In 2015, four-time Individual Reebok CrossFit Games Champion Rich Froning and CrossFit Mayhem made a jaw-dropping run on the last day to take home the Affiliate Cup in Carson, California.
In 2016, Froning and Mayhem led virtually wire-to-wire over the course of the Reebok CrossFit Games, winning in convincing fashion and cementing themselves as the team to beat coming into 2017.
But their dominance ended at two years, and in the Games’ first-ever iteration in Madison, Wisconsin, Wasatch CrossFit pulled off the upset and took home the title as Fittest Team. 2017 is the first year since 2010 that Rich Froning will not stand on top of a CrossFit Games podium.
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Led by Games veterans including Adrian Conway, Mandi Janowitz, Tiffany Hendrickson, and Brennan Fjord, the “Wasatch Brutes” turned in consistent performances and four Event wins to secure their title. The team traces a direct lineage from Hack’s Pack UTE, which won the Affiliate Cup in both 2012 and 2013; this latest victory marks Wasatch captain Adrian Conway’s third Affiliate Cup win.
That’s not to belittle Mayhem’s work. Despite not winning an Event on the weekend, they stayed hot on Wasatch’s heels and ultimately finished in second place overall. But Wasatch’s supporters believed the two-time defending champions could be upset, taking to social media using the hashtag #stopthemayhem.
Ultimately, their athletes were successful in doing just that.
CrossFit Fort Vancouver — Affiliate Cup Champions in 2010 — finished in third place overall. NorCal CrossFit Redwood City finished in fourth place, with Reebok CrossFit One in 5th and CrossFit Invictus in 6th overall.
Featured image: @crossfitgames on Instagram, photo by @flsportsguy
