Seven athletes from Bend Endurance Academy’s Performance Climbing Team competed at the USA Climbing Youth Lead and Top Rope Divisional Championships this past weekend at Portland Rock Gym Beaverton. Six advanced to finals and three secured invitations to the 2025 Youth National Championships, the highest level of youth competition in the United States.
This event marked the second major step in the national competition pathway, following Regionals in May. Divisionals brought together the strongest youth climbers from Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.
Nathaniel Perullo earned the Male U19 Division Champion title, placing 1st overall and punching his ticket to Nationals in the Lead discipline. “I feel like going into this comp I did not feel pressure to perform,” said Perullo. “At this level, a lot of people are super strong and most of it is mental, so I was happy to go in with a good mindset and ended up having two really good rounds.”
Vance Stanfield took 2nd place in Male U19, also earning a Nationals invite. In the Male U17 category, Soren Hasselblad finished 6th, qualifying as well.
Additional BEA finalists included:
- Quinn Nash Weber, Female U17 (Finalist)
- Logan Wallace, Soren Long, and Ryker Long, Male U15 (Finalists)
These results add to a strong season for the BEA team, with Nathaniel Perullo, Vance Stanfield, and Soren Hasselblad already having qualified for Youth Bouldering Nationals earlier this year.
In total, five BEA athletes will represent the Academy at the 2025 USA Climbing Youth National Championships, held June 26-July 2 at Portland Rock Gym, Beaverton. They have earned eight national starts across Lead, Bouldering, and Speed disciplines.
Siblings Soren and Ryker Long will also represent BEA in Speed Climbing in the Male U15 category.
About Youth Nationals
The USA Climbing Youth National Championships feature the top 50 climbers in each age category from across the country. The event includes three distinct disciplines: Bouldering, Lead/Top Rope, and Speed- and will crown 24 national champions.
This elite-level competition offers a glimpse into the future of the sport, with Olympic and World Cup hopefuls regularly emerging from the Youth National stage. Top finishers may be selected for the U.S. Youth National Team, which competes internationally at the IFSC Youth World Championships.
Competition Format:
- Lead/TR: Flash-style qualification; isolation semifinals and finals
- Bouldering: Rotation Redpoint qualification; isolation semifinals and finals
- Speed: Fastest-time qualification followed by a 16-person knockout round
BEA coaches shared: “We’re incredibly proud of our athletes for their hard work and resilience this season. Watching them perform at this level while still supporting each other with positivity and sportsmanship has been a privilege. We can’t wait to cheer them on at Nationals right here in our home state!”.
