Masters Fitness Collective Championship Day One Recap

The opening day of the Masters Fitness Collective Championship featured a little bit of cardio and strength. The 93 athletes who competed on Thursday took on three events, the opening event called “Muddy Waters” featured three rounds for time of 20 single-arm kettlebell snatches followed by a 100 meter swim, event two and three were combined and included four minutes to establish a 1-rep max snatch followed by a 1-mile run and concluded with the athlete establishing another 1-rep max snatch.

For highlights and interviews from day one of competition go to the Morning Chalk Up’s YouTube Channel.

35-39 divisions

• Men: Four-time individual Regional athlete Kyle Ruth ended the day with a 29-point lead thanks to two event wins and a runner-up finish in the 1-mile run. Matt Kallai denied Ruth a clean sweep of the day’s event, finishing the mile run with a time of 5:22. Kallai also added a runner-up finish in “Muddy Waters” to put him in second on the overall leaderboard. Ryon Anderson sits in third, just six points behind Kallai.
• Women: In what was expected to be a close division didn’t disappoint after day one as Samantha Stine holds a one point lead over fellow Regional athletes Briana Gaipa and April Payne who are tied for second. Stine won two events, “Muddy Waters” and the one-mile run. Gaipa had two runner-up finishes and Payne recorded three top-four finishes. Five-time Regional athlete Shannon Zimmerman won the snatch event with a combined weight of 355 LBs. Rachel Green is in fourth just 16 points out of the lead.

40-44 divisions

• Men: Tony Kurz and Heath Moody each made their CrossFit Games debut in 2019 and the two familiar foes are currently tied for the lead in the division. Kurz had three top-five finishes with an event win in the snatch event and a runner-up finish in “Muddy Waters.” Moody stayed consistent with three top-three finishes. Luke Wotruba sits in third seven points behind the co-leaders. He won the opening swim event and followed that with a second place in the snatch event. Danny Hale won the 1-mile run with a time of 5:24, putting him in fourth place just ten points behind the leaders.
• Women: The Games veterans hold down the top two positions on the leaderboards. Jenn Ryan started the day with a second place in the swim but followed that up with a sweep of the events held at Parkview Field in the afternoon propelling her into first place overall. Sara Blunck is 15 points behind Ryan with a third place and a pair of runner-up finishes to Ryan. Carrie Strickland sits in third thanks in part to her event win in “Muddy Waters”.

45-49 divisions

• Men: This division features six athletes within 12 points of the lead including a three-way tie for second place after day one. Evan Samuel holds the honor for now of sitting atop the standings with three top-five finishes including a win in “Muddy Waters”. Greg Anderson, Michael Paesano and Matt Thurber are deadlocked, just six points behind Samuel.
• Women: Two-time Regional qualifier Mollie Pate holds a eight point lead over Games qualifier Julie Rappaport. Pate ended the day the same way she started it, with an event win to take the lead. Rappaport has shown consistency with three top-five placings. Jenn Donaldson and Games veteran Kelly Edelmann are tied for third. April Lowe won the snatch event.

50-54 divisions

• Men: Two-time Masters champion and four-time podium finisher Ron Ortiz started the competition with an event win in the pool and added two runner-up finishes to grab a 15-point lead over 2017 Games masters qualifier Kevin Becker. Becker took home an event win for himself, winning the mile-run with a time of 5:54. Lon Allen won the snatch event by snatching a combined 445 LBs, helping him to third place at the end of day one.
• Women: This division was expected to be one of the most balanced and competitive in the competition and did not disappoint. Five of the women are within nine points or less of the lead. Tia Vesser currently holds the lead just five points ahead of Deanna Hoffman, Amy Simpson and Rose Wall who are all tied for second. Visser and Hoffman tied for the snatch event win with Simpson winning “Muddy Waters.” Gina Cacchiotti-Wellner, who won the one-mile run, sits in fifth place, nine points off Vesser’s lead.

55-59 divisions

• Men: Patrick Sprague sits in first after three top-four finishes including an event win in “Muddy Waters.” Chris Podesto won the snatch event to put himself in second place, five points behind Sprague. Jody Clements rounds out the top-three. Tom Fameree won the one-mile run and sits in fourth place overall.
• Women: Six-time Games qualifier Linda Elstun holds the early lead in the division, winning two events. Fifteen points behind her in second are Heidi Seiberlich and Betsy Vanderburgh. Heidi Seiberlich won the one-mile run with a time of 6:54 and Vanderburgh has three top-three finishes during day one.

60-64 divisions

• Men: Three-time Masters champion David Hippensteel has a six point lead over 2019 Games qualifier Dave Hardie. Hippensteel had three top-five finishes on day one including a win in the snatch event, defeating Carl Giuffre by five pounds, 330-325. Hardie won the one mile run and recorded a runner-up finish in “Muddy Waters”. Keith Williams is just ten points behind the lead in part to winning the swim event.
• Women: Donna Bruce holds the largest lead in the women’s division with a 25-point edge over Patricia Claro and Lorraine Lewis. Bruce won the final two events of the day while Claro took the opening event.

65+ Division: Ken Ogden swept all three events on day one to grab a ten-point lead over George Koch who actually tied Ogden in the snatch event.

On tap for day two: The competition moves indoors for the final three days of competition. Two events await the competitors inside the Grand Wayne Convention Center.

• Complete leaderboards for all 13 divisions are powered by Competition Corner.