Salt Lake team wins CrossFit Games title

They call it the worm, but it is more of a lie detector.

It's an oversized log cut into six segments that the Hack's Pack Ute CrossFit team members are hoisting on their shoulders. They are forced to make deep squats, and the log doesn't lie about who's carrying his or her weight and who isn't.

For Tommy Hackenbruck, he trusts not only himself to be honest but also his team. And for the second year in a row, Hack's Pack Ute has the hardware to validate its trust and hard work.

"In our sport, you train all year for one weekend," Hackenbruck said. "The competition is our award for working out all year."

The team that trains at Ute CrossFit in Salt Lake City repeated as champions Sunday at the CrossFit Games in Carson, Calif. Hackenbruck joined Adrain Conway, Michael Cazayoux, Erin Bennon, Mary Lampas and Taylor Richards-Lindsay to endure sprints, burbees, squats and a barrage of physical challenges. The team collected 751 points to finish atop the 20-team field.

"We had a huge target on our back considering we made a pretty good impression a year ago," Hackenbruck said. "Training-wise, we like being in that role, staying hungry."

Hackenbruck, who played middle linebacker at the University of Utah from 2000 to 2004, said the team spent the last year working to improve form, build strength and gain endurance in preparation to defend its title.

"At the CrossFit Games, the crowd was amazing, so much bigger and louder than years before," Hackenbruck said. "After what I've done at Utah, it felt good to be in front of that kind of crowd."

The title came with $40,000 in prize money, which the team members will split.

"I'm proud that my team has constantly stayed hungry and continued to improve," Hackenbruck said. "I'm excited to see what we can do next year."