LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Next month, the best youth climbers in the country will head to Reno, Nevada to compete in the USA Climbing Youth Nationals. And two of them will be from right here in Central Arkansas, helping to bring recognition to both their state, and their gym.
"I'm excited to represent and show everyone what we're capable of," said Walker Lampley, who has been climbing for Team Arkansas out of the Little Rock Climbing Center for the last four and a half years.
"You know, we're a small gym," Daniel Carnahan said, "but we've got some hungry athletes and we've definitely put in all the work, and we're ready to take on that challenge on go on that trip."
Carnahan is the head coach for Team Arkansas and has trained both Lampley, and teammate Mylah Myers. He called the experience a "sheer joy", coaching athletes that love the sport of climbing the way he does. And so it was hard to say who was more excited about Lampley and Myers qualifying for Nationals.
"I'm pretty stoked," said Carnahan, laughing. "I was jumping up and down. They were excited, but I was super excited as well when I heard the word."
Both Lampley and Myers will be in the bouldering competition. It's the first Nationals for Lampley, but, despite being just 11 years, Myers plans to draw on her experience from last year.
"I was like, "I'm exited" because I went last year too," she said. "And I was excited that I got to go again. Last year, I didn't get to go to the semifinals, so I want to go to it this year."
Myers also qualified in speed climbing, making her the first Arkansan, male or female in her age group, to make it in both disciplines during the same season.