USA Climbing (USAC) Youth Nationals will take place July 6th – 8th at Planet Rock in Anne Arbor, Michigan. They gym boasts 50 ft walls that will be great for separating the strong national competitors.

Nationals brings out the strongest young climbers in the country. It also brings out the most talented and experienced route setters. Here is the crew for the 2007 SCS Youth Nationals:

Chief Routesetter: Kynan Waggoner – Boulder, CO Assistant Routesetters: Molly Beard – Portland, OR Mike Moelter – Boulder, CO Matt Segal – On the road Kyle McCabe – Merrimack, NH Lance Hadfield – Albuquerque, NM

Apprentice Routesetters: Jackie Hueftle – Boulder, CO Mike Helt – Portland, OR Interns: Mark Mercer – Orlando, FL Jeremy Hardin – Sterling, VA

Kynan Waggoner, chief setter for the event says, “We have an incredibly talented team for this year’s event and I am sure that this group of individuals is ready to perform at the top of their game.”

This years setting team is one of the largest ever with the inclusion of two apprentice and two intern setters. This team will set 24 routes over six days with routes ranging from 5.10d to 5.13d.

Selection

The selection for this year’s event was shaken up with a public posting on this site. Though many criticized the process it seems that Waggoner and the USAC have chosen some of the most experienced setters available.

Molly Beard, the Grand Dame of American setting comes to the event with 12 nationals under her belt. Not to be outdone however is Mike Moelter with 10 national events on his resume. Waggoner himself is no slump with 7.

All this experience will come in handy when it comes to separating the strong field of young American guns. And come in handy when it comes to managing this large setting crew.

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