Pair of teenage Tucson climbers go out in style at nationals

Less than two years ago, right before the competitive climbing season started, Laurel Falk and a few of her teammates were hanging out at Rocks & Ropes of Tucson. Falk was having fun and maybe feeling a bit overconfident when she tore the ACL in her knee.

Last month, the recent Catalina Foothills High School graduate finished seventh in USA Climbing’s Indoor Sport Youth National Championship in Philadelphia. Her top-10 finish was the best among the four teammates from Rocks & Ropes, a local climbing gym.

Falk said she’s still recovering from her injury, but has come a long way from the day she let her guard down and tried a skill set that wasn’t in her repertoire.

“It was definitely five or six months before I got on the wall,” Falk said. “Before that, it was just weight lifting and bodybuilding for the next season.”

In order to qualify for nationals, climbers first have to compete in local meets and qualify for regionals. Once at the regional competition, the top 10 climbers in each age and gender group move on to the divisional competition.

The top six climbers at divisionals qualify for nationals.

Rocks & Ropes sent Falk, Spencer LaFoley, Ethan Kessel and Brodie Hendrick to Philadelphia for the nationals, a three-day event that started July 11. While most had qualified previously, it was the first trip to nationals for Kessel.

“To be part of it, it’s something to be happy about or proud about because not everybody can achieve it,” Falk said.

Tucson’s burgeoning climbing program “competes with the best in the country,” coach Jon Mavko said. The area has sent more than 90 competitive climbers to divisionals and nations in the last decade.

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Mavko said climbers typically use the skills they learn into adulthood. The youth team practices at Rocks & Ropes and at the Bloc on the east side.

“Climbing builds strength, agility, balance, confidence, responsibility, analytical abilities and teamwork,” Mavko said.

This summer’s finals may have been the last for Falk and LaFoley.

Because they are now 18 years old, they aged out of the juniors age group for the next competition season. Falk is taking a gap year before enrolling at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon. LaFoley, a University High School graduate, will enroll at the UA and study aerospace engineering.

That they advanced this far is a testament to the teenagers’ dedication. They first became interested in climbing during a summer camp at Rocks & Ropes years ago.

Both Falk and LaFoley plan to climb as adults; LaFoley would like to climb Yosemite one day.

“That’s always been a lifelong dream,” LaFoley said.

Falk, meanwhile, would like to qualify for the United States Olympic team in climbing. The sport will debut at next year’s games in Tokyo.

“It’s a far-fetched dream, but being in the Olympics would be very cool,” Falk said. “It’s very difficult because in the 2020 Olympics, in Tokyo, they’re introducing climbing into the repertoire of sports. Because it’s so new, it’s going to be very competitive and the people who will be able to compete on the Olympic stage will be few in numbers. It’s a very competitive spot to be in.

“But the idea of being an Olympic athlete in climbing would be very cool.”