Battle of the Boro: Butler-Riva defend men's title

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on May 3, 2014 11:27 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

Jared Butler and Tyler Riva knew they were tied for first and the Battle of the Boro crossfit challenge winner would be determined after they completed the four mystery movements.

Then Riva and Butler heard the movement they perform better than almost anyone -- handstand pushups.

"We were happy to hear handstand pushups were going to be in (the final event)," Butler said. "We do those really well and it's kind of our ace in the hole."

That ace in the hole set Butler and Riva apart from the rest of the competition and allowed them to take home first place in the Battle of the Boro men's RX division for the second consecutive year.

Butler and Riva pumped out the their handstand pushups, deadlifts at 315 pounds and muscle-ups. Butler didn't stretch properly before the final event -- pistols, which are one-legged squats.

Riva confidently completed the task for his teammate.

"He had beautiful pistol form and that really helped us out since I wasn't able to do them," Butler said.

"We are always willing to work together in these challenges and that's what helps us be successful," Riva said.

Butler and Riva, of Clayton and members of RadBar Team A, won their third event in the four times they've competed together.

In the women's RX event, Mollie MacDonald and Rebecca Conrad formed the Quad Squad and bested the competition by six points. The Quad Squad stayed true to its name, dominating the pistols movement to give them a second-place finish in the final event.

The finish led to a convincing overall finish.

"We just knew when the other was in a rhythm to not interrupt the rhythm," MacDonald said.

"But when one person starts to struggle the other is ready to step in and help out," Conrad it said. "Communication is everything."

MacDonald, in her sixth year of crossfit, and Conrad, in her second year, competed in the Battle of the Boro for the first time. However, it was their second win in as many competitions together.

MacDonald and Conrad made the trip from Raleigh to compete in the second-year event.

Crossfit Goldsboro owner Michael Garrett said athletes came from as far as Shreveport, La., and Augusta, Ga. He added 160 competitors took part in the event, which was 20 more than last year. Thirty participants were members of the Crossfit Goldsboro gym, which is almost twice as many as last years 16 athletes.

Crossfit is a growing sport and the Battle of the Boro is one of the most revered challenges in North Carolina. But there is still so much room for growth.

"There's so many success stories of people who have made their lives better," Garrett said. "We need to tell those success stories and (that's how you grow the sport)."