Reps Ahead Pro 5 Preview: James Sprague and Arielle Loewen Headline an All North America West Tournament

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What could make a head-to-head, knockout-style event even more exciting?

Yep. A tournament bracket.

Reps Ahead Pro 5 is coming to the Stockyards Event Center in Denver, CO, as part of the 15th annual MBS Turkey Challenge CrossFit competition. Fans and athletes will be able to watch the one-on-one showdowns in an exhilarating setting, as the unique setup at the auction arena will allow spectators to be right on top of the action.

“This is going to be the best way to watch Reps Ahead so far. No question,” Reps Ahead founder Phil Thomas told Morning Chalk Up.

The field consists of athletes from the North America West region, most of whom competed at the 2024 West Coast Classic in Carson, California.

Remind me: Reps Ahead Pro 4 was a success. It was held on the main stage during the TYR Wodapalooza SoCal right before Team North America took on Team World in the TYR Cup in September.

In those professional matchups, Anikha Greer defeated Kyra Milligan by a second-round knockout, and Jayson Hopper bested James Sprague by decision in the closest Reps Ahead bout to date.

What’s new: This time around, fans can watch four matches on both Saturday and Sunday in a four-person tournament. The winners on Saturday will face each other on Sunday in the championship bout.

The losers of Saturday’s matches will face off for third place on Sunday. All athletes are guaranteed two matches.

Let’s meet the contenders.

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Reps Ahead Pro 5 Roster — Women

Trista Smith

A three-time teen Games athlete who placed second in 2023, Trista Smith is on an upward trajectory.

She finished 11th at the 2024 West Coast Classic, 15 spots better than the year prior and three spots out from a Games-qualifying position.

Zoe Warren

Although Zoe Warren missed out on the 2024 North America West Semifinal, most likely due to a penalty incurred in Quarterfinals, she finished 22nd in 2023. She also recently won the Desert City Classic.

Rachel Noel

Rachel Noel finished 34th at the 2023 North America West Semifinal and recently won the Summit Games in her home state of Utah.

She is filling in for Lauren Stallwood, who won her Reps Ahead Pro 4 match over Devyn Kim. Noel looks to pull off an upset this weekend.

Arielle Loewen

The 2023 “Fittest Mom on Earth” and the only woman in the tournament with Individual Games experience, Arielle Loewen is the heavy favorite on paper.

She is fresh off of a third-place finish at the Rogue Invitational.

While she may be the top choice to win, remember that anything can happen in this format.

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Reps Ahead Pro 5 Roster — Men

Tudor Magda

A former teen champion known for his Olympic lifting prowess, Tudor Magda made the Games as an Individual in 2022, finishing 34th.

He missed qualifying for the Games the next two seasons, including this year, where he missed out by one spot at the West Coast Classic.

And who grabbed that final ticket by just three points? Reps Ahead competitor, Cole Greashaber.

Cole Greashaber

A three-time CrossFit Games competitor, Greashaber finished 33rd in both 2022 and 2023.

He improved to 17th this year in Fort Worth.

He set an event record at the 2024 West Coast Classic, which propelled him to the final qualifying spot, three points ahead of Magda.

John Wood

John Wood went to the Games on a team in 2021, placing 20th.

In the three years since, he has been an Individual Semifinals athlete, placing 12th at the Granite Games in 2022, 12th at the North America West Semifinal in 2023, and 13th this year in Carson, four spots out of a Games qualifying position.

James Sprague

He is the current “Fittest on Earth” after winning the CrossFit Games in 2024.

Sprague placed third at the West Coast Classic and 11th at the Rogue Invitational two weeks ago in Scotland.

Sprague is the only athlete in the tournament this weekend with Reps Ahead experience and is the favorite to win. But once again, anything can happen when it’s one on one.

The Matchups

2.) Trista Smith vs. 3.) Zoe Warren

1.) Arielle Loewen vs. 4.) Rachel Noel

2.) Cole Greashaber vs 3.) Tudor Magda

1.) James Sprague vs. 4.) John Wood

Thomas explained that the seeding process was based on the athletes’ most recent results from Semifinals. (Then Quarterfinals, in the case of Warren and Noel).

The athletes will tackle two different workouts.

Semifinals Sequence

“Lindsey” – 2:30/1:00 Interval for four rounds total (if needed)

10 Reps Ahead

7 bar muscle-up
6 burpee box jump-overs, 30/24 inches
5 clean and jerk, 165/115 pounds

Finals Sequence

“Candice” – 2:30/1:00 Interval for four rounds total (if needed)

14 Reps Ahead

12 box jump-overs (step down only)
6 hang squat clean, 155/105 pounds
12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

As a newcomer to Reps Ahead, Loewen expressed her excitement and nerves leading up to the event.

“There’s no hiding and there’s no other people for distraction…It’s me vs her. A little scary, but I’m excited to see what this style feels like,” Loewen told Morning Chalk Up.

Knowing that the matches could go up to four rounds, Loewen is coming in with a tentative plan.

“I’m going to come out smooth and in control and hopefully hold my pace as needed. I’d like to think I’d make my move in round three or four, not round one,” she continued.

While she frequently chooses not to test workouts, Loewen said she has tried the first sequence but not the second. Being a savvy athlete, she knows Reps Ahead will be quite different from a typical CrossFit event.

“Honestly, practicing is good to see what it feels like, but I don’t put too much weight in it. It all depends on what my opponent does,” she said.

The Payouts

Saturday winners: $2,000
Sunday championship: $5,000
Sunday 3rd place: $1,000

The prizes are provided by Renovō, and all proceeds go to the New You Cares Foundation.

All athletes will have their travel expenses covered, and Games athletes will receive base pay as well. With a total payout of $ 7,000 to the winner of the tournament, there is more than pride on the line.

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The Bottom Line

Reps Ahead continues to grow and offer opportunities for professional athletes to earn money and compete in or out of the CrossFit Games season. It also offers fans a way to watch some of their favorite athletes up close.

You can watch the action live on the B.Friendly Fitness YouTube channel, where the unlikely duo of Brian Friend and Andrew Hiller will call the event.