Competition

Champions Crowned at Legends Masters Competition

December 14, 2020 by
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The crazy 2020 CrossFit competition season officially came to a close this past weekend in Goodyear, AZ, as 300+ athletes aged 35-65+ competed at the Legends Masters Competition. Organizers Bob Jennings and Joe Linton faced some obstacles due to last minute COVID-19 restrictions brought upon by the host city but nevertheless put on a great competition that included nine grueling events that tested the fitness levels of the athletes spread across 14 divisions. Here’s a breakdown of each one:

The 35-39 divisions:

  • Men: 2018 Regional team athlete David Syvertsen took home the championship in his masters competition debut. The owner and head coach of CrossFit Bison in New Jersey, won by 22 points despite winning just one event. His consistency across the nine scored events was the difference maker, logging seven top-five finishes. Chilean Andres Escobar rallied from a slow start to the competition to average a third place finish over the last six events to claim second. Patrick Midgley overcame Dustin McWilliams and Chuck Brehm to take the final podium position.
  • Women: Hope Cicero had three event wins to propel the multiple Games qualifier to the top of the podium. Claire Treanor took second place by one point over fellow Regional athlete April Payne. Treanor’s seven top-five finishes were able to overcome Payne’s two event wins.

The 40-44 divisions:

  • Men: David Johnston won the title in the highly competitive division that saw constant changes in the leaderboard throughout the weekend. Johnston, the 2018 CrossFit Games fourth “Fittest 40-44 Year Old” had five top-three finishes including an event win in “Diotima”, a thruster speed ladder he completed in 28 seconds. Tony Kurz of the Army Warrior Fitness Team concluded his busy 2020 season with his fifth podium finish in as many events. His second place finish was fueled by two event wins and five top-three finishes. Robby McCord was able to hold off late podium charges by a host of athletes including Ryan Rettke, Lucas Call and Ray Hawkins to take third place.
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  • Women: The field included multiple athletes who have competed at the Games in the age group division. Two-time masters Games athlete Mayra Brandt capped her dominant performance by winning the final two events of the weekend. She never had a finish outside the top-five in any of the events and averaged a second place finish. She finished 17 points ahead of fellow Games veteran Sara Blunck who won one workout. Two-time Games masters athlete Michelle Suozzi led the division with three event wins including a win in “Diotima”, clearing the ladder in 30 seconds.

45-49 divisions

  • Men: The 2019 “Fittest 40-44 Year Old Man” looked more than comfortable in his new age division as Jason Grubb put on the most dominating performance in the competition. Grubb won six events, with his worst finish of the weekend being third on his way to 14 points. Jeremiah Head finished second with 28 points highlighted by three first place finishes. Three-time Games athlete and the runner-up in the division at the 2019 Games Justin Lasala rounded out the podium finishers. 
  • Women: Six-time Games masters qualifier Jen Dieters had three event wins to highlight her victory in the division. She finished with seven top-three finishes to secure a ten-point victory over runner-up Jessica Manfro. Manfro had two event wins and seven top-five finishes to help her edge out third place finisher Gayna Savoury by one point. Savoury also recorded two event wins including the final event of the day.

50-54 divisions

  • Men: At the 2019 Games Gregg Geerdes finished second in the 50-54 division in his third Games appearance. In Arizona he stood at the top of the podium thanks to four event wins and seven top-three finishes. He held off two-time Masters Champion Ron Ortiz who was competing in the division despite aging up to the 55-59 division. Ortiz placed second with an event win in event four “Athena”. Division newcomer Bart Zimmerman took third place with four top-five finishes.
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  • Women: Three-time Games veteran Carrie Sandoval held off a hard-charging Tia Vesser to claim the title in her division debut. Sandoval finished seven points ahead of Vesser in part to four event wins. Vesser had three event wins and seven top-three finishes but it wasn’t enough to overcome Sandoval. Dee Dee Hoffman placed third fueled by three event wins.
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55-59 divisions

  • Men: Rob Bernet will return to Springfield, Missouri with a championship after his showing consistency throughout the nine events. The 2019 Games qualifier had seven top-five finishes including an event win in the “Clash of the Titans” workout which featured rope climbs, heavy rope double unders and wall balls. Perry Siplon competed at the 2015 and 2016 Games in the 50-54 division and placed second in his competition debut in his new one. Mark Herbick finished in third place to round out the division podium.
  • Women: Diane Stuart took home the division title with a seven point edge over Lanette Trowery. Stuart, who competed in the 50-54 division at the Games from 2015-2017, won four events including the final three to claim the top spot. Trowery had seven top-three finishes including an event win. Debbie Brooks edged Debbie Krystofik for third by one point thanks to a second place finish in the final event.
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60-64 divisions

  • Men: Will Powell continued to show his greatness in the masters division by winning the title by 16 points. A Games champion in two different divisions, Powell looks to add a third after aging up into this new division. He won five events and never placed outside the top five in any event. Tom LaFromboise placed in the top-five in eight of the nine events to finish second followed by two-time Games athlete Jim Duwve.
  • Women: Debbie Corwin picked up six event wins, the most by any competitor in any division at the competition, to claim the 60-64 women’s title. She only placed outside the top-three once, a fifth place finish in “Diotima”. Denise Moore’s win in “Diotima” helped her to a second place finish followed by 2016 Games athlete Jarka Giangiulio in third.

65+ divisions

  • Men: The closest race was in the competition’s eldest age division as the top three were separated by just one total point. George Koch needed back-to-back event wins to end the competition to defeat both Ken Ogden and Donald Brignac by one point. Koch finished with five event wins. The 66-year old Ogden won the tiebreaker to take home the runner-up finish as he won three events to Brignac’s one event win.
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  • Women: Mary Schwing made the journey from Hawaii count as she won the title by one point over Betty Hardin. The seven-time Games veteran and 2012 “Fittest” in the 60+ division won the final two events to secure the championship. Hardin won four events including finishing “Diotima” in :40 seconds. Karin Gogolsky rounded out the podium finishers in third, picking up one event win.

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