League news · May 19, 2025
Colten Mertens, known as the “Iron Hog,” joined the Houston Bandits as a rookie in the 2025 United Grid League season. The three-time CrossFit Games athlete brought an impressive competitive resume to his new team, highlighted by his victory as worldwide champion of the 2025 CrossFit Open.
Mertens has built a reputation as one of CrossFit’s strongest pound-for-pound athletes. Standing 5′4″ and weighing 190 pounds, he has a 555-pound back squat and a 335-pound clean and jerk. His CrossFit Games finishes improved from 31st in 2021 to his best, 18th, in 2023.
The foundation for Mertens’ strength was laid on his family’s century-old farm in Hillsboro, Iowa, where he raises pigs and cattle and grows corn and soybeans. He built his own training facility on the property.
He started CrossFit in 2017 during his freshman year at Northern Iowa University. When he is not training or farming, he raises dachshunds; he owns five of them and occasionally breeds litters.
League news · May 19, 2025
League news · May 16, 2025
Not on a 2026 roster. You can sponsor a current Bandits player.
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