Regional Report: North East Athletes Show Efficiency and Power

May 25, 2012

Keka Schermerhorn

New names are atop the Leaderboard in the North East after Day 1.
 

After a brief downpour, North East Regional athletes were not dissuaded and Event 2 proved to be exciting as the heavy cleans drove a larger wedge between athletes.

Men
 
With home-field advantage and the benefit of his height, Spencer Hendel was the first off the rower in his Heat 5 and able to hold on to the lead, securing a 1st-place finish in Event 2.
 
“I did this WOD with Austin Malleolo and came in at 13:39, so this is a PR of over a minute for me,” Hendel says. “This is my fourth Regional and fourth region and I feel really good about today.”
 
After wrapping up the workout and catching his breath, Hendel walked over to Malleolo’s lane to cheer on his fellow Reebok CrossFit One trainer. Daniel Tyminski edged out Malleolo and Eric Magee with a 2nd-place finish. Tyminski blazed through the pistols and was methodical on his 225-lb. cleans. Still, Malleolo’s 4th-place finish in the workout was enough to keep him at the top of the Leaderboard.
 
Heat 4 saw an incredible performance by Christian Harris, even though he said he thought his performance was awful and not as planned.
 
Top three overall at the end of Day 1 are Malleolo, Magee and David Charbonneau.
 
Women
 
Event 2 saw plenty of women not completing the workout.
 
The combination of the long row, the necessary efficiency in the one-legged squats, as well as the strength and technique required for the 135-lb. cleans proved to be a bust for many.
 
Jessica McNabney was first off the rower in Heat 1, but reached the event time cap just one rep short of completing the workout, with many athletes still out on the field with her. Smaller athletes like Kelsey Bennett, were forced to squat clean every rep. 
 
Kaleena Ladeairous was fluid and efficient in her pistols, which helped her earn the best Event 2 time of the day at 12:47.
 
The third women’s heat was the only one in which everyone completed the workout within the time cap. It also was the heat with the scoreboard leaders.
 
Top three overall at the end of Day 1 are Alicia Gomes, Jessa Lemoine and Jenny Davis.
 
Team
 
After winning the Open, but finishing Event 1 in 16th place, Shoreline CrossFit came out strong in Event 2. 
Had she not tripped coming off her one-legged squats, the team would have broken the world record, says Games veteran Lauren Plumey.
Plumey, the self-proclaimed slowest rower in the team, had her eyes on CrossFit New England team the whole time.
“I was on the rower when CFNE had 5 cleans left and I knew 135-lb. was easier for me than 225-lb. was for them, so I knocked out 15 reps before (James Hobart) could do his 5.”
Shoreline finished the workout in first place at 16:56, 3 seconds behind the current world record. CFNE was hot on Shoreline’s heels at 17:15.
Top three overall at the end of Day 1 are CFNE, CrossFit Milford and BKAthletics.