How Lab Management Built a Star-Studded Athlete Roster

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Lab Management’s roster is stacked with current, up-and-coming, and legendary CrossFit athletes. Learn more about the agency’s work with some of the sport’s best in today’s interview with co-owner Cooper Marsh.

• If you’ve ever coached an athlete through a CrossFit competition or helped out a friend or loved one as part of their support team, you know how tough it can be to eat well and stay hydrated. Check out some tips to help you manage it all while being there for someone else.

• Oceania’s biggest offseason competition, the Down Under Championship, crowned its champions last weekend. We have the final results below.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We have a very good crop of people. There’s such amazing representation out here…with Bakland and Strength in Numbers, they’re doing amazing things,” - Cooper Marsh on sports agencies and athletes in CrossFit.

PROFILE

Trust, Commitment, and Lab Management – An Interview with Cooper Marsh

Individuals and brands seeking to thrive in the fitness space have a handful of choices when it comes to representation — and one of the most exciting is Lab Management, an agency owned by Jason St. Claire, Cooper Marsh, Daniel Robbins, and Matt O’Keefe.

Though still a young company, Lab Management is growing rapidly and represents a mix of newcomers, veterans, and legacy athletes in the CrossFit space. 

• At the TYR Wodapalooza SoCal last month, five of the eight individuals competing in the TYR Cup on Team North America were (and still are) among the ever-expanding Lab roster. 

• Lab also represents Anikha Greer and Jayson Hopper, who competed at the Reps Ahead Pro 4 on the TYR WZA stage that same weekend.

Lab Management’s Personal Touch

We got a chance to talk with Lab Management co-owner Cooper Marsh on-site at the Huntington Beach event, and he started by acknowledging that he’s in good company when it comes to his peers in the space.

A MESSAGE FROM SYNERGY

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SPEED READS

🏋️🏆 United Grid League Expansion: Formerly known as the Florida Grid League, the United Grid League (UGL) announced a new team based in Houston, TX. Sophia Davenport, a Grid League veteran from CrossFit Enoch, will helm the new team.

• Only one more spot remains to complete the league’s 10-team lineup for the 2025 season. For those interested in forming a Grid League team in their region, please visit this page for more information.

😎🌴 Week 2 of the TYR Wodapalooza Miami Online Challenge & Qualifier Is On: Check out the details below for the TYR WZA Online Challenge & Qualifier (OCQ), which started last week for individuals (The Team OCQ is Oct. 31-Nov. 6). Get registered here. Check out the Week 2 WODs here.

• TYR WZA OCQ Individual Divisions

  • Elite/Rx | Intermediate/Open

  • Masters 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60+

  • Teens 13-15, 16-18

ICYMI: Retired CrossFit team great Taylor Williamson took on the 2024 Rogue Invitational qualifier “for fun” and to support her PRVN crew. She took third and is heading to Scotland next month.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Nutrition Advice for Coaches and Support Crew Members at CrossFit Competitions

There is a ton of information out there for athletes on how to optimize their performance and nutrition for their training and competition. 

• But talk to any coach, parent, or significant other of a competitor, and you’ll soon learn how demanding being the support system can be!

So, today’s article is all about how to stay on track, fueled, and sharp so you can help your athlete perform to the best of their abilities.

There are three key points to consider, and while they seem basic, it’s often the case that support crew members neglect themselves during competition days.

Hydration

As with most things related to health and fitness, we start with hydration. 

When it comes to competitions, there usually tends to be some travel required, a lot of over-stimulation with the bright lights and loud music, and less accessibility to water. 

COMPETITIONS

The 2024 Down Under Championship Recap: Final Results

Australia’s largest offseason competition, the 2024 Down Under Championship (DUC), took place in Wollongong, Australia, last weekend, October 18-20. 

• This year, an Elite Pairs division was added to the schedule, which ran alongside the Elite Individuals. 

We saw a mix of local and international Games-level athletes competing in both Elite divisions.

Due to inclement weather on Friday, the workout schedule was reshuffled, as the original Day 1 events were to take place outdoors. 

• By the close of the competition on Sunday afternoon, all events had taken place, and the winners were crowned.

Women’s Elite Individual Division 

Finishing in first place was the UK’s Aimee Cringle. 

• Coming off her impressive rookie performance at the Games in August, Cringle continued to display a dominant performance, finishing the weekend with six top-five finishes, including two event wins. 

This is a significant leap up the leaderboard, as Cringle finished eighth in 2023. 

Second place went to the American Jessi Smith. 

• Smith had a consistent showing all weekend, finishing all seven workouts in seventh place or higher. 

Last year, Smith placed second in the Elite Team division. 

HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

• 🎂Happy birthday to Adrian Conway.

• Happy belated birthday (10/22) to Adam Neiffer.

• Check out 14-year-old Keira, hitting a 100-kilo/220-pound hang clean and jerk for her TYR Wodapalooza qualifier workout.

• Amazing work, as always, to Alec Smith, knocking out these incredible CrossFit gymnastics movements.

• 🏆Congratulations to Josef Šálek, who set the Guinness World Record on the longest-held plank (85 minutes, 2.16 seconds) with a 40-pound pack. How long could you hold?