Week Two in Review: North West

March 5, 2012

Dan & Amy Hollingsworth

One lone male competitor in the North West Region was able to break the 90-rep barrier. 

What a difference a week can make. Week 2 of the CrossFit Games Open has come to a close and the Leaderboards have been shaken up a bit. What started out as a gymnast’s game was quickly handed over to the weightlifters. The North West Region saw some early stars fade a bit, but workout 12.2 was also an opportunity for regional standouts to state their case.  

HITTING 90-PLUS

For the men of the North West Region, the max weight of 210 pounds proved to be too lofty of a load. One lone male competitor, Mike Wild of High Desert CrossFit was able to break the 90-rep barrier, landing one snatch at that weight.

The women of the North West fared a bit better than the men, with 13 women crossing the 90-rep mark. Kelsey Nagel of Lynnwood CrossFit and Samantha Petersen from CrossFit Whidbey Island led the region by snatching the max load of 120 pounds seven times for a score of 97. This put them in a worldwide 10-way tie for 25th place on 12.2. Alexandra Seal put up the 3rd best score at 95 reps.

BIG JUMPS

Workout 12.2 afforded the weightlifters and all-around athletes the chance to vault several places in the regional standings. Apollo Lewis of Tulalip Bay CrossFit leapt 17 places, landing in 4th place after an 81-rep effort. CrossFit Marysville co-owners and training partners Noah Pester and Ryan Swobody continue to work through the Open together, literally. They ended workout 12.1 tied for 17th place and they both scored 80 reps on 12.2 to move up to 6th place. Let’s see if Workout 12.3 creates some separation between these two athletes. Tyler Whitcomb, CrossFit Salem made the biggest jump, moving up 63 places to 9th in the region on the heels of an 86-rep performance.

A bit more consistency was seen on the women’s side of 12.2. Polly Albright of CrossFit Fort Vancouver moved into a podium position, finishing Week 2 in 3rd place with a score of 90 reps. Two-time Games athlete Ashleigh Moe of CrossFit Skagit was able to hit one rep at 120 pounds and jumped up from 25th in the region to 4th.

NEW LEADERS

New names sit atop the North West Leaderboard. CrossFit Basic’s gymnast turned weightlifter, Kevin Simons now leads the region. Two very consistent performances has Simons sitting in 12th place on the worldwide stage. 

Identical scores on the first two workouts yields a two-way tie between Kevin Longmeier of CrossFit Spokane Valley and Austin Stack of CrossFit The Den. Last week’s men’s leader, Nikoli Martindale dropped to 66th place in the region.

Week 1’s women’s leader, Kaithlin Reckards from CrossFit E3 also slipped in the regional rankings after Week 2, landing in 107th place. The new women’s leaders are Melissa Dixon from CrossFit Whidbey Island, who is in 30th place worldwide, and Kendall Burnham of CrossFit Intensify.

MASTERS

The athletes representing the North West Region in the Master’s events continue to make a name for themselves with several athletes moving up in the rankings. Patrick Sprague of Cascade CrossFit cruised past 90 athletes in the men’s 45-49 age group to end up in 20th place.

In the women’s 45-49 division, CrossFit Bellevue’s Janice Spray held onto a top three position with 75 reps on 12.2. Susan Habbe of CrossFit Emergence moved up 10 places in the women’s 50-54 age group, with 78 reps, finishing week 2 in 3rd place. Eugene CrossFit’s Holly Arrow hit the 90-rep mark and jumped up to 2nd place from 10th in the women’s 55-59 division.

TEAMS

CrossFit Fort Vancouver, hungry to become the first ever repeat champion at the Games, moved up 1 position to 1st place in the region. Their 14-point lead in workout 12.2 puts them into a tie for 19th place worldwide. Two teams played leapfrog to jump into the top 10. Old Country Iron Club moved up from 13th place to 4th in the region and CrossFit Whidbey Island benefitted from three strong female performances to move up from 19th to 8th place.

Week 1 of the Open proved to be a test of stamina and mental fortitude. Week 2 demanded the same as Week 1 with the additional requirements of power and technical prowess. The athletes of the North West Region hold a collective breath awaiting the announcement of the 3rd workout of the CrossFit Games Open.

*The scores and rankings are unofficial until Tuesdays at 5 p.m., PT.