Team USA delivered a standout performance at the IFSC Pan American Cup in Armenia. 30 athletes competed over the holiday week, finishing the competition on Thanksgiving Day and earning podiums across Boulder, Lead, and Speed.

Podium Sweep in both Boulder and Lead for U.S. Women

Natalia Grossman returns to the world stage from a torn ACL and meniscus injury to win a decisive gold medal in Boulder, sharing the podium with fellow teammates Nekaia Sanders and Maya Madere.

Grossman told us that she began the competition week under pressure to perform, but now sees the “bigger picture.”

“I’m really proud of how far I’ve come since my injury. Traveling to a new country for this competition with the team was so special,” Grossman said, “and getting to compete with Nekaia, who is a good friend of mine, at our first international competition together and then finishing 1 and 2 was the cherry on top!”

The win signals Grossman’s return to top form and capped a dominant day for the U.S. women, who claimed the top six positions in Boulder. Sanders took silver with 54.4 points, rebounding from a slower semi-final with a strong finish. Madere climbed from 9th in qualification to secure bronze with 54.4 points, matching Sanders’ final score and earning third on countback. Ella Fisher and Sovarae Sanders rounded out the top five in 4th and 5th. Also representing Team USA were Analise Van Hoang in 6th and Jojo Chi in 16th.

Team USA’s momentum carried straight into the Lead event just as the temperatures cooled but humidity climbed to the week’s highest point. After a heartbreaking bottleneck in the semi-final round that dropped the first half-dozen athletes at draw 5, Olivia Ma secured her first IFSC gold after becoming the only athlete to top the semi-final route.

Behind her, Ella Fisher earned silver and Analise Van Hoang took bronze, marking another full U.S. sweep of the podium. Zoe Yi and Maya Madere closed out the round strong in sixth and seventh.

Beauchamp Takes Bronze as U.S. Men Place Three in Top Five

The U.S. men delivered a composed and competitive showing in the Boulder finals, placing three athletes in the top five.

Brenden Beauchamp led the team with a bronze medal, scoring 52.1 points after a strong semi-final and consistent performance in finals. This is his first podium finish on a world stage.

“I’m really happy with my placement, it feels good to see the work start paying off. Standing on the podium at PanAms was a great confidence boost,” said Beauchamp.

Looking ahead, Beauchamp said he hopes to make Team USA again in the next season and wishes to continue testing himself against the best in the country, and the world.

In the top five, Team USA athletes Joshua Gerhardt and Ben Hanna followed close behind in 4th and 5th.

Patajo Wins Women’s Speed; Mai and Vales Podium for U.S. Men

Micaela Patajo took gold in Women’s Speed with a winning time of 9.00 seconds in the final race; she qualified in 3rd before powering to the top of the podium on Monday. Claire Pee added another medal for Team USA, racing to bronze. Isis Rothfork placed 5th, followed by Madeleine Haferling in 6th.

This competition marks the first international competition for both Pee and Haferling, and new competition personal bests for Patajo, Pee, Rothfork, and Haferling.

On the men’s side, Taede Mai earned silver with a 7.54 in the final race, a new competition personal best, while Lucas Vales secured bronze with a blistering 5.71 in finals.

Padilla Takes Silver; Monte and Fuhrer Add Top-Six Finishes

In Men’s Lead, Cruz Padilla came in strong with a 31+ in the semi-final, just shy of the high point but enough to secure the silver medal and a place on the podium—Padilla’s first at an IFSC event.

Following closely behind in the finals round were Nathan Monte in 4th and Anderson Fuhrer in 6th.

Full results from the IFSC Pan American Cup Armenia 2025 can be found here. You can watch the semi-final and final rounds on the IFSC Pan America YouTube Channel.

Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.