Grid League 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP

In a championship atmosphere filled with anticipation, the Orlando Aces and Fort Lauderdale Lions squared off at the Olympia Grid League Championship Match. Both teams arrived with momentum, the Aces undefeated throughout the season, and the Lions looking to defend their 2022 title. The stage was set for an epic contest of strength, strategy, and teamwork across ten grueling races.

The Partner Forward race opened the competition with intensity as both squads navigated the increasingly challenging dumbbell overhead squats and burpee box jump overs. The Aces established an early pattern by claiming the first race, though the Lions completed their work under the time cap to secure a point.

The intensity continued in The Mirror, a relay requiring precise coordination as athletes served as “human racks” between quadrants. Orlando maintained their momentum, completing the shoulder-to-overhead lifts approximately ten repetitions ahead of Fort Lauderdale.

The Lions finally found their footing during the Home Ringer Point, where Paula Leyes (#25) showcased exceptional rhythm on the ring muscle-ups to secure their first race victory against Angel Serrano (#24). This momentary success narrowed the gap to 5-3 in favor of the Aces.

The Echo Race proved particularly challenging for the Lions, who struggled with faults despite gaining early leads in both halves of the race. The Aces capitalized on these mistakes with disciplined performances, expanding their advantage to 9-3.

In the Snatch Ladder, Taylar Stallings and Olivia Scott delivered standout performances for Orlando, systematically working through progressively heavier weights. The Aces dominated this technical test, winning the ladder 77-54 and pushing their overall lead to 11-6.

The Away Ringer Point featured a 500-pound yoke carry, where Ryan DeMattie‘s explosive strength for the Aces overwhelmed Eduardo Rodriguez of the Lions. DeMattie crossed the finish line while Rodriguez remained in quadrant two, demonstrating the widening performance gap between the teams.

Both teams deployed strategic substitutions throughout the Jack and Jill race, but the Aces maintained superior coordination across the chest-to-bar pull-ups, double touches, and challenging triple touches. The Lions came close but fell one repetition short at the finish.

The Lions showed signs of life in the Female Triad, where Emilanan “G” Guerra and teammates executed flawlessly through ground-to-overheads, handstand push-ups, D-ball squats, ring muscle-ups, and deadlifts. Their narrow two-second victory kept their championship hopes technically alive at 15-8.

However, the Male Triad quickly swung momentum back to Orlando. The Lions’ handstand push-up struggles opened the door for the Aces’ Angel Serrano, Darren Lasso, and Alexander Hollings to build an insurmountable lead through the ring muscle-ups and deadlifts.

With the championship hanging in the balance, both teams entered the final Sprint Relay with determination. The race featured multiple lead changes through the eight-element gauntlet, but the Aces gradually pulled away during Angel Serrano’s backward roll section. Their anchor athlete crossed the finish line to thunderous applause from teammates, securing the race and championship.

When the final points were tallied, the Orlando Aces had defeated the Fort Lauderdale Lions 19-10, completing their perfect season and capturing their first Olympia Grid League Championship. Their historic victory dethroned the defending champions and established them as the new standard in the Grid League, having been the only team to defeat the Lions during the regular season before delivering the decisive championship performance.

The Lions are the official Fort Lauderdale team of the United Grid League.

Grid League is the future of team sports. It features men and women together in an intense and exciting race based game on strategy and athleticism.

Watch Grid League Live

About Grid League

Get Involved

Schedule & TicketsGrid League YoutubeLivestream PageStructure and RulesPodcastsPlay in the LeagueJoin the StaffOwn a Team