Saturday is for the Girls

Written by Maysa Hannawi

While it’s an exceptional feat to qualify for the elite division of WZA across the board, there is something special about the women’s division, and it was on display this Saturday.

The day kicked off with the Overhead Squad workout, where teams had to overhead squat an ascending weight, descending rep barbell. You could split the repetitions however you wanted within your team, you just had to get the work done. When the final heat of women walked onto the lifting stage, the vibes were electric. There were heavy hitters across the floor, and it was all about who had a perfect run. 

Froggy Girls Who Don’t Run, a team comprised of Dani Speegle, five time games athlete, Olivia Kerstetter, a 19 year old barbell phenom, and Kyra Milligan a one time team and one time individual games athlete, were a favorite for this event. These three women are three of the strongest women in the field. When Speegle held on for all 20 reps at 175, the crowd went wild. For the final bar, team Froggy Girls were one of the few teams that had someone go unbroken for 10 reps at 195. Kerstetter moved the final barbell like it was the first one, moving up and down with lightning speed. The team locked in an impressive time of 3:03, taking the event one win, while also beating the majority of the elite men’s division times. 

While the speed they moved the barbell at was impressive, seeing 19 year old Olivia Kerstetter run and hug Speegle, one of the most well known names in CrossFit, was priceless. Speegle’s tagline is “Girls Who Eat” and the empowerment of strong women in the hug and smiles between those teammates reverberated throughout the crowd.

Next up was event two, Block Party. There was a tight race between Swedish House Mafia and Yeti Outkasts, finishing 0.17 seconds apart. The women progressed through moving heavy implements across the sand with finesse, tackling each piece of equipment and each round with strategy and communication. While the sled weight was adjusted for women, the blocks were the same 70lbs blocks the men moved.

In a post-event interview with Bella Martin, 20 year old Emma Lawson was all smiles when she discussed how her and her teammates, Danielle Brandon and Shelby Neal, have so much fun together. When Lawson said “I mean it’s also great that we’re all super fit”, none of them could contain their laughter. The feeling of girls just hyping up their friends was present in every interview on Saturday.

The day ended with Worm Up Hands Down, an event involving worm clean and jerks, synchro biking, and handstand relays, showcasing the team’s ability to work together. Before the final heat of women took the floor, Haley Adams, a three time teen games athlete and five time games athlete, took the floor to sing the National Anthem. Imagine warming up to compete, walking out to sing for the crowd, and then turning around and throwing down on the competition floor with your team under the lights. Everyone watching had goosebumps listening to Adams, and then seeing her transition into athlete mode was next level.

After the final event of the day, Martin interviewed the Broadway Girls, a team consisting of the Wells sisters and Adams, who fits in like an honorary sister. Brooke laughed at Martin’s question about sibling banter and said there was none, that they were just having fun and that she was excited to get to compete on a team with her twin for the first time. Sydney went on to say they had a loose strategy, but were shocked when they got off the bike ahead of the field, thinking they may even be doing something wrong. When Adams was asked about her National Anthem performance she humbly said “I don’t know if I would call that singing” causing her teammates to laugh and roll their eyes. Adams went on to say she felt like they were all sisters. 

From amazing lifts, to team hugs, to giggles while laying on the floor post workout, it is confirmed: Saturday is for the girls.