Connecticut and Indiana Repeat at the Europa Get Fit & Sports Expo

July 2, 2012 – New events and amazing performances were the talk of the town in Hartford, Connecticut this past weekend. By Mike Johnston, PT, CSCS

 

The fans crowded into the Connecticut Convention Center to avoid the record heat outside on Friday night and Saturday, only to be to some intense ASC style competition heat inside. The Europa Get Fit & Sports Expo Strongman Fitness® and American Strongman Open is in the books with two new ASC pro-cards earned and two more spots at the Arnold Strongman Fitness® World Championship filled. “The LW and HW Pro-cards came right down to the wire,” said ASC Prez Dione Wessels. “It was a perfect debut for the new American Strongman Giant Wheel Barrow event. The crowd was absolutely on their feet!”

Friday started with the House of Pain Last Man Standing Log Press. SFW Stefanie Tropea won with 130 pounds. SFM Matthew LeBlanc only needed his first attempt to win but went on to press and incredible 280 log at a bodyweight of 175 pounds. Carlos Reyes won the LW class with 350 pounds while Dave Bourgeois hit 380 to win the heavies. The Bigg Dogg Strongg Yoke and Frame Medley proved to be incredibly heavy for all of the competitors. Newcomer Selma Semedo was the only SFW competitor to finish the yoke while SFM Pat Davidson smoked the medley in 29.16 seconds. LW Robert Kearney blazed through the course in 24.44 seconds while Derek DeVaughn was the only HW to finish the event in a fast time of 28.83 seconds.

Day two was started with an Axle Deadlift that saw Strongman Fitness® competitors Thelma Semedo and Pat Davidson pick up their winning ways with Semedo hitting 8 reps at 280# and Davidson hitting 13 reps at 405#. Carlos Reyes knocked out 14 reps at 500 pounds and Chad Smith hit 14 reps a 600 pounds. On the giant dumbbell Semedo continued her win streak as the only female to manage a rep at 80# while 175er Matt LeBlanc surged back with a 6 rep clinic at 130#. Carlos Reyes remained in control of his destiny with 7 reps on the 175# bell. The HW class witnessed a tie between LW Pro Mike Mastell and HW Shan Housekeeper each with 6 reps at 200#.

The Husafel stone was next. SFW Stefanie Tropea came back with an impressive 462 foot run with 150# while SFM LeBlanc strolled 400 feet with 250 pounds. Robert Kearney jumped back on to the leaders board with a 270.9 foot run and once again LW Pro Mike Mastell made his presence known with an easy 195 foot stroll.

The American Strongman Giant Wheel Barrow Load and Carry was the final event of the competition and lived up to the hype in dramatic fashion. Stephanie Tropea continued her comeback finishing in 37.6 seconds, however her efforts were to late as Thelma Semedo captured the win. Matt LeBlanc and Pat Davidson sprinted to the finish line separated by less then a second. LeBlanc proved the victor. Semedo and LeBlanc both earned an invite to the Arnold Strongman Fitness® World Championship in 2013.

The LW Pro-card came down to the last event. Carlos Reyes was perched precariously ahead of Robert Kearney by 1.5 points. The two training partners were paired in the final WB run, and with a few very fast times already turned-in, the win was up for grabs. Reyes and Kearney blistered down the course picking and loading, running and stopping, and finally crossing the finish-line in what can only be described as a photo finish. The times were 27.47 seconds and 27.57 seconds for the victor and newest ASC LW Pro Carlos Reyes of Connecticut.

The HW Pro-card victory was even more cluttered. 4 athletes sat within 2.5 point of first place; Dave Bourgeois at 48, Chad Smith at 48.5, Shan Housekeeper at 49 and Derek Devaughn at 50.5. Once again, the final run had the two points leaders. Devaughn and Housekeeper both smoked the course at 28.19 seconds and 28.93 seconds. The winner and newest ASC HW Pro was Derek DeVaughn of Indiana.

“It was a very exciting event. The Strongman Fitness® competitors garnered a great deal of attention as many Cross-fitters came to watch the real strongman competitors in action,” commented ASC VP Mike Johnston, “It is also interesting that the Pro-card winners were from Connecticut and Indiana. If I was from either of those states I would get my butt to Dallas.”

Please visit www.americanstrongman.com for more upcoming events and ASC news.