Saxon Panchik in Driver’s Seat, Noah Ohlsen On Outside Looking in at MACC
Two days of the 2022 Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge are complete, and the leaderboard is taking shape. Two men are well on their way to the CrossFit Games after building up a massive lead while another is turning heads with an uncharacteristic performance.
The details: With four events in the books in Knoxville, TN, Saxon Panchik has put distance between himself and other contenders. He has captured the first two Semifinals event wins of his career, and he is the only man to beat the time cap in the grueling MACC Mile.
- Panchik now has 380 points after four events. He holds a 20-point advantage over Dallin Pepper and a 76-point lead over perennial CrossFit Games competitor Cole Sager.
- The final two spots above the cutline are much closer. Tyler Christophel now has 292 points after another consistent day while Logan Collins holds the final spot with 280 points.
What about Noah Ohlsen: Ohlsen, who has competed in every single CrossFit Games since the 2014 season, is currently below the cutline after four events. He has 278 points, and remains within reach, but the points don’t tell the full story.
Ohlsen is an athlete that regularly contends for a top finish or the win, regardless of competition location. A fitting example is the 2021 West Coast Classic. He finished second overall behind Sager after posting top-five finishes in four of the seven events. This includes runner-ups in the Triple-G Chipper ‘17 and Push-Pull 2.0.
- Ohlsen started the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge by completing the barbell complex with 305 pounds. This put him in 19th place after one event.
- He was able to rebound with third overall in Midline Sadness, but he only finished 10th in the 2014 Regional Event 5. Ohlsen capped off the second day with a fourth-place finish in the MACC Mile.
The perennial CrossFit Games competitor doesn’t appear to be himself, but there is time remaining for him to secure his ninth consecutive trip. He has two more events to make a comeback and jump above the cutline.
- “I think Noah is an athlete that when he gets some momentum he’s tough to beat,” Scott Panchik said in an interview yesterday. “I think he hasn’t had any momentum yet. That’s probably the best way I can say it.”
- “He’s not in a bad spot. There’s two events left. Look at Will Moorad. Anything’s possible, you just gotta take one event at a time. Noah is someone that’s been there before and he’ll ride the lightning on Day 3- I’ll tell you that.”
What’s next: There are two events remaining on the MACC schedule, which Ohlsen can use to get back into contention. The athletes will start with Hardcore Parkour, with two kilometers on the Echo Bike, 30 toes to bar, alternating dumbbell snatch (70/50 pounds), 30 toes to bar, and 20 burpee box get overs (48/40 inches).
Turbo Tunnel caps off the weekend. This event features 18 ring muscle-ups, 15 front squats (205/145 pounds), a 45-foot front rack lunge, 12 bar muscle-ups, nine shoulder to overheads (165/115 pounds), and one final 45-foot overhead lunge.
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