2015 Central Regional Recap: Day 1

2015 Central Regional Recap: Day 1

May 30, 2015 by Kati Breazeal
2015 Central Regional Recap: Day 1
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TEAM

Rich Froning competes at the 2015 Central Regional
Photo by: CrossFit HQ
 
Event 1
 
410-lb. partner deadlifts
Synchronized chest-to-bar pull-ups
 
MF pair 1 completes 45 reps
MF pair 2 completes 27-18 reps
MF pair 3 completes 21-15-9 reps
 
Time cap: 20 minutes
 
Rich Froning’s team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom got off to a fast start in Event 1, but it was Team Rollins’ blistering pace that saw them cruise to the win, nearly setting a world record in the process. 
 
In heat 1, Kilotrained was the first team done with the 45-set, their first pair of athletes smooth and coordinated on their butterfly pull ups. Their second pair furthered their lead. Their last pair slowed down considerably, but Kilotrained still won the first heat in 16:03. Maven came in second at 17:43. Only four teams made it under the timecap. CrossFit Murfreesboro’s (15:51) last pair used a fast butterfly pull up to come in just ahead of KODA CrossFit (15:52) in heat 2. All 10 teams in heat 2 finished under the time cap. In heat 3, Team Rollins was the first team to the pull-up bar. Led by James Hobart, CrossFit Mayhem Freedom was the first to the finish mat, though, with Rich Froning appearing as part of the second pair of athletes.  Froning and his partner moved quickly through the deadlifts and were methodical about the pull-ups, doing three at a time before taking a short break. Team Rollins was on their tail, though, and their last pair’s butterfly kip on the pull-ups was faster than Mayhem’s standard kip. Team Rollins was smart about counting down their rest and their walk-up to the pull-up structure. They pulled away from CrossFit Mayhem Freedom to take the heat and the event at 12:36, just 14 seconds off the world record time of 12:22 set by Nor Cal CrossFit. CrossFit 417 took advantage of Mayhem’s slower pull-ups to take second at 13:19. Froning’s Mayhem took third at 13:50. 
 
Team member Joe Piersanti from Team Rollins said, “We’ve done a lot of different variations. We’ve probably done the WOD five times each, with different combinations. So we found the best one that worked in practice and then just kind of attacked it when we came out here.”
 
Results
 
1. Team Rollins - QCCF (12:36)
2. CrossFit 417 (13:19)
3. CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (13:50)
4. Timberwolf CrossFit (15:27)
5. CrossFit Maximus (15:45)
 
Event 2
 
175 snatches (75 / 55 lb.)
25 rope climbs
115 thrusters (115 / 75 lb.)
 
Time cap: 25 minutes
Athlete order: MMM then FFF
 
Rich Froning and his male counterparts gave CrossFit Mayhem Freedom a lead in Event 2, but their women couldn’t keep pace. Team Rollins and CrossFit 417 capped off a great Day 1 by finishing first and second respectively on Event 2. Team Rollins set an event record along the way. On the leaderboard, those two teams were your overall leaders as well.  
 
This event is really about the women. It doesn’t matter how fast your men go; if your women falter anywhere, especially on the rope climbs, you’re in trouble since they’re the ones who finish the workout. 
 
River North CrossFit’s men were the fastest team on the snatches and built an early lead. Kilotrained’s men were the first to the thrusters, as was their women who overtook River North CrossFit’s women on the rope climbs. Kilotrained held off four other teams to take heat 1 in 20:13, with Three Kings Red just behind them. In heat 2, CrossFit Kilo’s women were the first to the ropes followed by CrossFit Omaha. CrossFit Kilo was also the first female team to the thrusters. Three Kings Black joined them and tried to chase but Kilo always stayed a few reps ahead to take the heat in 18:57. In heat 3, Rich Froning started the contest for the Mayhem men, but it was a neck and neck race throughout the 175 snatches. Team Rollins was the first to the ropes followed by Froning’s men. Mayhem was fast on the ropes but CrossFit Naptown was just as fast. The two teams started to go rep for rep on the thrusters, but the huge sets performed by each male Mayhem athlete saw them first onto the finish mat. Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Team Rollins and CrossFit 417 were the first to the ropes and the first to the thrusters. Rollins maintained their lead throughout to take the heat and event at 18:33. CrossFit 417 came in second with a time of 18:47. Team On Track took third in the heat at 19:17, with CrossFit Mayhem Freedom taking fourth. 
 
Colin Cartee from Team Rollins said, “We’re happy. Setting the event record was something we wanted to do but it was in the back of our minds. First place is always more important and getting maximum points. We know that WOD the girls mean more than the guys so we just tried to get out of the way and our girls stepped up big time.”
 
Results
 
1. Team Rollins - QCCF (18:33)
2. CrossFit 417 (18:47)
3. CrossFit Kilo (18:57)
4. On Track (19:17)
5. CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (19:19)
 
Overall Standings
 
1. Team Rollins - QCCF (200 pts)
2. CrossFit 417 (190 pts)
3. CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (170 pts)
4. CrossFit Kilo (157 pts)
5. Timberwolf CrossFit (156 pts)
 
INDIVIDUAL MEN


Photo by: CrossFit HQ

Event 1
 
Randy
For time:
75 snatches (75 / 55 lb.)
 
Time cap: 6 minutes
 
Sam Dancer was entertaining on the competition floor and entertaining on the microphone after winning Event 1. Scott Panchik, meant to take over from Rich Froning in the Central East region and beyond, finished 9th in the event to start off the weekend. 
 
Andrew Wissmann took heat 1 with a time of 2:35. Games veterans Alex Nettey and Marcus Hendren struggled in the heat, coming 6th and 8th respectively. Nick Bloch took over the top position with a time of 2:31 in heat 2. In heat 3, fan favorite Sam Dancer went unbroken, using the muscle snatch to seize the top time so far: 2:28. The last heat was full of Games veterans: Graham Holmberg, Will Moorad and the weekend favorite Scott Panchik. Panchik was smooth and measured from the start, using a re-bend of the knees on the snatch. While athletes all around him were dropping the barbell in the last set of 25, Jacob Heppner kept going and stepped on the finish mat at 2:32, a few seconds behind Dancer. Holmberg finished second in the heat in 2:34 with Alex Anderson in at 2:35. 
 
Dancer was charming and funny in his interview afterward: “You kind of have to embrace some of that pain. I wanted to do something whether it be wearing a speedo or going unbroken. I wanted an opportunity to talk to you guys and tell you that I love you. This is just a way to bring glory to God.”

Results
 
1. Sam Dancer (2:28)
2. Nick Bloch (2:31)
3. Jacob Heppner (2:32)
4. Graham Holmberg (2:34)
5. Shane McBride (2:34)
 
Event 2
 
Tommy V
 
For time:
21 thrusters
12 rope climbs
15 thrusters
9 rope climbs
9 thrusters
6 rope climbs
 
M 115-lb. thrusters, 15-ft. rope
F 75-lb. thrusters, 15-ft. rope
 
Time cap: 16 minutes
 
Graham Holmberg came from behind to outsprint Jacob Heppner to the finish mat and win Event 2. By the end of Day 1, the 2010 CrossFit Games champion sat atop the overall leaderboard while Jacob Heppner and Alex Anderson occupied the 2nd and 3rd spots after solid performances. 
 
Andrew Wissmann, Games veteran Alex Nettey and Tristan Moore were close to one another in a fast heat 1. Wissmann took the heat, though, with a time of 8:50. Marcus Hendren finished 7th in the heat. In heat 2, Phillip Kniep led going in to the 9-set of thrusters and rope climbs. Zak Carchedi, however, was faster on the rope and beat out Kniep for the heat win with a time of 8:51. In heat 3, Kevin Scholtz was ahead on the 9- set of rope climbs. He was joined on the last set of thrusters by Landon Walker with about six minutes on the clock. The two were about a rope climb apart, but Scholtz’s pace didn’t let up and he took the top time at 8:18. Walker arrived on the finish mat at 8:27. Sam Dancer, the leader after Event 1, did well in the event considering his size. He came in 5th in heat 3.  In heat 4, Jacob Heppner was the first athlete to complete round 1, but Graham Holmberg was right behind him. Heppner, a tall athlete, cycled quickly on the rope climbs. He would let go with his hands at the top of the rig and slide down the rope before gripping the rope right below the 9-foot mark. He was well ahead of Holmberg and Alex Anderson with just the rope climbs remaining. But both of those athletes were able to cut into Heppner’s lead. Holmberg, the former Games champion, took advantage of Heppner’s slowing pace and obvious fatigue, and sprinted past Heppner to take the heat and event win at 7:52, two-tenths of a second faster than Heppner. Anderson finished the workout at 8:01. Scott Panchik took the fourth spot in the heat with a time of 8:15. Will Moorad, a Games qualifier last year, finished behind both Nick Urankar and Nick Foray. 
 
Holmberg said, “I had an idea of where I needed to be coming off the 12 rope climbs, coming off the 9 round. I was well ahead of where I trained it at so I was a little nervous thinking I might have come out too fast on it. But that last round I knew Jacob was right there ahead of me but I didn’t know how much. I just sprinted that last six rope climbs.”
 
Results
 
1. Graham Holmberg (7:52)
2. Jacob Heppner (7:52)
3. Alex Anderson (8:01)
4. Kevin Scholtz (8:17)
5. Scott Panchik (8:25)
 
Overall Standings
 
1. Graham Holmberg (185 pts)
2. Jacob Heppner (185 pts)
3. Alex Anderson (165 pts)
4. Sam Dancer (153 pts)
5. Scott Panchik (149 pts)
 
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN


Photo by: CrossFit HQ

Event 1
 
Randy
For time:
75 snatches (75 / 55 lb.)
 
Time cap: 6 minutes
 
Several Games veterans were in the hunt, but it was 19-year-old Brooke Wells who came away with the Event 1 win.  
 
Lacy Baumgart took heat 1 in 2:56. In heat 2, Melissa Doss was the first to the finish mat with a time of 2:52. In heat 3, Mary Cargill was smooth and paced well as she muscle snatched her way to the last set of 25. She took the heat at 2:56. Heat 4 could boast of having multiple big names in the CrossFit world. Stacie Tovar wasn’t technical but she was fast. Brooke Wells looked strong and fast going in to the last set of snatches, closely followed by Elisabeth Akinwale. Wells refused to put the barbell down and her 2:21 blew away the top time from previous heats by 31 seconds. Mikki Nuccio came in at 2:29 to take second place. Those two athletes were followed by three big names: Tovar, Akinwale and Foucher, in that order.     
 
In terms of strategy, Wells never planned to go unbroken on the workout: “I think I knew how to break up my reps to where instead of going unbroken and trying to hold on and that resulting in slower reps, I did 50 then 25 so my last reps would be way faster.” 
 
Results
 
1. Brooke Wells (2:21)
2. Mikki Nuccio (2:29)
3. Stacie Tovar (2:40)
4. Elisabeth Akinwale (2:45)
5. Julie Foucher (2:49)
 
Event 2
 
Tommy V
 
For time:
21 thrusters
12 rope climbs
15 thrusters
9 rope climbs
9 thrusters
6 rope climbs
 
M 115-lb. thrusters, 15-ft. rope
F 75-lb. thrusters, 15-ft. rope
 
Time cap: 16 minutes
 
Julie Foucher showed why she’s one of the favorites to win the CrossFit Games as she capped off a successful Day 1 with an event win. Her pacing was impeccable on Event 2 and she finished comfortably ahead of her nearest rivals. Joining her at the top of the overall leaderboard were the usual suspects: Stacie Tovar, Elisabeth Akinwale and Lindy Barber. 
 
Shannon Zimmerman took heat 1 with a time of 11:21. Lisa Shiu went a second faster than that in heat 2, with Heather Welsh taking second in the heat with an 11:39. In heat 3, Kristi Eramo took the early lead after finishing the first 12 rope climbs before anyone else. Her boxmate from Four Barrel CrossFit Lindy Barber was a good half a minute behind her with six rope climbs left in the workout. Eramo finished the workout at 9:44 well ahead of the pack and the proud owner of the top time so far. Barber finished at 10:21.  In heat 4, Grace Dresher was the first to the barbell after the first set of rope climbs. Julie Foucher and Nicole Holcomb chased her, and the former was able to catch Dresher on the rope. Foucher, the favorite this weekend, made up a 17-second deficit to become the first athlete back to the thrusters for the last round. Once she got ahead, with the motor that she possesses, there was no catching her. Her time of 9:16 won her the heat and event. A failed rep by Holcomb allowed Dresher to make good on her early lead.  She took second place in the heat at 10:26. 
 
Foucher said the workout was all about pacing. “A lot of rope climbs, so I tried to take just a couple of deep breaths between each one and just keep a steady pace the whole workout,” she said.

Results
 
1. Julie Foucher (9:16)
2. Kristi Eramo (9:44)
3. Lindy Barber (10:21)
4. Grace Dresher (10:26)
5. Jessica Schulz (10:43)
 
Overall Standings
 
1. Julie Foucher (180 pts)
2. Stacie Tovar (151 pts)
3. Elizabeth Akinwale (150 pts)
4. Lindy Barber (147 pts)