“In eight years, when I get out of the Army and someone Googles my name, the first thing they see now will say, ‘he was the biggest cheater in CrossFit.’”
Six months ago, few people knew who Cale Layman was. Then, he crushed the 2025 CrossFit Open.
And he didn’t just perform well for an unknown — Layman ranked fifth overall, beating longtime Games athletes, including Jayson Hopper, Ricky Garard, and Justin Medeiros.
What should have been a moment to celebrate and possibly the start of a viable CrossFit career turned into something else.
- Following his last-place finish a few weeks later at the Mayhem Classic Invitational, Layman’s CrossFit Open performances faced scrutiny online, with some outspoken voices suggesting he cheated or otherwise fabricated his scores.
This story has many complexities. The Morning Chalk Up reached out to Layman for a series of interviews. This is his story.
Who Is Cale Layman?
Layman graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in defense and strategic studies and focusing on infrastructure engineering to become an Army engineer. West Point has a strict honor code stating cadets will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.
- After graduating in May 2024, he relocated to Missouri to start a 19-week Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course (EBOLC).
Once settled in at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Layman started training at CrossFit St. Robert, a smaller affiliate offering only four classes daily and one on weekends.
- It was the only CrossFit gym in the area offering 24/7 access. The building has a keypad, and those who purchase 24-hour access are given the code.
The final weekday class was at 5:30 p.m., so Layman was often alone when he trained around 7 p.m. after work. He put in long sessions, leaving late at night.
Despite the long hours of training, Layman says CrossFit was just a hobby, even as his name settled near the top of the Open leaderboard.
A Shot at the Mayhem Classic Invitational
A day after the 2025 CrossFit Open ended on March 18, Rory McKernan, director of business development and athlete representation at Mayhem Nation, reached out and offered Layman a backfill spot at the Mayhem Classic Invitational, the season’s first In-Person Qualifying Event (IPQE).
U.S. Army CrossFit athletes who wish to compete in such events must request leave in accordance with their unit’s regulations. While in school, Layman had to submit a form to his superior – either his company commander or battalion commander, depending on the distance of his travel. Leave is never guaranteed and is contingent on various factors, including what the individual might miss in class.
Layman was granted leave the day before athlete check-in, but he and his coach had not planned to compete in person immediately after the Open. The two discussed the opportunity.
- “We were already planning to do Syndicate or Affiliate Semifinals, so we decided that I would go, have fun, and get the competition experience,” Layman said.
The field in Cookeville was, by any measure, the strongest of the 10 IPQEs this season.
- Out of 20 athletes on the men’s side, all except Layman had either Individual or Team Games experience. Seventeen athletes had competed individually at the Games, and two had competed on teams, including an Affiliate Cup winner.
Layman and his coach discussed how Layman could approach the weekend, particularly with workouts that didn’t match his skillset in a field as talented as Mayhem’s.
Layman told us about his lack of in-person, high-level competition experience and its impact on him. His rookie mistakes were abundant.
- “I came out way too hot on that first workout, and that first run was way faster than we planned. I just burnt myself out,” he said.
We know how the rest of the weekend unfolded for Layman — he finished in last place.
When he left Mayhem at the end of the weekend, he was exhausted, but he and his coach still felt optimistic.
- “There was nowhere to hide in a field of 17 Individual Games athletes…But I felt it was a good weekend and we learned a lot,” Layman said.
The Aftermath
After the competition, Layman left the venue but soon received a text from a friend saying that Andrew Hiller had made an Instagram post about him, asking to see his Open workouts after his last-place finish at Mayhem. He didn’t know what to do or how to respond.
- “It was a rough couple of weeks, and everyone seemed to have a way to solve it. But it was always putting their platform first, and I didn’t trust any of these people,” he said.
The notifications and online chatter consumed his life.
While at work, Layman turned off social media notifications but still received constant texts from friends updating him about an appearance or mention in another social post.
Questions regarding Layman’s fitness, honesty, and integrity led community members to scrutinize his 2025 Open scores and position on the worldwide leaderboard.
What Exactly Happened at the 2025 CrossFit Open?
Layman’s 2025 season started inauspiciously: When he signed up for the 2025 Open, he neglected to change the affiliate on his CrossFit profile page. He was still registered at CrossFit Black and Gold, his West Point affiliate from the previous year.
It was an error — one Layman takes responsibility for.
- “That was my mistake. I entered the score [for 25.1] before I switched it, and I went back in and tried to change [the affiliate designation], but I couldn’t,” he said. “I talked to other athletes who have been competing for a while, and they told me I was fine as long as I didn’t plan on competing on a team.”
On the CrossFit Games site, Skyler Johnston is listed as the judge for all of Layman’s Open workouts. Johnston was a West Point classmate of Layman. Before the Open started, Layman approached Austin Dickerson, the affiliate owner, about completing the Open workouts at his affiliate and using Johnston as the judge.
Johnston later submitted a statement to CrossFit HQ confirming that he did judge Layman, that his performance was scored as reported, and that he did not cheat.
- “I asked Austin if they were in good standing as an affiliate and if I could bring in someone to judge me because I knew no one would be in the gym when I was there,” Layman said.
When 25.1 was released, Layman knew it would be good for him. He tested it once on Thursday, knowing it was an easy workout to redo.
Much of the subsequent “controversy” could have been avoided if Layman had just recorded his workout.
But we all know he didn’t.
We’ll continue this story in part 2, coming on June 30.
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