Here Are the New USA Bouldering National Champions
Tough boulder problems, a competitive field, and breakout performances defined this year's USA Bouldering National Championships
It was a night of rookies vs. veterans, and the rookies came out on top. In women’s, 15-year-old Annie Sanders from Fort Worth, Texas won gold. After a very successful youth career, this was her first time competing in the open USA Bouldering National Championships. In men’s, 16-year-old and youth comp stand-out Dillon (Bob) Countryman of Plano, Texas took gold. It was only his second time competing in the open National Championships—he didn’t make it past qualifiers in 2021.
The 2022 Yeti Climbing National Championships’ final round in bouldering saw the top six men and top six women from the semi-finals vying for the titles of Bouldering National Champions. Climbers in each gender category climbed four problems. They had four minutes to climb each problem, with rest periods of approximately 20 minutes between problems. Tops were the primary points criteria in the comp. If competitors were tied in tops, their zones would then be compared. If still tied, attempts at top and zone were used to separate competitors.
Competition in the men’s category was tight. All climbers topped at least one problem, and no one topped more than two. USA Bouldering National Team member Sean Bailey came in second place, close behind Countryman. The two athletes both scored two tops and three zones, but Countryman had less attempts. Luke Muehring came in third, scoring one less zone than Countryman and Bailey. The other Bouldering National Team member in the finals, Ben Hanna, came in fifth.
Men’s Results
- Dillon (Bob) Countryman
- Sean Bailey
- Luke Muehring
- Hugo Hoyer
- Ben Hanna
- Ross Fulkerson
In women’s, podium rankings were also razor thin, coming down to the last problem. Sanders, who climbed all problems last due to her semi-finals win, secured her victory by topping the final problem of the night, which contained an awkward perch on a volume to a dyno. Sanders was on a tear in this comp, coming in first in the qualifying, semi-final, and final rounds. In the finals, Sanders scored two tops and one zone. This separated her from second and third place by only one zone. USA Bouldering National Team member Kylie Cullen came in fourth. Her teammate Maya Madere didn’t make the finals. The other National Team members (Natalia Grossman, Brooke Raboutou, and Melina Costanza) did not compete.
Women’s Results
- Annie Sanders
- Cloe Coscoy
- Mira Capicchioni
- Kylie Cullen
- Kyra Condie
- Alex Johnson
With bouldering over, the comp now moves on to speed and lead. Speed qualifiers and finals will occur together on Friday November 11. Lead qualifiers will be held on Saturday November 12. And on the final day of the comp, Sunday November 13, lead semi finals and finals will wrap up the event.
The semi finals and finals will be livestreamed on USA Climbing’s YouTube channel. Event highlights will also be broadcast on ESPN2. The YouTube livestream schedule is listed below:
Speed Finals – Friday November 11 – 6pm EST (3pm PST)
Lead Semi Finals – Sunday November 13 – 12pm EST (9am PST)
Lead Finals – Sunday November 13 – 9pm EST (6pm PST)
To learn more about the 2022 USA Climbing National Championships, check out our article detailing the comp.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
