Liberty University Club Sports
Mid-Atlantic Qualifying Event
Flames, Lady Flames qualify a record four climbers for nationals in Colorado Springs
4/5/2023 2:58:00 PM | Rock Climbing
Liberty University's rock climbing team qualified four of its 12 team members who competed in Sunday's Mid-Atlantic Divisional Championship at GOAT Climbing Gym in Hackensack, N.J., for the April 28-30 USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Last year, we had three and the goal for this year was five," Liberty second-year Head Coach Tyler Campbell said. "We got four. It was way more competitive than I expected or anticipated it to be, so I am really impressed with how everyone did. Even though one-third of the climbers we took qualified, the competition was stiff."
The three Flames and one Lady Flames climber earned bids to nationals by finishing in the top 13 of their respective men's and women's lead and top rope and men's and women's bouldering categories. They climbed against a total of 163 Mid-Atlantic Division competitors — 91 men and 72 women — from 10 schools in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
"In terms of the volume of number of competitors, this was probably the biggest qualifier we've been to," Campbell said, noting that a total of 516 competitors qualified for nationals — 104 from the eight different divisions around the United States in each of the four events. "The East Coast is more condensed, and it is definitely a very competitive region. There is really strong competition in the other regions, but they're way more spread out."
In the men's bouldering category, junior Dylan Reese, a transfer from South Florida, placed sixth out of 71 total competitors for the Flames' highest individual finish.
Meanwhile, junior Arabella King, who qualified for nationals in both lead and top rope and bouldering last season, finished 10th out of 27 competitors in women's bouldering.
In men's lead and top rope climbing, freshman Cody Akershoek placed 11th and graduate Brian Taylor 12th out of 51 total competitors to barely make the nationals cut, with 6-foot, 6-inch-tall sophomore Christian Grutz finishing 15th to miss qualifying by two spots.
"Brian (Taylor) missed qualifying for nationals last year by one spot, so he jumped up a couple spots against competition that was just as strong if not stronger," Campbell said.
Complete results are available online.
"We're in a good spot and have a good plan in place to train as we prep for nationals," Campbell said. "Our facility is tailored pretty heavily toward bouldering, so that is the easiest category for us to train for. I feel confident that if we have three or four more good weeks of training, we'll be in a good spot (for nationals) and things will go even better than last year. I am hoping at least two of the climbers we are taking will make it to the finals, which would put them in the top 20 in the nation."
He said the sport's popularity has risen dramatically since it was introduced as an official competition at the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021.
"It's constantly getting more and more competitive, and since climbing was introduced to the Olympics, participation in the sport, both competitively and recreationally, has just skyrocketed," Campbell said.
He said that has translated to interest in the program at Liberty since he took the helm in January 2022.
"There has not been a significant increase in participation from the Liberty community collegiately," Campbell said. "But we have had more interactions than ever before, with parents of middle school and high school students asking, 'What do I do if my kid wants to become a college climber?'"
Liberty will be hosting a Route Climbing Competition on its 40-foot-high Rock Wall at the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center on April 21, with beginner, intermediate, advanced, and female categories.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
Players Mentioned
