Luke Schafer: Prioritizing Medical School Over the Games | Morning Chalk Up

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Unassuming.

That is the word best used to describe Luke Schafer and hes totally fine with that. The 2020 CrossFit Games qualifier has other items to worry about right now the Games however are not at the top of that list. Since early July, Schafer has been enrolled in medical school at Still University in Kirksville, Missouri. That has kept him busy and has become his main priority. But nevertheless he has committed to participating in the online portion of the Games on September 18-19, you just wont hear much from him about it.

Remind me: Schafer is not a Games rookie he has made two appearances as a team member in 2015 and then again at last years Games. At last years Games he helped OC3 Black to a fourth place finish. Despite his Games experience on a team he has also competed as an individual including the 2018 and 2018 Central Regionals, finishing eighth and 11th respectively. Altogether he has five Regional appearances including three on a team.

During the 2019 season he competed in four Sanctionals including two as an individual. He started his season with an 18th place at the star-studded Dubai CrossFit Championship before placing seventh at the Granite Games.

For the second-straight year Schafer finished within the top-50 in the Open. He recorded a career-best placing of 46th, a three-spot jump from his 2019 finish.

Enter 2020: Schafer earned his ticket to this years Games after taking second place at the CrossFit Mayhem Classic. He received the invite after Chandler Smith qualified through the Open giving Schafer the backfill spot. Schaefer recorded three top-three finishes at the competition finishing 14 points behind Smith.

Path to the Live Five:Schafer admitted that his training has taken a backseat since starting medical school.

Schafer thrives in grunt-work events, longer workouts and chippers. Workouts that also incorporate running in them is also a strength of his. Schafer may get his wish as running will be incorporated into one of the workouts of the online stage of the Games.

His top finishes at the Mayhem Classicshow that as he finished second in the grueling five-mile ruck-run with a time of 51:00. His other runner-up finish at the Mayhem Classic was in a chipper that included burpee box get-overs, assault bike, GHD sit-ups and bar muscle-ups.

In this years Open his best event was 20.5 where he placed 26th in a workout that featured 40 muscle-ups, 80-cal. Row and 120 wall-balls.

Where Schafer has struggled in the past has been in events that test strength or have heavy loads.

In 20.4 he placed 207th as he just finished under the 20-minute time cap of a workout that ended with five clean and jerks at 315 LBs which is his listed 1-rep max.

Schafer has also historically struggled with workouts that require being upside down. His worst finish at the Mayhem Classic was the 18th in event three, a couplet which included four rounds of 100-feet handstand walks.

In the Open, his worst event was 20.3 where he finished 241st worldwide. 20.3 included handstand pushups and walks along with deadlifts.

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Luke Schafer: Prioritizing Medical School Over the Games - Morning Chalk Up