The final competition of the 2025 North American Cup Series (NACS) took place in Salt Lake City, Utah over the weekend! More than 150 athletes showed up at USA Climbing’s downtown National Training Center to compete in Lead and Speed. Among those were a number of “comeback” competitors, including Natalia Grossman (an Olympian and highly-decorated World Cup competitor who competed for the first time since receiving ACL + meniscus surgery) and Nathaniel Coleman (an Olympic silver medalist who competed in a sanctioned competition for the first time since 2023). Rothfork and Miner Race to Gold in Speed Finals Speed was on display again, with one competitor (Isis Rothfork) stepping up to the plate just days after getting home from The World Games in Chengdu, China. Surprisingly, Rothfork told us that the quick turnaround affected her “only in a positive way.” Rothfork kept steady momentum throughout Finals, posting a time of 7.11 seconds in the 1/4 final, 6.95 seconds in the 1/2 final, and 6.87 seconds in the big final. That ended up being the fastest women’s time of the weekend and earned Rothfork the gold medal. “I’m feeling pretty psyched,” said Rothfork. “It’s always hard to execute in competitions and it’s been a learning process.” Next on Rothfork’s radar is the IFSC World Cup Guiyang 2025. On the men’s side, Logan Miner had plenty to celebrate, setting a competition personal best (and the second-fastest men’s time of the weekend) of 5.49 seconds in the 1/2 final. He would go on to beat Jasper Zhu in the big final, posting a time of 5.78 seconds and securing the gold medal. “I’ve wanted a National-level win for a while and it’s good to finally get it,” said Miner, who moved to Salt Lake City a little less than two weeks ago. While pursuing a psychology degree at the University of Utah is next on Miner’s mind, he assured us that he’ll also spend the off-season “getting as fast as (he) can.” The Speed discipline also welcomed a wave of U17 (those aged 15-16-years-old) competitors for their own Finals. That’s a new addition to this year’s North American Cup Series, and one that USA Climbing hopes will give young athletes valuable experience and development opportunities at elite competitions. Women’s Speed Podiums: Isis Rothfork (Adult), Alexis Prokopuk (U17) Isabel Piotrowski (Adult), Anabelle Supratman (U17) Natalie Gates (Adult), Hollis Robinson (U17) Men’s Speed Podiums: Logan Miner (Adult), Griffin Smith (U17) Jasper Zhu (Adult), Khoi Tran (U17) Thomas Lin (Adult), Anthony Wise (U17) Grossman Back On Top, Lakhno Wins Gold Again Fans were on the edge of their seats as the Lead rounds welcomed up-and-comers, competition legends, and a few surprises. Natalia Grossman wooed the crowd in Qualification, returning from injury, but looking totally in control and placing first. In the Semi-Final, a demanding perch over her left leg gave Grossman a bit of pause, but she would still place third, easily punching her ticket to Finals. Sergey Lakhno, who just this past spring won National Team Trials, finished first in both Qualification and Semi-Finals, while Dillon Countryman trailed just behind him for both rounds. Nathaniel Coleman had a surprising slip during the Semi-Final, costing him the spot in Finals. Grossman looked confident going into the Women’s Final route, despite the start being a run-and-jump, which she says she hasn’t done in about seven months due to her injury. After her commitment paid off, Grossman took advantage of rests and technical footwork to match Zoe Yi’s previous high point, and then set a new one. Neither Michaela Kiersch nor Analise Van Hoang could surpass that high point, ensuring the gold medal for Grossman. Not only was that her first medal on this Lead wall, but her first time ever competing on this Lead wall, which she often trains on before World Cups. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into this competition,” said Grossman. “I’ve never felt so nervous before a Qualification route in my life. The Semi-Final was frustrating… Going into Finals, I was like, ‘I have nothing to lose.'” Next, Grossman looks forward to competing at the YETI National Championships in February. In the men’s field, all eyes were on Sergey Lakhno, who was aiming for first in all three rounds. Cruz Padilla had already secured the first top of the Men’s Final route, requiring that Lakhno also top to win. A slow lock-off to the final red dish secured him that top and the gold medal, his second win at a National-level event this year. “I think this is some of the best routesetting I’ve seen at a USA Climbing competition,” said Lakhno after the round. Sergey Lakhno will now head to the IFSC World Cup Koper 2025, followed by the IFSC World Championships Seoul 2025. Men’s Lead Podium: Sergey Lakhno Cruz Padilla Nathan Sato Women’s Lead Podium: Natalia Grossman Zoe Yi Analise Van Hoang Full results can be found at usac.results.info. You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2025 North American Cup Salt Lake City at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube channel. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for future updates and behind-the-scenes action.
Salt Lake City is hosting this year’s final Climbing North American Cup from August 22–24! The event will welcome many of the continent’s best competition climbers and feature the Lead and Speed disciplines. Marking the end of the 2025 North American Cup Series, which USA Climbing has co-hosted alongside Climbing Escalade Canada, the event will give athletes one final chance at the podium. It’s also an opportunity for US athletes to earn points towards National Championships eligibility. Tickets are now on sale for the three-day spectacle, which will take place at USA Climbing’s National Training Center, while the semi-final and final rounds will also stream live to the USA Climbing YouTube channel.
The 2025 North American Cup Series (NACS) kicked off this past weekend in Greenville, South Carolina. NACS allows for athletes from the Americas to compete at an elite level outside of the World Cup circuit. Nearly 150 athletes traveled to BlocHaven for the series opener, which featured the Boulder discipline. It was also the first time that athletes under 17 were able to compete in their own U17 category at a North American Cup. Costanza Finishes 1st in Every Round Melina Costanza had an impressive Gold performance with three tops during the Qualification round, four during Semi-Finals, and two more during her Finals round. From one dynamic coordination move to a paddle dyno, Costanza was the first and only athlete to stick the zone move of W4 as well as being the only athlete to top it. When interviewed, Costanza said the next generation of climbing is already here, giving some encouraging words to the athletes in the U17 category, “The opportunities are endless, the sport is growing, and the community is really cool,” Costanza said. Taking Silver, Jojo Chi topped W3 with 40 seconds left, almost parallel to Waller’s performance in the Men’s category. Overall, Chi had one top, with Costanza being the only athlete to top more than one climb. Finally, Evangelina Briggs had no tops, but still took Bronze with two zones. Women’s Boulder Podium (Adult): Melina Costanza (USA) Jojo Chi (USA) Evangelina Briggs (CAN) Countryman Finishes 1st in Every Round Dillon Countryman also had an impressive Gold performance with four tops during the Qualification round, three during Semi-Finals, and three more during Finals. To encourage young climbers stepping onto the competition scene, Countryman said, “Have fun, stay psyched, and never stop climbing!” In Silver, Matthew Rodriguez had the quickest ascent of M3 in only 40 seconds, and was also the only athlete to top M1. In Bronze, Zander Waller finished with two close calls, including a top on M3 with 40 seconds left and a top on M4 with 4 seconds left. On M1, Waller fell on the last hold after attempting to finish with an inverted toe hook. Men’s Boulder Podium (Adult): Dillon Countryman (USA) Matthew Rodriguez (CAN) Zander Waller (USA) Haddad Takes Gold at first U17 North American Cup Finals Maika Ruiz Haddad, Kailyn Leong, Lauren Williams and Abigail Schlotterback all flashed W1 in Finals. However, Haddad secured Gold, pushing Charley Planegger into Silver by one attempt. Notably, Haddad topped W3 with 3 seconds left on the clock. Other than W1, Planegger had the exact same score as Haddad. Another comeback from the Qualification round, Planegger originally barely made Finals in 8th place, proving herself in Finals. In Bronze, Kailyn Leong was the only athlete to top W2. Women’s Boulder Podium (U17): Maika Ruiz Haddad (USA) Charley Planegger (USA) Kailyn Leong (USA) Cobbs Takes Gold as the Only Men’s U17 Athlete to Top Kai Cobbs was the only male athlete to both flash and top any of the U17 Finals climbs. Cobbs also made a surprising comeback from the Qualification round after originally placing fifth. The Men’s U17 Finals climbs were particularly difficult for every athlete to make progress on, especially climbs M1 and M3, which no athletes were able to zone or top. Impressively, Owen Pham won Silver with a zone on M2. Finally, Vincent Schmidt won Bronze with his zone on M4, which no other athlete was able to accomplish. Men’s Boulder Podium (U17): Kai Cobbs (USA) Owen Pham (USA) Vincent Schmidt (USA) You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2025 NACS Greenville at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube Channel. The next NACS competition will be hosted by Climb-Murfreesboro from April 12-13 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for future updates and behind-the-scenes action.
The 2025 North American Cup Series starts this April and will welcome elite athletes from all over the Americas. With six stops scheduled across the United States and Canada, climbers will have the opportunity to compete at an elite level and develop outside of the World Cup circuit. Last year’s series welcomed hundreds of competitors, from up-and-comers like Emiko Takeuchi, who stood on a North American Cup podium for the first time, to climbing icons like Chris Sharma, who found himself back on the podium at 43-years-old. Each of USA Climbing’s NACS competitions will be open to spectators, while the Semi-Final and Final rounds will stream live on the USA Climbing YouTube channel. How To Watch North American Cup Greenville, SC (Boulder) April 5-6 at BlocHaven Spectator Tickets Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel North American Cup Murfreesboro, TN (Lead) April 12-13 at Climb Murfreesboro Spectator Tickets Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel North American Cup Montreal, Canada (Boulder) May 3-4, Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada Check Climbing Escalade Canada for more info North American Cup Vail, CO (Boulder, Speed) June 5-7 at the GoPro Mountain Games Spectator Info (Free Entry) Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel North American Cup Edmonton, Canada (Lead, Speed) June 21-22, Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada Check Climbing Escalade Canada for more info North American Cup Salt Lake City, UT (Lead, Speed) August 22-24 at the USA Climbing National Training Center Spectator Tickets (Coming Soon) Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel
Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) and USA Climbing (USAC) are pleased to announce that the North American Cup Series (NACS) Manual has been updated for the 2025 season. The only change in the manual is related to age eligibility, aligning with the IFSC Eligibility Code. 2025 NACS Age Eligibility The 2025 NACS will be open to athletes who are 17 years old or older as of December 31, 2025 (i.e., born in 2008 or earlier). A new clause has been added, allowing each NACS host to include a U17 (Youth B) category at their discretion. If offered, this category would be open to athletes born in 2009-2010. Cash prizes will be awarded exclusively to the Adult category. This update ensures consistency with international competition standards while providing more opportunities for developing athletes at the discretion of event organizers. The updated 2025 NACS Manual is now available. We encourage all athletes, coaches, and event organizers to review the changes. Additional information for the events will be published to the Climbing Escalade Canada and USA Climbing websites throughout the season.
Climbing Escalade Canada and USA Climbing are excited to announce that the North American Cup Series (NACS) is back for 2025! NACS features the three individual disciplines of climbing – Boulder, Lead, and Speed – and allows athletes from the Americas the opportunity to compete at an elite level and develop outside of the World Cup circuit. The 2025 NACS will kick off in Greenville, SC in April and will consist of at least six stops across the United States and Canada. 2025 Dates and Locations: April 5-6 Greenville, SC (Boulder) Hosted by USA Climbing In Partnership with BlocHaven April 12-13 Murfreesboro, TN (Lead) Hosted by USA Climbing In Partnership with Climb Murfreesboro May 3-4 Montreal, Canada (Boulder) Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada June 5-8 Vail, CO (Boulder, Speed) Hosted by USA Climbing In Partnership with the GoPro Mountain Games June 21-22 Edmonton, Canada (Lead, Speed) Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada August 22-24 Salt Lake City, UT (Lead, Speed) Hosted by USA Climbing Spectator tickets and streaming info for the events will be published to the Climbing Escalade Canada and USA Climbing websites throughout the season. Participants in the Series must be licensed with and register through their respective National Federations. Detailed information sheets for each event including registration, training availability, time schedules, etc. will be provided a minimum of 30 days prior to each event. Rules for the events will be published to the Climbing Escalade Canada and USA Climbing websites.