Photo by: CrossFit HQ

First day jitters are over as Day 1 of the CrossFit South Super Regional is in the books.

 

This weekend, the top 45 men and women, and top 40 teams (all representing the South Central, Southwest and Latin America Regions), are the guinea pig testers of the seven Regional events announced only a couple weeks ago.

 

Today, two classic CrossFit workouts: Randy and Tommy V jumpstarted the competition and, at the end of the day, standings are as follows:

 

Men Overall Standings

1. Roy Gamboa (195 points)

2. Adrian Conway (175 points)

3. Travis Williams (173 points)

4. Jason Hoggan (165 points)

5. Jordan Cook (158 points)

6. Patrick Burke (151 points)

7. Chase Duke (130 points)

8. Nathaniel Olsen (116 points)

9. Jeff Germond (114 points)

10. Caleb Christian (110 points)

 

Women Overall Standings

1. Margaux Alvarez (195 points)

2. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet (180 points)

3. Andrea Ager (167 points)

4. Amanda Goodman (148 points)

5. Jenn Jones (146 points)

6. Gabrielle Andrews (144 points)

7. Whitney Cappellucci (143 points)

8. Randi Stevens (142 points)

9. Maddy Myers (132 points)

10. Natalie Newhart (131 points)

 

Team Overall Standings

1. Ute CrossFit (195 points)

2. Backcountry Black (180 points)

3. CrossFit Lubbock (161 points)

4. Jekyll Hyde Blue (154 points)

5. OPEX Red (146 points)

6. Backcountry Blue (146 points)

7. CrossFit The Club (137 points)

8. Pillar CrossFit (134 points)

9. Salt Lake City CrossFit (134 points)

10. CrossFit Jääkarhu (133 points)

 

Photo by: CrossFit HQ

Rewinding to the action on the competition floor, enthusiasm was high as athletes took the stage for the kick-off of the Games’ qualifier. 

 

All eyes were on the ladies, particularly when the 2014 Games champ, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, took the stage for Event 1 (Randy-75 snatches for time). What was the leading lady going to bring to the table? 75-snatches later, the time read 2:42.2 and Leblanc-Bazinet looked as though she will have her fair share of competition this weekend, nearly 10-seconds behind two-time Games athlete Margaux Alvarez.

 

On the men’s side, finishing times were nearly identical. Travis Williams picked his bar up and down 75 times in 2:35.5, just 1.2 seconds short of the event record set at the Atlantic Regional by Dominick Maurici earlier today as well. 2013 Games contender Roy Gamboa came in only 0.4 seconds behind him at 2:35.9, making it known that he is on a mission to reclaim what he lost during last year’s Regional, when he dropped from 1st place to 5th place—out of the Games’ running—on the final day. 

 

Gamboa is not the only one hungry though.

 

Come Event 2 (Tommy V: 27-21-15-9 thrusters + 12-9-6 rope climbs), Andrea Ager made some noise, claiming after four years now of individual competition at the Regional level, she too is hungry for her trip to the Games. Ager snagged the ‘W’ over the couplet of 75 lbs. thrusters and 15-foot rope climbs in 8:32—a full minute ahead of all the others with Alvarez finishing next (9:33.2), followed by Natalie Newhart (9:42.9), Leblanc-Bazinet (9:47.9), Whitney Cappellucci (9:56.1). "I knew this was my workout,” Ager said after the standings were in.

 

For the men, Event 2 was once again right up Gamboa’s ally. Gamboa took the event in 8:21.5 with the strategy: "I just took two deep breaths and climbed, and two deeps breaths and climbed,” Gamboa said. After all, pacing and the ability to recover, despite the rapidly onset grip fatigue, is where Event 2 was won. 

 

As for the team competition, this year’s events certainly entail more competition and spectator-worthy show than ever before. In addition, it is evident in each of the Regional workouts that all athletes must be well-rounded (strength, gymnastics skills, endurance) if they are going to get through the weekend. 

 

Event One, consisting of partner deadlifts (410 lbs.) and synchronized chest-to-bar pull-ups saw the teams with the best communication and harmony rise to the top. The four-time Games’ superstars Ute CrossFit proved they have what it takes to work together, finishing with a time of 13:28.5, just ahead of JekyllHyde Blue (13:31.4) and CrossFit Lubbock (14:45.9). 

 

Come Event 2 (175 snatches, 25 rope climbs and 115 thrusters divided as preferred amongst team members), effective transitions—and the ability to communicate through those transitions—were the keys to success. Transitions, that is, and endurance, the winners of Event 2, Backcountry Black, noted: 

 

“We called it the pain cave,” said Chris Dozois of Backcountry Black. “We knew it was going to be painful. We didn't even practice the workout, we knew it was going to be all mental. The best team was going to be the one who going to be able to endure the most.”
 

Ute (19:46.1) finished second to the Backcountry Black team (19:09.9)

 

With Day One checked off the list, the weekend is only getting started—and there are still five more events to go. In the end, only a total of 5 individual men and women, and 5 teams, will earn a ticket to the CrossFit Games in July. 

 

The answer to who that is exactly is still hundreds of points away.

Related Article:
2015 Atlantic Regional Recap