CrossFit New England 2011 Affiliate Cup Championa

By CrossFit
CrossFit New England won every event at the North East Regional, but only won 1 event at the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games. Luckily, it was the one that mattered. After Team Event 5, only 6 teams moved on to the final, where the Scoreboard was wiped clean for a winner-take all showed. CFNE was joined by CrossFit Fort Vancouver, Team Taranis, Brick CrossFit, Front Range CrossFit and Rocklin CrossFit for a "Gauntlet of Girls," where each team member had to tackle a classic CrossFit workout. Each team member had to finish his or her task before the next could start. The girls: "Elizabeth," "Fran," "Isabel," "Grace," "Diane." and "Karen." Before the event, coaches were forced to evaluate their athletes and decide who would perform best where. Use an athlete with a lot of endurance on Fran and you might find your team stalled on Karen’s 150 wall-ball shots. “We were all like, ‘Pick me for that, pick me for that.’ Then there was nothing left,” Mikkelsen said of the selection process. CFNE clearly made all the right choices and grabbed the lead early. They didn’t give it up and were well ahead of the other teams after Mel Ockerby, who narrowly missed qualifying as an individual, ripped out a hot Fran that essentially sealed the deal for the East Coast box. The team of Derek Mohamed (Grace), Mat Frankel (Karen), James Hobart (Diane), Mel Ockerby (Fran), Lisa Mikkelsen (Elizabeth), Sonia Cormier (Isabel) and alternates Ali Le Blanc and Jasan Caldas was unstoppable but didn’t let up until the judge counted the final wall-ball shot. In a close race for second, Denver’s Front Range CrossFit edged Canada’s Team Taranis. For complete results, visit the Scoreboard. With the win, CFNE takes home $30,000, while 2nd and 3rd take home $12,000 and $6,000 respectively. After the win, CFNE co-owner Ben Bergeron came down to the tunnel where the athletes enter the competition field and hugged Frankel. That’s when all the team members began getting misty-eyed. “I’m crying and confused,” Cormier said with a laugh. “It’s surreal,” Mohamed said. “Everyone performed exactly like they were supposed to,” Bergeron said. “It’s pretty awesome. We’ve been through a lot as a team Bergeron, who is known for his programming skill, produced some impressive athletes who were well-rounded enough to best all the challenges they faced. “They have a good blend of athleticism and mental (fortitude),” he said. “Some people are good at their gym. These guys are good anywhere, anytime.” At press time, the first heat of the final women’s challenge was underway.