Jay Crouch Qualifies for the Games Along with Bayley Martin and Jake Douglas Out of Torian Pro
An impressive line-up of 29 individual athletes took the men’s Semifinal stage at Torian Pro this weekend, May 27-29, 2023.
But three of the region’s seasoned heavy-hitters were noticeably absent. With Royce Dunne competing on a team, and both CrossFit staple Khan Porter and 2022 CrossFit games bronze medalist Ricky Garard out for the season with injuries, the top three seemed less certain going in than they have been in years past.
At the end of the weekend, it was Jay Crouch who came out on top.
The five-time CrossFit Games athlete earned gold overall without taking a single test win. Crouch, who also finished first at the 2022 Oceania Semifinal, had a weekend marked by consistency. The smooth and steady athlete had just one test—Test 4—outside of fourth place.
The second and third place finishers are Bayley Martin and Jake Douglas, both of whom will be going to the NOBULL CrossFit Games for the first time come August.
Last year, Martin and Douglas both narrowly missed qualifying. Martin finished sixth at the Torian Pro Semifinal in 2022, while Douglas finished in fifth.
Day 2 foreshadowed Day 3: There was very little shaking up at the top of the Torian Pro leaderboard on the last day. All of the athletes who were in the top 7 at the end of day 2, ended in the top 7 at the end of the weekend and in the exact same position. The only exception is Peter Ellis who crawled up from 7th to 5th, and in turn pushed Reilly Smith from 5th to 6th and Zac Thomas from 6th to 7th.
Overall Standings:
- Jay Crouch: 600 points
- Bayley Martin: 554 points
- Jake Douglas: 531 points
- William Kearney: 505 points
- Peter Ellis: 496 points
- Reilly Smith: 450 points
- Zac Thomas: 441 points
- Isaac Newman: 438 points
- James Newbury: 417 points
- Mitchell Case: 255 points
Test 6
Skill meets shoulder stamina in Test 6.
With a time of 10:25.35, first-place finisher Bayley Martin proved himself to have both. Second place finisher, Peter Ellis, wrapped up the workout just two seconds later with a time of 10:27:86.
Ellis arrived at the last barbell nearly 15 seconds before Martin. But after picking up the bar, Martin earned himself the award of fastest OHS reps at 185 pounds Brisbane Australia has ever seen, as well as the test win.
Jay Crouch, who was consistent, controlled, and calm whether he was squatting heavy weight or spinning on his hands, crossed the finish-line more than 75 seconds later with a time of 11:42.21.
A Note about Noah: If you thought watching Martin and Ellis take on this test was impressive, go back and watch North America East’s Noah Ohlsen take on this event. With a time of 9:32.70, Olsen has the current record in this test, a time that has him crossing the finish line nearly a full minute ahead of Martin and Ellis, and more than two minutes ahead of third-place-finisher Jay Crouch.
Test 6 Standings:
- Bayley Martin: 10:25.35
- Peter Ellis: 10:27.86
- Jay Crouch: 11:42.21
- Riley Martin: 12:00.99
- William Kearney: 12:35.13
- Luke Fowler: 12:52.82
- Jake Douglas: 12:54.07
- Johan Roberts: 13:00.88
- Reilly Smith: 13:32.67
- Hiko O Te Rangi Curtis: 13:32.70
Test 7
Isaac Newman showed us his sprint capacity in Test 5 when he completed 8 snatches and an 800 meter run all in 3:05. Test 7 proved that it was not a fluke. With a time of 4:10.55, and consistent times across the three rounds, Newman proved the burnier the event, the better he does.
Meanwhile, Peter Ellis earned his third second-place finish of the weekend when he wrapped it up in 4:19.73.
Ultimately, Ellis finished the weekend in 5th overall. But his triceps and traps consistently showed up this weekend in all of the gymnastics-heavy and sprint events. If Ellis can improve his strengths in the coming season so that tests like Linda and max lifts don’t land him with a score outside of the top 10, he will be a force in the 2024 season.
In classic Crouch fashion, the most consistent athlete Down Under came in third in this event.
Test 7 Standings:
- Isaac Newman: 4:10.55
- Peter Ellis: 4:19.73
- Jay Crouch: 4:20.65
- Zac Thomas: 4:23.21
- James Newbury: 4:26.76
- Jake Douglas: 4:26.95
- Bayley Martin: 4:29.55
- Luke McMahon: 4:35. 62
- James Thomas: 4:36.22
- William Kearney: 4:36.81
Looking ahead: The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games will be Jay Crouch’s sixth time competing at the most competitive stage of the season. Despite the ease with which he’s qualified for the Games, however, the consistent athlete has had a rough time in Madison as an individual the last few years. While it would be a stretch to call Crouch a podium contender, eyes will be on the Aussie to see if he can clinch a top ten finish.
Meanwhile, both Martin and Douglas have a chance of earning Rookie of the Year as they prepare to compete in Madison, WI for the first time ever.
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