Open Workout 12.3 proved to be the longest and arguably the most punishing workout in CrossFit Games Open history.
Surprises abound in this year’s CrossFit Games Open. The first 2 weeks saw workouts comprised of just one movement and lots of new names on the Leaderboard. Week 3 definitely took things into a new direction with the announcement of the 18-minute AMRAP triplet that was Workout 12.3.
This proved to be the longest and arguably the most punishing workout in CrossFit Games Open history. When the final buzzer sounded ending the week of competition, the Leaderboard began to take a more familiar shape.
WOMEN
In the women’s competition, perennial North West Regional powerhouse Ashleigh Moe of CrossFit Skagit bested the rest of the field by 30 reps. This performance puts her in 1st place in the region and 46th worldwide.
Former Division I javelin thrower, Alicia Staton boosted her own place in the regional standings, as well as that of her CrossFit Spokane Valley team with a 4th place finish in Workout 12.3, which has her sitting in 3rd place overall, regionally.
MEN
Kevin Simons hangs onto 1st place in the North West with a 439-rep performance on Workout 12.3. Simons’ 12.3 performance only placed him 93rd worldwide, but he continues to ride the wave of his scores from the first 2 workouts and now finds himself in 11th place worldwide.
Breathing down Simons’ neck is a relative newcomer in CrossFit Tulalip Bay’s Apollo Lewis. A score of 453 reps placed Lewis 2nd in the region for workout 12.3 and 2nd in the overall regional standings. Rounding out the top 3 men is Kevin Longmaier of CrossFit Spokane Valley.
TEAMS
CrossFit Fort Vancouver appears to be establishing themselves as the team to beat in the North West this year. They now hold a 9-point advantage over 2nd place CrossFit Intensify.
Fort Vancouver capped off a 3rd place finish in Week 1 and a 2nd place finish in Week 2 by setting the highest team score for workout 12.3 at 2366 reps. CrossFit Spokane Valley, fueled by the top 3 overall placings of Kevin Longmaier and Alicia Staton, moved up the Leaderboard to 5th in the region.
MASTERS
The women of the North West are certainly making a name for themselves in the Masters categories. Consistently dominant performances have 3 women in very strong contention for repeat performances in Carson, Calif.
CrossFit Bellevue’s Janice Spray continues her streak in the top 3 of the women’s 45-49 Leaderboard. A 2nd place finish on Workout 12.3 has her sitting in 3rd place overall.
Laurie Carver, 2010 CrossFit Games Masters Champion, from Northwest CrossFit made a big impression on Workout 12.3. Carver put a full 41-rep gap between her and the 2nd place finisher in the women’s 50-54 age group. She now moves up the rankings to 9th place.
Susan Habbe out of CrossFit Emergence sits fairly comfortably in 5th place in the women’s 50-54.
Rainier CrossFit’s Jim McCarry benefitted from another top 10 finish in Workout 12.3 to secure an 8th place worldwide ranking in the men’s 60-plus division.
With the worldwide competition now more than half completed, the athletes find themselves in a challenging position. Those at the top must be careful not to rest on their laurels and current high standings. There are many who are lurking just outside of those top 60 spots and they are hungry for a chance to compete at the Puyallup Fairgrounds in May. Those who are fighting to make the top 60 have only 2 workouts remaining to stake their claim on a Regionals invitation. The final 2 weeks of the CrossFit Games Open are going to be spicy to say the least.
