Kitty Regjo/Courtesy photo
Eagle Climbing + Fitness qualified 14 and will send eight athletes to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday for the USA Climbing region 41 championship.
“We’ve had a great spring,” gym owner and coach Larry Moore said. “The kids finished the season strong.”
The USA Climbing calendar is split by discipline (boulder, lead/top rope and speed) with the lead/top rope season running from late-February through the end of May. The top-15 Region 41 athletes, based off “Ranking Points” from their two best finishes at regional qualifying events — such as the one on April 12 in Eagle — qualified for the regional competition. The top-13 finishers in Tulsa move onto the Division 4 championships at the end of the month. The best from the nine divisionals across the country advance to nationals in Beaverton, Oregon, in June.
Mary Friery already qualified for the national competition in bouldering this winter. The senior also finished first at her final home competition April 12.
“She’s had so much success across the board in both leagues and bouldering and rope climbing,” said Moore before praising another Eagle Valley athlete, Iris Sheldon. The speech and debate star returned to the wall to top the U19 standings at the home event.
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“It’s really nice to see her back,” Moore said. “That was a big showing.”
Moore has witnessed profound growth in his Junior Elite Talon team this spring as well. Griffin Hood, Ben Welsh and Frankie Sanzaro all posted top-5 finishes at the qualifier on April 12. Sanzaro joined the team after competing at the inaugural American Scholastic Climbing League national championship event in Eagle in March.
“He’s been super awesome to have around,” Moore said. “Him and Ben have become buddies and they’re both going to regionals, so that will be a cool experience. (Ben) is continuing to climb stronger and stronger, too. (He’s) super focused at practice and really coming around.”
Another man in the mix is U15 climber, Waylon Larson, who narrowly missed qualifying for nationals last year. He placed ninth in the male youth C category at divisonals, despite being one of the only athletes to touch the 26th hold. Moore said Larson is extra motivated coming into this weekend after just missing out on qualifying for regionals in bouldering this winter.
“He’s got an incredible attitude and I think he’s super hungry,” Moore said. “There’s some strong young men that are piecing things together as a team and really pushing each other.”
During the three-week prep period since their last competition, Moore said his athletes have honed in on endurance in order to handle the taller walls found at the upcoming venues. On the clock with one attempt, the championship format also rewards climbers who think strategically with time management and route reading.
“Some of it is physical — getting that endurance element — but a lot of it is mental,” Moore said. “Being able to read a route, decipher how you’re going to move through the holds on the wall, identify where the crux is or hard points are, where rests are — that’s really the endeavor.”
For U13 athletes, the regional is the final stop of the season. For the rest, the goal is to move onto divisionals, held at The Spot in Louisville, Colorado from May 31 to June 1.
“We should have a really good showing,” Moore said.
