The 2026 North American Cup Series (NACS) kicked off this past weekend in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. NACS allows for athletes from the Americas to compete at an elite level outside of the World Cup circuit. Nearly 150 athletes traveled to Reach Climbing & Fitness for the series opener, which featured both Speed and Lead disciplines.

Alexander Kovats Finishes 1st in Speed

Alexander Kovats races to the top of the Speed podium in this past weekend’s North American Cup Series in Bridgeport, PA. His fastest time from the weekend was 5.34 seconds.

When interviewed, Kovats reflected about how he was “feeling pretty good right now, it was a really good comp for me, I think everything went according to plan. Had a couple of slips but it was good” When it comes to what’s next for Kovats, he emphasized how he will be going to all of the upcoming NACS Speed competitions, next being at the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail happening from June 4-7.

Dylan Le took Silver, while Kyan Bateson followed behind with Bronze.

Men’s Speed Podium:
Alexander Kovats
Dylan Le
Kyan Bateson

Emiko Takeuchi Finishes 1st in Speed

Emiko Takeuchi worked her way to Gold, getting her fastest time of the day in Finals at 8.15 seconds.

During her interview, Takeuchi spoke about how she was surprised for her win, because of a wrist injury that occurred last season. “It’s been rough, I was out for four months straight of no climbing and I just got back into training in December. I could barely run sub 9 a week and a half ago.” When asked what’s next for Emiko, she said “I’m going to Vail. I hope to see some faster times, it’s my last chance in U-19 so last chance to make Worlds. That has been a goal of mine for the past few years is to make Worlds again.”

Aleya Morin made her way up the wall to claim Silver, and Lily Staudt right behind her for Bronze.

Women’s Speed Podium:
Emiko Takeuchi
Aleya Morin
Lily Staudt

Nathan Sato Takes Gold in Lead

Nathan Sato claimed Gold in Lead at NACS Bridgeport, putting together a strong performance and improving each round from qualifiers to finals.

During his interview, Sato spoke about his approach to the competition. “I really liked how I was able to learn from round to round and take that into finals. I was able to attack the route, rest where I needed to, and give it my all.” He also shared how he handled a difficult sequence mid-route, quickly adjusting his beta and continuing to climb with confidence. When asked what’s next, Sato said, “Next up I have the World Cup in Wujiang, China in about two weeks. I’m super excited—this was a great chance to test out my comp strategy and get back into the flow.”

Taking Silver is Sean McColl, with Logan Vanantwerp right behind with Bronze.

Men’s Lead Podium:
Nathan Sato
Sean McColl
Logan Vanantwerp

Iana Startsev Takes Gold in Lead

Iana Startsev secured Gold in Women’s Lead at NACS Bridgeport, delivering a focused and determined performance in finals.

During her interview, Startsev shared that she came into finals focused on climbing well and executing her best. She described a moment on the route where she became too pumped to clip, but stayed composed and tried to climb through the pump. “I really wanted to finish the route, but I’m very, very happy with the result.” After a recent competition in San Francisco where a slip in qualifiers kept her out of finals, Startsev emphasized that she was especially focused on precision heading into this event. When asked what’s next, she said she’ll take a couple of active rest days before resuming training in Philadelphia, then head to Quebec City for the next NACS event.

Eva Mijares snags Silver, with Ayaka Morita claiming Bronze.

Women’s Lead Podium:
Iana Startsev
Eva Mijares
Ayaka Morita

You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2026 NACS Bridgeport at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube Channel. The next NACS competition will be from May 2-3 at Délire, Ste-Foy, Québec. Check Climbing Escalade Canada for more info.

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