Two-time Reebok CrossFit Games Champion Mat Fraser recently made a move that will place him in the Central Region. Fraser has been a consistently dominant force in the Eastern Region, claiming first in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 in the Eastern (and previously North East) Regionals.
Coming hot off a 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games championship, sources say Fraser and his girlfriend Sammy Moniz have moved to Cookeville, Tennessee. So why Cookeville? Well, this is the town where Rich Froning and CrossFit Mayhem reside, along with other top CrossFit athletes. And in the past, Froning and Fraser have trained together extensively, so the move may very well have something to do with their relationship.
Fraser stated that the move was for tax reasons in a CrossFit Journal Podcast, and he previously lived in Vermont, where he also grew up. Check out Moniz’ recent Instagram post below sharing the move.
This move, as stated before, would place Fraser in the Central Region for the 2018 CrossFit Games season. We’re not doubting that Fraser will still continue to produce commanding performances, but the Central region has some pretty great athlete depth to it.
[Want to know more about Fraser and his background? Check out his documentary: A Day In the Life of Mat Fraser, the Fittest Man On Earth!]
For starters, three of the Central Region’s top male competitors finished in the Games top 15 this past year. Scott Panchik placed sixth, Alex Anderson eighth, and Streat Hoerner 14th. Then you have Paul Castillo, who finished first at Central Regionals and 27th at the Games, along with Zak Carchedi, who finished 30th.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZlsxgUFkKq/
And let’s not forget about other big named athletes like Sam Dancer, Jacob Heppner, Saxon Panchik, and the young and upcoming George Sterner. All of these athletes have the capability of finishing on the Regional podium in any given year, so it’s going to interesting to throw Fraser into that mix.
[Check out 18-year old George Sterner’s performance of the Reebok CrossFit Open Workout 17.3, which he finished faster than Rich Froning and Noah Ohlsen.]
A lot can still change before the 2018 CrossFit Games season kicks off, but as of now, it’s going to be interesting to speculate how the Central Region could change with Fraser’s presence.
Feature image from @sammymoniz Instagram page.