on Petra and she really stepped up.”
CrossFit Intensify continues to push the competition again tying but this time with team C-FLO for 96 reps each. At least one athlete, Natalie Hanson from CrossFit Alaska, successfully completed her first ever muscle up in Event 3. Hanson is known for her strength, being the national powerlifting record holder in her weight class, and the crowd went wild when she bridged that gap into the world of advanced gymnastics movements.
After three events the top teams are familiar and all are capable of making big moves in future events. CrossFit Fort Vancouver holds the top spot, followed closely by Jet City, Spokane Valley, Intensify Team A, and CrossFit Coeur d’Alene, respectively.
Event 2
1. CrossFit Fort Vancouver (1235.00)
2. Jet City (1190.00)
3. Spokane Valley (1180.00)
Event 3
1. Jet City (104)
2. CrossFit Fort Vancouver (103)
3. Boise CrossFit (97)
Women
Event 2 for the North West women reorganized the Leaderboard, as several of the athletes’ lifting strengths were clearly evident.
Kelsey Nagel, who was 36th after Event 1, was atop the Leaderboard at 195.20. Jodi Buschko, Samantha Petersen and Roselle Fryberg all finished in the top ten, with a 4-way tie for seventh place. All three had been in the bottom third after Event 1. The fourth in the tie was current leader Emily Carothers.
Several athletes chose the strategy of making their first lift heavy, which had mixed results for athletes in the various heats. The most success with that approach was in Heat 4, specifically for Nagel, Kendall Burnham, and Rory Zambard.
Burnham’s lift was a PR at 190. She was happy with the lift, but wanted more reps of the burpee muscle-ups. “It was a fun little nasty combo!”
The 30 burpee/muscle-ups again reset the order and at the buzzer it was current leader Carothers tied with Lindsey Vaughan for first place in Event 3. Vaughan in Heat 2 matched Carothers time of 7:02. Zambard was one second behind at 7:03, with Karen McCadam in fourth with 7:04. The rest of the top twenty scores held a 4-way tie for 8th and a 5-way tie for 13th.
The Leaderboard at the end of Day 1 shows a tight race for the top spots for the women, setting up the events on Day 2 as not-to-miss events as the completion continues.
Event 2
1. Kelsey Nagel (195.20)
2. Kendall Burnham (190.30)
3. Jodi Buschko (185.30)
Event 3
1T. Emily Carothers and Lindsey Vaughan (7:02)
3. Rory Zambard (7:03)
4. Karen McCadam (7:04)
Men
The top men entered Event 2 ready to lift heavy and make their mark for the fight to the podium. Ten of the top 12 men started their overhead squat weight at 255 pounds and just kept adding from there.
Kevin Simons quickly lifted the 255 pounds and jerked it overhead, squatting with a narrow grip. He moved up in 10 pound increments, successfully completing three overhead squats at 285, tying five others for first place.
The men’s race through 30 burpee muscle-ups was determined by two words: Keep moving. The top three in the event came in Heat 3 - Cody Anderson finished all 30 in 4:14, Bo Meredith in 4:46, and Dan Sagers in 4:53.
The last heat saw the top men scramble through the muscle-ups to move their way up in the rankings. Bryan Miller was the first man in the last heat to make his way to the mat, which placed him first overall at the end of the day.
Ryan Swobody, who finished first in Event One and third overall at the end of the day, says he had a great day. “The overhead squats were my biggest worry and I was able to PR, which was a huge confidence boost,” he says. Heading into tomorrow, “I’ll continue taking it one workout at a time and try not to overthink anything,” And as we can see from these North West men, one workout can make a big difference.
Event 2
1T. Jesse Disch, Kevin Simons, Bryan Miller, Andy Rosenbaum, Austin Stack, and Ben Stoneberg (285.30)
Event 3
1. Cody Anderson (4:14)
2. Bo Meredith (4:46)
3. Dan Sagers (4:53)
Overall Standings
After Day 1, CrossFit Fort Vancouver holds a slight lead over Jet City by two points. The women’s top three continues to shift, with a tight race between Carothers and Zambard. But the top four in the men’s competition is only separated by five points, and with three spots open to Carson, these men will give everything they have on days two and three.
Men
1. Bryan Miller (13)
2. Ben Stoneberg (14)
3T. Kevin Simons and Ryan Swobody (18)
5. Jesse Disch (30)
5. Jesse Disch (30)
Women
1. Emily Carothers (9)
2. Rory Zambard (10)
3. Kendall Burnham (19)
4. Karen McCadam (20)
5. Cheryl Brost (24)
4. Karen McCadam (20)
5. Cheryl Brost (24)
Team
1. CrossFit Fort Vancouver (4)
2. Jet City (6)
3. Spokane Valley (12)
4. Intensify Team A (13)
5. CrossFit Coeur d'Alene (18)
4. Intensify Team A (13)
5. CrossFit Coeur d'Alene (18)
