(Photos courtesy of Bend Endurance Academy)
Eight Bend Endurance Academy athletes had a successful weekend at USAC Youth Bouldering Divisionals in Lynwood, Washington hosted by Vertical World. This competition was a two-day championship event that brought together the top athletes from Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. It is the second stop on the road to Youth Nationals, following Youth Regionals which was held at the BEA training facility in January.
USAC Youth Bouldering Divisional Championships begin with a qualification round. Twenty-six athletes in each category enter the warm up isolation area, (“ISO”) where only competitors and registered coaches are permitted. Athletes are given the running order in which they will exit ISO and begin their round of 4 boulders, with a 4 minute climb time per route, followed by a 4 minute resting period and 30 second transition to the following route. The athletes have not seen any of the boulders they will be climbing during the round beforehand, and begin working out their sequence the second they turn around.
Athletes have unlimited attempts for each route within the 4 minutes, but attempts may be used to determine placing when climbers have achieved the same score for a route. The objective is to complete, or “top” the route in as few attempts as possible, or to reach a scoring zone hold in as few attempts as possible. From this round, the top 13 athletes progress to finals on day two.
Finals is structured the same as qualifiers, 4 routes with a 4 minute climb time. The running order is often the qualification results reversed, 1st place on day one would exit ISO last for that category. The athletes work through the round and the top 6 scoring climbers progress to USAC Youth Bouldering Nationals, which brings together the top athletes from across the entire United States.
Five BEA athletes placing in 13th or better advanced from the first day qualification round to finals on day two. Three athletes placed 6th or better in finals and are heading to USA Climbing Youth National Championships hosted by Portland Rock Gym in July, 2025.
Vance Stanfield took first place in the Male U19 category, followed by Nathaniel Perullo in second. Soren Hasselblad placed 6th in the Male U17 category.
Bend Endurance Academy coaches say they are “exceptionally proud of all our Divisionals qualifying athletes who showed up ready to send this weekend. We are always impressed by your passion and commitment to the sport, but especially love to see you having fun and fostering sportsmanship in ISO and out on the competition floor, regardless of team or category”
Full results and additional details about the event can be found HERE
About Bend Endurance Academy:
Bend Endurance Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Bend, dedicated to providing high-quality, inclusive, and engaging programs in climbing, mountain biking, and Nordic skiing. BEA serves over 1,000 youth annually, fostering personal growth and a lifelong love of endurance sports.
About USA Climbing:
USA Climbing is the national governing body for the sport of climbing in the United States. It oversees competitive climbing and works to grow the sport through youth and collegiate competitions, community outreach, and athlete development.
