Week Four in Review: Canada West

April 1, 2013

Chris Cooper

For the third week in a row, the same two men are in first and second in Canada West.
 

For the third week in a row, Mark Cassibo and Joe Scali are first and second in Canada West.

Though the rest of the top 10 Individual males looks almost identical to the 2012 Leaderboard – Jason Cain, Robert Perovich, Tyson Takasaki, Nate Beveridge and Lucas Parker – Cassibo and Scali have consistently demonstrated high proficiency throughout the Open. They finished tied for third in the region on 13.4 with 108 reps. Could one or both earn a ticket to Carson, Calif., in 2013?

Jolaine Bloom’s 104 reps earned her a first-place finish in Canada West on 13.4. It was her first top score in the 2013 Open, and shows her preference for weightlifting. Her next best finish was fifth place on 13.1 – burpees and snatches. Bloom’s overall ranking is counterbalanced by 28th and 38th-place finishes on 13.2 and 13.3, but should be a real threat to Alicia Connors, Angie Pye and Emily Beers at Regionals in June.

Bloom, who competes in the Masters 40-44 Division, is one of three women of that age who rank in the top 11 in Canada West. Nancy McKeage, Jennifer Dober and Bloom are all candidates for the podium in the Individual Women's competition at Regionals, but all currently sit in the top 20 worldwide for Masters 40-44, and may not have to compete at Regionals. Add Jennifer Swagar into the mix (currently 25th worldwide in Women’s 40-44), and Canada West has the potential to send four women to Carson in one category.

Murray Howes (Masters Men 45-49) continued to dominate his category, winning his fourth Open workout in a row. He’s the last undefeated athlete in Canada West, but currently ranked 42nd worldwide in his age group, he’s not likely to qualify for Carson in 2013.

CrossFit Calgary may well be the noisiest affiliate in Canada West this week. Two athletes – Brett Marshall and Shelly Fleming – sit within a point of their respective rivals for the last Regionals spot. Marshall enjoys a one-point advantage over Trevor Sopracolle of PURE Fitness CrossFit; Fleming is currently ranked 49th with 240 points, a point behind Sharen Leung of Sheepdog.

The Fraser Valley Centaurs won their third event out of four on 13.4, though not with their usual margin. Team Taranis made the event a close one, finishing with six fewer reps than the Centaurs. CrossFit 204 rests in third, but the gap between first and 10th in the region is not large; any of the top 10 teams stands a reasonable chance of qualifying for the Games. Regionals will be a barn-burner regardless of week five’s outcome.