Karalyn has been a member of the USA Climbing community for over a decade. During this time, she has served as Divisional Coordinator for the Collegiate Series, a member of the Rules and Judges Committees, and is a Level 5 Judging Official and Belayer.

Since 2021 Karalyn has served as an Official for World Climbing (formerly IFSC). Karalyn serves on the World Climbing Judges’ Commission and also works as a Jury President at World Climbing Series events across the globe. Karalyn was a Judging Official at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Karalyn is currently working as the Sport Manager, Climbing & Para Climbing, for LA28, where she brings her competition management experience to the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. She is passionate about increasing access to climbing and supporting the development of officials from under-represented populations.

Sam Watson has cemented his place among the world’s elite speed climbers, earning 2026 World Climbing Series gold in Kraków and setting a 4.60-second personal best. He also teamed with Emma Hunt to win the inaugural World Climbing Speed Mixed Relay and set a world record, adding to his 2024 Olympic bronze medal, Men’s Speed World Record, and historic 2024 Speed World Cup Series title.

Annie has become a role model for young female climbers, competing on the intern Annie Sanders is one of the most dominant athletes on the 2026 World Climbing Series circuit, earning five gold medals across Boulder and Lead, including historic Boulder and Lead victories at the same event in Prague. She also claimed Lead gold in Chamonix and Wujiang and currently leads the World Climbing Series and World Ranking in Women’s Lead, adding to an already impressive collection of National, World Cup, and Youth Worlds titles.

Brian Zarzuela won his first Nationals in 2021 and never looked back, claiming his fifth National Championship title this March. Never one to say, “I can’t,” Brian has pushed himself on to the wall to be one of our most confident and consistent high performers on the team. Since his breakout season in 2021, he has yet to miss a podium!

Linn Poston is a Para Climber in the B3 category, was selected as a Colorado Boettcher Scholar, and is currently attending the University of Colorado – Boulder as a freshman honors student. Linn has been climbing since the age of three, and has competed in both Para and Non-Para competitions starting in 7th grade. Their most notable achievement was winning Gold at their first ever Paraclimbing World Championship in Seoul, South Korea. Linn’s goal is to break the mold of what it means to be a disabled climber, and show others that they can do the same, on and off the wall.

Cruz is 18 years old, and has been climbing for 12 years. He is a 4 time youth national champion, the 2024 lead national champion, and the 2025 Pan-American lead silver medalist!

Analise finished her 10th and final year of youth with numerous impressive accomplishments both on and off the mats. At her final nationals she took home two podium finishes in boulder and lead. She followed that up a month later with an outstanding performance at the Youth World Championship in Arco, earning a place in both finals and taking home a silver medal in bouldering. While balancing her final year of youth she also made the Elite National team in lead taking home a silver in Lead at the 2026 YETI Climbing National Championships and bronze in Lead at the 2025 Pan American Cup in Armenia. Analise’s outstanding placements in both elite, and youth competitions are far from her only accomplishments. Analise is a huge part of her climbing community acting as a leader and role model for many of her peers in Region 21 and across the country. Analise has served as her climbing team’s captain for the last two years wrangling athletes and parents. She has also developed an impressive coaching resume bringing multiple first time U13s to divisionals. We can’t wait to see what Analise does as she continue to push herself as both an athlete, and coach!

Zoe is the performance director for NYC’s premiere youth training center, and coach of the Anti Mega World Wide climbing team. With twenty years of coaching experience and a Masters in sport and performance psychology, her approach centers around fostering passion, resilience and community. Her proudest accomplishment as a coach is building enduring relationships with her athletes that far outlast their youth climbing careers. Zoe also loves cats and making up collective nouns.

Emma Hunt is a Paris 2024 Olympian and a world record holder in speed climbing. She holds the women’s world record with a time of 5.99 seconds and was the first woman to break the five-second barrier in the sport. Emma is passionate about speed climbing and grateful for the opportunities the sport has given her to compete, represent her country, and be part of a community that has become such an important part of her life.

Canon has been climbing for over 22 years  and routesetting for over a decade – first, as part of Summit in Dallas and now at Movement Boulder for the past year.

Pam Keskula is a loving mother, dog mom, and coach. She was born and raised in a small Texas Gulf Coast town. At 18 she left her home state for the Rocky Mountains, attending Colorado School of Mines, where she earned a BS in Geophysical Engineering. After meeting her now-husband in the same degree path, they moved to Oklahoma where she received her MS in Engineering and Technology Management while working full time as a geophysical engineer. The couple’s joint careers carried them around North America, spanning from Alaska to Canada to Texas. During this time, she had her two sons, which prompted her to step away from industry and into the world of homeschooling. Over time, the family was transferred back to Alaska where both growing boys pursued competitive climbing, outdoor adventures, and a rigorous education. Through this, Pam was steadfast in her support, traveling to competitions around the country, which when coming from a place as far away as Alaska, was no easy feat. In 2021, after her elder son went off to college in Colorado, Pam sought to be more involved and began coaching at Alaska Rock Gym, where she excelled into the position she now holds: head coach of high school programs. Every day, she relishes the opportunity to help her students have a safe place in the climbing community, as well as foster a love and passion for the sport that unified her family.  When not coaching, the climbing mom finds herself hiking and skiing in the Chugach mountains with her nine-year-old puppy, cultivating her love of cooking, and listening to a wide array of educational podcasts.
Throughout the years, Pam often volunteered her time by judging at local, regional, and divisional events; however, during her younger son’s final youth seasons, she stepped into a Regional Coordinator role, taking on more responsibility in helping advocate for the youth climbers of Alaska and aiding with the Division 1 events. To this day, she continues to travel for competitions to support her younger son, helps with local Alaska competitions, and judges at the highest national levels from YETI Nationals to Team Trials to Salt Lake’s Pan-Am Cup (this past summer).

With around 70 students on the roster, the Colorado College Climbing Team’s success is not just in results, but in the community it’s built. Through team dinners, ice cream socials, a formal ball, and just climbing together, the team has become one large family. Through the campus Club Sports department, we are able to cover competition costs and a handful of outdoor trips for all students, ensuring cost doesn’t inhibit our athletes from climbing at the highest level. And we’ve seen success in many ways! In the past year, some athletes had their best competition placements yet, some climbed a new hardest grade outside, and others learned to trad climb, or went bouldering outside for the first time. Our six athletes who competed at Nationals had a particularly great showing. Colorado College took 1st in Speed Climbing, 4th in Bouldering, and 5th Overall, with standout performances from Bouldering National Champion Naomi Lahaie, and Speed Vice National Champion Sonia Gutierrez.

The Planet Rock Climbing Team is a Michigan-based youth competitive climbing program known for developing strong athletes, great teammates, and a love of climbing that goes far beyond results. Whether competing in bouldering, lead, or speed, you can usually hear Planet Rock before you see us — cheering loud, showing up for one another, and bringing unmatched team spirit to every competition.

Founded in 2009 when brothers Joe and Ed Hardy opened their first gym in Worcester, MA, Central Rock Gym has grown into one of the largest indoor climbing operators in the country, with nearly 29 locations across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Georgia, and Florida. CRG offers bouldering, top rope, and lead climbing alongside yoga, fitness, youth programs, and competitions, with dedicated head setters ensuring routes stay fresh and challenging for climbers at every level. CRG is also a proud host of major competitive climbing events, including 10 Youth Nationals, Collegiate Nationals, Team Trials, an IFSC World Cup, and Open Nationals, reflecting its role as a hub for the sport at every level, from grassroots to elite competition. CRG has consistently supported non-profit organizations and other key initiatives to grow the climbing community.