CrossFit Mayhem
{{Short description|American CrossFit affiliate}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| founded = 2009
| founder = Rich Froning Jr.
| area_served =
| services = Fitness classes
| website = {{URL|mayhemnation.com/}}
}}{{Notability|Companies|date=May 2025}}
CrossFit Mayhem is a CrossFit affiliate located in Cookeville, Tennessee. Mayhem was started in 2009 by Rich Froning Jr. in his father's barn as a place to train.{{Cite web|title=How a small US town became CrossFit's global mecca|url=http://lite.cnn.com/en/article/h_120950f12120592986fed036e99333dc|access-date=2021-08-04|website=CNN |first=Will |last=Edmonds|date=2019-11-19 }} In 2012, Rich opened the original downtown facility, but almost immediately began plans to expand. That relocation/expansion occurred in 2016.{{Cite web|date=2017-02-15|title=Crossfit Mayhem Expansion Boosts Tennessee as a Sports Destination|url=https://sportsplanningguide.com/crossfit-mayhem-expansion-boosts-tennessee-sports-destination/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Sports Planning Guide|language=en-US}} Due in large part to Froning's success at the CrossFit Games, Crossfit Mayhem has become something of a pilgrimage site for many Crossfit Athletes and fans.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
CrossFit Mayhem has fielded one or more teams at the CrossFit Games since 2013, and the team led by Rich Froning has won all the team competitions at the Games from 2015 to 2022 apart from 2017 when they came second, and 2020 when no team competition was held.
CrossFit Games
While the Affiliate Cup first appeared in 2009, CrossFit Mayhem first fielded a competitive team only in 2013 when it finished 27th.{{cite web |url= https://games.crossfit.com/team/8110 |title=CrossFit Mayhem Freedom |work=CrossFit Games }}
In 2015, upon retiring from individual competition, Rich Froning joined the CrossFit Mayhem team and the team has not finished lower than 2nd place at the CrossFit Games since, despite significant turnover of athletes. The 2015 team was titled CrossFit Mayhem Freedom.{{cite web |url=https://boxlifemagazine.com/rich-fronings-new-games-journey-team-crossfit-mayhem-freedom/ |title=Rich Froning's New Games Journey: Team CrossFit Mayhem |work=BoxLife Magazine |date=March 2, 2015 }} The team achieved back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016.{{cite web |url=https://journal.crossfit.com/article/cfj-behind-the-scenes-crossfit-mayhem-freedom-part-8 |title=Behind the Scenes: CrossFit Mayhem Freedom, Part 8 |work=CrossFit Journal |first1=Elliot |last1=Schrock |first2= Lindsay|last2= Schrock |date=December 9, 2016 }}
In 2017, the team competed as CrossFit Mayhem. However, this year the team finished 48 points behind Wasatch CrossFit in second place.{{cite web |url= https://boxlifemagazine.com/froning-on-not-smiling-on-the-podium-2/ |title= Froning On 'Not Smiling On the Podium; |work=BoxLife Magazine|date= January 17, 2018 }}
2018 was the first time that CrossFit Mayhem competed two teams at the CrossFit Games. Mayhem Freedom took home the Championship after a year out of the top spot, while Mayhem Independence narrowly missed a podium spot, finishing 4th overall.{{Cite web|date=2018-08-05|title=CrossFit Mayhem Freedom Wins Team Competition At 2018 Reebok CrossFit Games|url=https://barbend.com/crossfit-mayhem-freedom-wins-2018-games/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=BarBend|language=en-US}}
In 2019, the Affiliate Cup was put on pause, as Teams no longer had to belong to the same CrossFit Affiliate in order to compete together. This ushered in the brief era of the "Super Teams,"{{Cite web|date=2019-01-16|title=The 2019 CrossFit Open: Out with the old, in with the new|url=https://wodprep.com/blog/crossfit-open-2019-changes/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=WODprep - Helping You Become An Rx Athlete|language=en-US}} though it did little to affect Mayhem's success in CrossFit Competition. Mayhem Freedom repeated as the 2019 CrossFit Games Champions.
Also in 2019, Elly Kabboord tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance clenbuterol,{{Cite web|date=2019-06-28|title=Kabboord, Oskarsson Sanctioned for PEDs. Panchik to Get Invite|url=https://morningchalkup.com/2019/06/28/kabboord-oskarsson-sanctioned-for-peds-panchik-to-get-invite/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Morning Chalk Up|language=en-US}} receiving a four-year ban from the sport and forcing Mayhem to re-shuffle their roster, adding Carolyne Prevost to the Independence team in time for the French Throwdown. Due in part to these changes, Independence failed to qualify.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, CrossFit was forced to make significant changes to the 2020 CrossFit Games, one of which was the elimination of team competition.{{Cite web|last=LLC|first=CrossFit|title=2020|url=https://games.crossfit.com/workouts/games/2020?division=11|access-date=2021-08-04|website=games.crossfit.com|language=English}} Froning attempted to organize a replacement team competition titled Mayhem Madness,{{cite web |url= https://barbend.com/crossfit-mayhem-madness/|title=Official Details Shared For Mayhem Madness CrossFit Competition|first=Jake|last= Boly|date= May 21, 2020|work=BarBend }} but that too had to be cancelled due to travel restriction.{{cite web |url=https://morningchalkup.com/2020/07/28/mayhem-madness-canceled-due-to-pandemic-travel-restrictions/ |title=Mayhem Madness Canceled Due to Pandemic Travel Restrictions |date=July 28, 2020 |first= Patrick|last= Clark |work=Morning Chalk Up }}
In 2021, CrossFit returned to the Affiliate Cup model, resulting in the ineligibility of Scott Panchik and Chyna Cho. Andrea Nisler and Taylor Williamson, formerly of Mayhem competitor OC3 Black, both joined the team, along with Rich's cousin Chase Hill. CrossFit Mayhem was crowned the 2021 CrossFit Games Affiliate Cup Champion for the 5th time.
In 2022, CrossFit Mayhem has three teams qualified for the CrossFit Games, the first time three teams from the same gym location qualified for the Games (previously Invictus sent three teams but from different locations).{{cite web |url=https://morningchalkup.com/2022/05/29/crossfit-mayhem-sends-three-teams-to-2022-games-makes-history/ |title= CrossFit Mayhem Sends Three Teams to 2022 Games, Makes History?|date=May 29, 2022 |first= Joe|last= Genetin-Pilawa |work=Morning Chalk Up }} Samuel Cournoyer joined the Froning-led CrossFit Mayhem Freedom team,{{cite web |url=https://www.boxrox.com/sam-cournoyer-joins-rich-froning-mayhem-freedom/ |title=Sam Cournoyer Joins Rich Froning and the Mayhem Freedom team; Annie Thorisdottir Responds|date=February 24, 2022 |work=BoxRox}} which won the teams competition at the Games.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxrox.com/crossfit-mayhem-freedom-fittest-team-on-earth/ |title=CrossFit Mayhem Freedom Crowned Fittest Team on Earth |first=Robert |last=Born |date=August 7, 2022 |work=BoxRox }} Froning announced his retirement from team competition in October 2022 after winning their sixth title.{{cite web |url=https://morningchalkup.com/2022/10/25/rich-froning-announces-retirement-from-team-competition-leaves-door-open-for-masters/|title= Rich Froning Announces Retirement from Team Competition, Leaves Door Open for Masters |date=October 25, 2022 |first= Justin|last= LoFranco |work=Morning Chalk Up }}
= CrossFit Games results table =
= CrossFit Games Team Roster =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Team !Male 1 !Male 2 !Male 3 !Female 1 !Female 2 !Female 3 |
| 2013{{Cite web|title=It's Mayhem!|first= Lauryn|last= Lax|url=https://games.crossfit.com/article/its-mayhem|website=CrossFit Games|date=May 4, 2013}}
|CF Mayhem |Darren Hunsucker |Thomas Cox |Ben Rogers |Jackie Cox |Jen Hoffman |Lauren Neal |
| 2014
|CF Mayhem |Jake Lockert |Thomas Cox |Ben Rogers |Jackie Cox |Khristin Allen |Rachel Yepez |
| 2015
|Rich Froning |Matt Hewett |James Hobart |Lauren Neal |Kristin Reffert |Elly Kabboord |
| 2016
|Rich Froning |Matt Hewett |James Hobart |Lindy Barber |Kristin Reffert |Elly Kabboord |
| 2017
|Rich Froning |Matt Hewett |Darren Hunsucker |Lindy Barber |Kristin Reffert |Elly Kabboord |
| Year
!Team !Male 1 !Male 2 !— !Female 1 !Female 2 !— |
|---|
| rowspan="2"|2018
|Rich Froning |Matt Hewett |style="text-align:center"|— |Lindy Barber |Tascia Persevecz |style="text-align:center"|— |
| CF Mayhem Independence
|Ted Starkweather |Darren Hunsucker |style="text-align:center"|— |Elly Kabboord |Kristen Long |style="text-align:center"|— |
| rowspan="2"|2019
|Rich Froning |Dre Strohm |style="text-align:center"|— |Tascia Persevecz |Chyna Cho |style="text-align:center"|— |
| CF Mayhem Independence{{Cite web|date=2018-01-24|title=CrossFit Mayhem Freedom Announces Final Two Teams Rosters|url=https://barbend.com/crossfit-mayhem-freedom-teams/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=BarBend|language=en-US}}
|Royce Dunne |Chase Hill |style="text-align:center"|— |Kristen Miller |Carolyn Prevost |style="text-align:center"|— |
| rowspan="2"|2020
|Rich Froning |Scott Panchik |style="text-align:center"|— |Tascia Persevecz |Chyna Cho |style="text-align:center"|— |
| CF Mayhem Independence{{Cite web|title=Taylor Streid Announces Huge News About Her 2020 CrossFit Games Season|url=https://bluescityathletics.com/taylor-joins-mayhem/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Blues City Athletics|language=en-US}}
|Royce Dunne |Chase Hill |style="text-align:center"|— |Kristin Miller |Taylor Streid |style="text-align:center"|— |
| 2021
|Rich Froning |Chase Hill |style="text-align:center"|— |Andrea Nisler |Taylor Williamson |style="text-align:center"|— |
| rowspan="3"|2022
|Rich Froning |Samuel Cournoyer |style="text-align:center"|— | Andrea Nisler | Taylor Williamson |style="text-align:center"|— |
| CF Mayhem Independence
| Angelo DiCicco |Luke Parker |style="text-align:center"|— |Alexis Johnson |Sasha Nievas |style="text-align:center"|— |
| CF Mayhem Justice
|Ben Davidson |Seth Stovall |style="text-align:center"|— |Jessica Kalagian |Anniston Sudhof |style="text-align:center"|— |
| 2023
|CF Mayhem Independence{{Cite web |last=LLC |first=CrossFit |title=CrossFit Games {{!}} The Fittest on Earth |url=https://games.crossfit.com/team/12533 |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=games.crossfit.com |language=English}} |Angelo DiCicco |Sam DeMeester |style="text-align:center"|— |Zoe Jones |Kyra Mulligan |style="text-align:center"|— |
Significant current and former Mayhem athletes
- Rich Froning, Jr
- Mat Fraser
- Tia-Clair Toomey
- Scott Panchik
- Dan Bailey
- Chyna Cho
- Sara Sigmundsdottir
- Josh Bridges
- Haley Adams
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{Coord|36.1452|-85.4790|type:landmark_region:US-TN|display=title}}