The high rep and heavy load of 12.2 gave many of CrossFit's powerful lifters a chance to gain ground lost on 12.1.
Speed. Efficiency. Concentration. Technique. All words used to describe the world’s fastest lift as it not only happens quickly, but it also moves a heavy load over a long distance.
From the no-frills burpee to the complicated snatch, Open athletes suddenly found themselves in an uproar to perform this high-skill movement. The high rep and heavy load of Workout 12.2 also gave many of CrossFit’s powerful lifters a chance to gain ground that may have been lost during 12.1. The progression of weight after each 30 snatches hovered around many athletes’ one-rep maxes and those athletes who were unable to make the 30-pound jumps in weight found themselves tied with numerous other competitors in the rankings. In many instances, it came down to one rep that would separate placement on the Leaderboard.
MEN
In a four-way tie for 1st place in Southern California for 12.2 stand five athletes. All four men reached the last tier of the men’s weight completing 91 reps, overcoming the coveted 210-pound snatch. The achievement of this one rep set them apart from the pack. Of these top four men stand, Kenneth Leverich of Orange Coast CrossFit, Josh Havelka also from Orange Coast CrossFit, Vaughn Brotton of Axiom CrossFit, and Danny Henry of CrossFit Culver City. Leverich’s performance in this workout brings him to 1st place in Southern California and third worldwide.
Just behind Leverich in the region is Josh Golden of CrossFit Grover Beach, who shares a five-way tie for 5th place on 12.2. Golden, who ranks second in the region and second worldwide performed 12.2 three times. “The first time was just for fun, to just snatch. The second time I was watching the clock a little more and used some different loading and unloading strategies. The third time I stayed on the bar and beat it up as hard as I could. No rest, just snatch,” Golden says.
When asked about the programming for 12.2 Golden stated, “it was an awesome choice after burpees. I think it was nice to give the big guys something to work for in 12.1 and give the little guys something in 12.2. I’d rather do snatches than burpees any day.”
Those who stand along side Golden in the five-way tie are Jon Pera of CrossFit Rancho Cucamonga, who is currently ranked 3rd in Southern California, Peter Danenberg of CrossFit Crown City, John Grooms of Axiom CrossFit and Brad Astin of CrossFit Chatsworth.
WOMEN
The ladies of Valley CrossFit swept places one, two and three. Lindsey Valenzuela, who after 12.2 now ranks 20th in the world, headed the Southern California pack with 108 reps. This put her one rep behind the 2011 Games champion, Annie Thorisdottir, who finished 109 snatches. Kristan Clever, currently 1st in the region and 1st worldwide, and Katie Hogan, also of Valley, is tied with Clever for 2nd in the region on 12.2. Both completed 102 reps in the 10-minute time frame.
Andrea Ager of Brick CrossFit, who is ranked 2nd in the region behind Clever and 3rd in the world closed in on the Valley girls and rounded out fourth place with 96 reps.
Also of Valley, Rebecca Voigt finished in a three-way tie with Jacquie Johnson of CrossFit SoCal and Lauren Gibbs of Orange Coast CrossFit. All three completed 95 snatches. Voigt is now ranked 3rd in the region alongside Brick CrossFit’s Madelyn Curley.
TEAMS
Those teams of Southern California that finished within this week’s top eight completed 500 or more snatches, averaging at least 83 reps per team member. Valley CrossFit completed 531 reps as a team to take 1st place in Workout 12.2. Second place finishing team is Brick CrossFit’s, Brick Nation, who finished 25 reps behind Valley with 506 snatches. Both teams now battle for the top spot as they maintain the tie for first in Southern California. Axiom CrossFit narrowly finished one rep short of Brick with 505 reps.
*The scores and rankings are unofficial until Tuesdays at 5 p.m., PT.
