2015 Atlantic Regional Recap: Day 3

2015 Atlantic Regional Recap: Day 3

May 17, 2015 by Kati Breazeal
2015 Atlantic Regional Recap: Day 3



Photo by: CrossFit HQ

TEAMS

Event 6
 
For total time, women will complete, then men will complete:
 
50 GHD sit-ups, each
50 muscle-ups, total
50 hang power cleans, total (205 / 135 lb.)
 
Females will go first. Males may begin once females have moved to the finish mat.
 
Time cap: 25 minutes
 
Athlete order: FFF then MMM
 
12 Labours CrossFit Columbia overcame adversity to take the event and strengthen their 
bid for a place at the CrossFit Games. Meanwhile, Rising Orange took second to stay in 
the hunt and CrossFit Terminus quietly took third—their fourth top 5 finish of the 
weekend so far—to stay top of the leaderboard. 
 
GHD sit ups are straightforward enough, but follow them with muscle ups, which tax 
your core as well, and you’ve got a challenge. Since the women had to go first, the teams 
that excelled here featured female athletes who were proficient on the rings and could 
knock out as many muscle ups as possible. The muscle ups were the stumbling block on 
this workout. No reps on the muscle ups for the female athletes were a common sight as 
muscle fatigue set in. The hang cleans weren’t too much of a problem for teams, but 
some were definitely stronger at cycling and transitioning. Those who could employ a 
high hang technique were the fastest. CrossFit Embrace set the pace in heat 1 with a time 
of 22:28. In heat 2, the women of Team FYF built a nice lead, but the men of HustleHard 
CrossFit chipped away at it, catching up on the muscle ups. They then pulled away on the 
hang cleans to take the top time at 22:02, with Team FYF at 22:16. In heat 3, the women 
of CrossFit Squad got out to a fast start but 12 Labours CrossFit Columbia, in spite of 
Teresa Luz’s injury, were the first team of women to finish. Remarkably, Luz’s 
teammates did all of the hang cleans in her stead, to compensate for her injury. Their men 
were caught, however, by the men of CrossFit Love and Rising Orange, and it was a race 
to the finish on the hang cleans. With half the hang cleans done, it was 12 Labours 
CrossFit and Rising Orange, the 6th and 5th placed team overall respectively, going head to 
head and contesting that final Games spot. In the end, 12 Labours prevailed with a time 
of 18:51 to cap off an amazing performance, given the circumstances. Rising Orange 
took second place in the heat and event with a 19:03. CrossFit RAW, in 4th position 
entering the event, struggled on the men’s side with the sit ups and the muscle ups, 
finishing last in heat 3 and 14th overall. The performance put their Games’ aspirations in 
jeopardy.
 
Results
 
1. 12 Labours CrossFit Columbia (18:51)
2.  Rising Orange (19:03)
3. CrossFit Terminus (20:10)
4. TEAM CrossFit Love (20:18)
5. The CrossFit Squad (20:39)
 
Event 7
 
For time, each athlete moves through stations of:

30-calorie row 
  Deadlift hold while trailing teammate rows (315 / 205 lb.)
30 strict handstand push-ups
  Handstand hold while trailing teammate performs HSPU
30 toes-to-bars
  Static hang while trailing teammate performs toes-to-bars
50-foot overhead axle lunge (155 / 105 lb.)
 
Time cap: 20 minutes
 
Athlete order: Any
 
12 Labours CrossFit Columbia won Event 7 in a Herculean effort en route to qualifying 
for the Games. It was their second event win of the day. Their opponents may have 
smelled blood because of an injury to one of their top athletes earlier in the weekend, but 
the team not only endured it prevailed on the final day of competition. They were joined 
on the five-team podium by teams that were focused and consistent throughout the seven 
events, headed by CrossFit Terminus, the hometown team out of Atlanta, Georgia. Their 
lowest finish was a 12th on Event 3; over the weekend, they earned a top 5 finish in five of 
seven events. Rising Orange secured second place in Event 7 and second overall while 
Competitive EDGE Wilmington, a top 10 team throughout the weekend except for in the 
last event, took fourth overall. CrossFit Bound secured the last qualifying spot after 
shining on the snatch (1st) and run/wall ball (3rd) events.
 
The final team event of the weekend tested grip, shoulders and of course teamwork as 
athletes were forced to work together to complete the different tasks. Teams could go in 
any order they preferred, and you saw a variety of athlete combinations. The strict 
handstand push ups, like the muscle ups in the previous events, were the moment of truth 
in this workout. Thirty handstand push ups for each athlete was challenging enough, but 
then said athlete would have to hold a static handstand while his or her teammate hit a set 
of 30. To say the least, shoulders were blasted here. The toes to bar and a heavy overhead 
axel hold ensured that everyone’s shoulders were thrashed by the end. In the first two 
heats, HustleHard CrossFit and Smashletics got the farthest in this grueling workout, 
sending three athletes each over the finish line. It was a warning of things to come for the 
Games hopefuls in heat 3. Going in, a point spread of 37 separated first place overall 
from fifth. The aim—easier said than done—for those five was simple: finish high in this 
last event and the promise land of the Games was yours. RAW Training, in sixth, were 
looking to overtake 12 Labours CrossFit Columbia for that final transfer spot to the 
Games. Both teams, understanding the stakes, went out fast with their first athletes. 
CrossFit Terminus, the points leader, was the first to the toes-to-bar but they were 
overtaken by Rising Orange by the tenth minute. They were the first team to have an 
athlete lunging across the floor with the axel bar, followed by CrossFit Love and 12 
Labours CrossFit. RAW Training, who needed a good showing, was well behind 12 
Labours at this point. Rising Orange were the first to get three athletes to the finishing 
mat but their last pair of athletes struggled on the handstand push ups. 12 Labours 
CrossFit Columbia then became the second team to get three of their athletes home. With 
20 seconds left, they then became the first team with four across the line to win the event, 
defy the odds and qualify for the Games.
 
Teresa Luz, who fought through a back injury through most of the weekend, described 12 
Labours’ mindset ahead of Event 7: “It’s the last workout of the weekend. We have 
nothing to lose at this point and everything to fight for. We said it was a battle and I 
wouldn’t want to go with anyone else. That’s all that was in my mind.”
 
Results

1. 12 Labours CrossFit Columbia (CAP + 11)
2. Rising Orange (CAP + 24)
3. CrossFit Unrivaled (CAP + 46)
4. Smashletics (CAP + 77)
5. CrossFit Terminus (CAP + 80)

CrossFit Games Qualifiers 
 
1. CrossFit Terminus (576 pts)
2. Rising Orange (564 pts)
3. 12 Labours CrossFit Columbia (562 pts)
4. Competitive EDGE Wilmington (537 pts)
5. CrossFit Bound (533 pts)
 
INDIVIDUAL MEN
 
Event 6
 
5 rounds for time of:
25-calorie row
16 chest-to-bar pull-ups
9 strict deficit handstand push-ups
 
Time cap: 16 minutes
 
Handstand push up maestro Jacob Anderson took the event while Noah Ohlsen and 
Nathan Bramblatt excelled to stay at the top of the leaderboard. Travis Mayer’s top 5 
performance put him in sight of that fifth and final Games qualifying position. He’ll be 
chasing Elijah Muhammad who started the day in second but fell to fifth thanks to his old 
enemy, the handstand push up. 
 
The event’s handstand push-ups, with a 4.5-inch deficit, were clearly the limiting factor 
in this fast and exciting workout. Alec Smith set the bar early with a time of 11:50 in heat 
1. In heat 3, Garrett Fisher led Jacob Anderson for three rounds, but the latter’s 
proficiency on the handstand push ups gave him the lead in the fourth, which he didn’t 
relinquish. On the last round, Anderson went nine and seven on the pull-ups and five and 
four on the handstand push-ups. Then he sprinted to the finish mat to beat Smith’s time 
by a full 13 seconds.  
 
In the final heat, Travis Mayer seized an early lead followed closely by Nathan 
Bramblatt. In the fourth round, Noah Ohlsen joined Mayer and Bramblatt as the men to 
beat in this final heat. All three athletes were on the pull-up bar in a gut check to see who 
could hold on the longest. Could anyone go unbroken on the pulls ups? Mayer did and 
was the first to reach the plexiglass wall for handstand push ups. But it was Bramblatt 
who sneaked in and performed those nine last reps quickly, taking the heat in 11:51, good 
enough for 4th in the event. It was a literal sprint to the finish for second, with Mayer just 
edging out Ohlsen (12:05.0 and 12:05.5).  
 
Elijah Muhammad, in second place overall going in to the event, has a bad history with 
handstand push-ups. The strict ones in last year’s regionals effectively kept him from 
qualifying for the Games. This time around, they proved a challenge again. He was smart 
about his sets but his measured pace ensured that he fell behind early and would stay that 
way. His 32nd place finish dropped him to 5th in the standings and applied plenty of 
pressure, with the last event looming.
 
Results
 
1. Jacob Anderson (11:37)
2. Alec Smith (11:50)
3. Jordan Troyan (11:50)
4. Nathan Bramblett (11:51)
5. Travis Mayer (12:05)
 
Event 7
 
For time:
 
15 muscle-ups
1 squat clean (205 / 135 lb.)
1 squat clean (225 / 145 lb.)
1 squat clean (245 / 155 lb.)
1 squat clean (255 / 165 lb.)
1 squat clean (265 / 175 lb.)
 
Elijah Muhammad’s Games aspirations were on the line, but if he had any nerves they 
were channeled effectively into his performance. Muhammad manhandled both the rings 
and the heavy barbells in his Event 7 winning time of 1:18, ensuring that he will compete 
in Carson for the first time after years of trying to get there. By finishing fourth overall, 
Ben Smith booked his seventh consecutive ticket to the Games, but it was a weekend of 
adversity for an athlete who normally dominates at this level. Aaron Hanna and Nathan 
Bramblatt, 2nd and 5th overall respectively, will be making their first trip to the Games 
after impressive weekend showings. By winning his second regional in a row, Noah 
Ohlsen gave credence to those who think he’s a favorite to succeed Rich Froning as 
Games champ. He was consistent and confident throughout the weekend, never doing 
worse than 11th in any event. 

Event 7 was a barnburner. If you hoped to place high, you couldn’t break on the muscle 
ups and you couldn’t take too long or miss any reps as you climbed the barbell ladder.    
Carlos Albaladejo took heat 1 in 1:30. Brian Rottman went 12 seconds faster in heat 2. 
His time of 1:18 would stand until heat 4, with trips to the Games on the line. Heat 4’s 
athletes sped through the muscle ups. Travis Mayer was the first to the barbells, but 
Elijah Muhammad, who dropped from 2nd to 5th in the last event, was quicker in the 
transitions and took the lead with two barbells to go. When he stepped on the finish mat 
first, knowing he’d booked his ticket to the Games, he threw his hands up in the air in 
celebration. It was a moment years in the making. His time of 1:18 was six tenths of a 
second faster than the time set by Rottman early on. The athletes in the qualifying spots 
before Event 7 all protected their positions with their respective performances, and as a 
result they’ll be headed to the Games in July. 

Muhammad said, “I’m just happy to be going to Carson, man. I’ve been doing this for 
years, trying for years, not giving up, kept pushing, and finally got some support here. 
I’m going to Carson, man, I’m happy. I got no complaints.”
 
The Atlantic region champion Noah Ohlsen sounded like a content man who’d simply 
executed according to plan. “I did what I needed to do and I’m going where I wanted to 
go,” he said. “I came out here to a high level of competition and had to rise to the 
occasion.”
 
Results
 
1. Elijah Muhammad (1:18.3)
2. Brian Rottman (1:18.9)
3. Gerald Sasser (1:19)
4. Jacob Anderson (1:20)
4. Aaron Hanna (1:20)
 
Games Qualifiers
 
1. Noah Ohlsen (564 pts)
2. Aaron Hanna (526 pts)
3. Elijah Muhammad (524 pts)
4. Ben Smith (516 pts)
5. Nathan Bramblett (504 pts)
 
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN
 
Event 6

5 rounds for time of:
25-calorie row
16 chest-to-bar pull-ups
9 strict deficit handstand push-ups
 
Time cap: 16 minutes
 
In a punishing event in which only three athletes completed the workout, Emily Bridgers 
continued to show dominance. Her stumble on Event 1 now feels like ancient history. She 
went unbroken on the handstand push ups every round to pull away from Samantha 
Briggs late in the workout. Anna Tunnicliffe and Cassidy Lance tied on the workout to 
maintain their positions within the top 5 (2nd and 4th respectively) while Whitney Gelin 
struggled to 20th place, giving hope to those trying to take that 5th spot to the Games away 
from her.
 
The handstand push-ups, with a 3-inch deficit, proved the nemesis here, as Dave Castro 
knew they would. Early on, the women were breaking up the handstand push-ups early 
and often. Hannah Richards won heat 2, becoming the first woman to finish the workout, 
with only a second to spare. No athletes finished in heat 3, but in heat 4 a couple of them 
did and they were big names. While Samantha Briggs and Anna Tunnicliffe cruised 
through the pull ups, they chose to break up the handstand push ups right from the start. It 
was a different story for Emily Bridgers. Briggs would charge ahead on the row and pull  ups only for Bridgers to catch up on the handstand push ups. Briggs again went unbroken 
on her third round of pull ups only for Bridgers to pass her again on the plexiglass wall. 
This back and forth would continue into the fourth round, with Bridgers finally struggling 
a little on her fourth set of handstand push ups. Nonetheless, she went unbroken yet again 
and from that moment would stay in the lead for good. Spurred on by the crowd, which 
counted down her fifth round of handstand push ups, she wasn’t about to break and let 
the fans down, so she didn’t, her time at 14:01. Briggs came in second over a minute 
later.
 
Bridgers said she followed the plan she devised in practice. “That’s what I planned on 
doing,” she said. “In practice I broke up my first two sets of chest to bar and I knew that 
was what I wanted to do so I broke up every set there so I could get to the handstand push 
ups unbroken. That’s where I knew I could pull ahead. I took off a minute from the time I 
tested, so I’m really happy.” 
 
Results
 
1. Emily Bridgers (14:01)
2. Samantha Briggs (15:22)
3. Hannah Richards (15:59)
4. Cassidy Lance (CAP + 1)
5. Anna Tunnicliffe (CAP + 1)
 
Event 7
 
For time:
 
15 muscle-ups
1 squat clean (205 / 135 lb.)
1 squat clean (225 / 145 lb.)
1 squat clean (245 / 155 lb.)
1 squat clean (255 / 165 lb.)
1 squat clean (265 / 175 lb.)
 
Emily Bridgers collected her fourth 1st place finish of the weekend in Event 7 and sent a 
message to the rest of the CrossFit world: she’ll be a force to be reckoned with in Carson. 
 
The Atlantic regional champ was brilliant all weekend except for a 15th place finish on 
Event 1. Samantha Briggs, the 2013 Games champion, will return to Carson after missing 
out last year. Incredibly, her second place finish was earned while nursing a broken foot. 
Anna Tunnicliffe led the competition for much of the weekend, but a 20th place on Event 
7 dropped her to third overall. Cassidy Lance, a Games stalwart, quietly went about her 
business, taking the fourth spot, while newcomer Whitney Gelin held off the challenge of 
six-time Games competitor Christy Adkins for the fifth and final spot.  
Both the rings and the weight proved a challenge in the early heats of Event 7. Alanna 
Colon in heat 2 smiled her way to a time of 2:42, which stood until heat 3’s Sarabeth 
Phillips hit 10 consecutive muscle ups en route to a time of 2:17. In the final heat, 
perennial Games competitor Christy Adkins was hoping to supplant newcomer Whitney 
Gelin for that fifth and final qualifying spot. Both Samantha Briggs and Emily Bridgers 
went unbroken on the muscle ups to become the first ladies to do so, but Adkins was a 
woman on a mission. Third off the rings, she transitioned quickly from one barbell to the 
next and overtook Briggs when the Brit faltered on the last barbell, securing 2nd place 
behind Bridgers. But in the end it wasn’t enough as Gelin’s 7th place finish in the event 
meant that the precious last spot to the Games belonged to her. 
Bridgers said, “When I saw Sunday’s events I knew they were both in my favor. I didn’t 
know how my grip or shoulders would feel doing 15 unbroken. I’ve done 17 as my max. 
It wasn’t easy but I just made sure I locked out at the top and took it one rep at a time.”
After the event, Briggs revealed that she had competed the entire weekend with a broken 
foot, a preexisting injury that will require surgery. She plans on having that surgery in the 
near future. Fear not, she still plans to compete in Carson.
 
Results
 
1. Emily Bridgers (1:33)
2. Christy Adkins (1:48)
3. Caroline Dardini (1:57)
4. Alea Helmick (2:02)
5. Samantha Briggs (2:13)
 
Games Qualifiers
 
1. Emily Bridgers (617 pts)
2. Samantha Briggs (584 pts)
3. Anna Tunnicliffe (561 pts)
4. Cassidy Lance (541 pts)

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