Run, Climb, Lift: Masters Master Day 1

For the masters of the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games, it didn’t matter if they’d seen three- or six-something decades — they were going to run. 

The first event was a simple test of endurance. Depending on division, masters athletes had 40 minutes to run 3 (60-64, 65+), 3.75 (50-54, 55-59) or 4.5 (35-39, 40-44, 45-49) miles. The divisions shared the course — start times staggered by about a half a minute — and finish times across the field ranged from just over 20 minutes to past the 40-minute mark. 

In the second event of the day, the masters climbed high and lifted heavy — with each division performing a version of a 20-foot rope climb and 5 deadlifts at 255 lb. or more. A 1-rep-max snatch closed out the day’s events, and nothing says “inspirational” more than a field of grandmothers and grandfathers tossing more than half their body weight overhead. 

While event wins went to new names in several divisions, at the end of Day 1, the master’s leaderboard has already begun to take familiar form, with multiyear champions and top finishers sitting in podium spots. 

Standings After Day 1

Men 35-39

1. Kyle Kasperbauer (260 pts.)

2. Adrian Conway (225 pts.)

3. František Heriban (220 pts.)

Women 35-39

1. Whitney Gelin (265 pts.)

2. Lauren Gravatt (260 pts.)

3. Kelley Jackson (230 pts.) 

Men 40-44

1. Nathan Beveridge (250 pts.)

2. David Johnston (230 pts.)

3. Guido Trinidad (230 pts.)

Women 40-44

1. Ana C. Caldas (255 pts.)

2. Rebecca Voigt Miller (255 pts.)

3. Kelly Friel (255 pts.) 

Men 45-59 

1. Mike Kern (275 pts.)

2. Jason Grubb (255 pts.) 

3. Alan Bates (230 pts.)

Women 45-49

1. Ali Crawford (265 pts.)

2. Tessa Te Kahu (230 pts.)

3. Danica Rolfe (215 pts.)

Men 50-54

1. Brent Maier (275 pts.)

2. Kevin Koester (250 pts.)

3. Bernard Luzi (230 pts.)

Women 50-54

1. Joyanne Cooper (270 pts.)

2. Tia Vesser (240 pts.) 

3. Carrie Sandoval (230 pts.)

Men 55-59

1. Bruce Beaton (235 pts.)

2. Vincent Diephuis (230 pts.)

3. Ron Ortiz (210 pts.)

Women 55-59

1. Joanne McCullough (265 pts.)

2. Laurie Meschishnick (245 pts.)

3. Shanna Bruce (230 pts.)

Men 60-64

1. Will Powell (275 pts.)

2. Rolando Gonzalez (250 pts.)

3. Christian Galy (245 pts.)

Women 60-64

1. Susan Clarke (290 pts.)

2. Litsa Olsson (270 pts.)

3. Bianca Williams (265 pts.)

Men 65+

1. George Koch (275 pts.)

2. Thomas Ackerman (275 pts.)

3. David Hippensteel (240 pts.) 

Women 65+

1. Lidia Beer (280 pts.)

2. Patty Bauer (240 pts.)

3. Marcia Walker (235 pts.)

Cover photo by flsportsguy photography