It’s been a great few weeks for the White Spider Climbing Competition Squad! They’ve competed in four rounds of the BMC Youth Climbing Series (YCS), and they’ve done amazingly! For those that don’t know, YCS is a national competition for kids aged 8-17 – giving them the opportunity to show off their skills and compete at a national level. Team GB coaches are also using YCS to select next years GB development team for climbing, so it’s especially exciting for all of the kids hoping to take their climbing to the next level!
Regional Round Results:
The Squad have been working so hard, and have done so well at this years YCS:
In Round 1, we came away with 9 podium places, 5 of which were 1st place! We also had a clean sweep in the Youth C Boys category, with Squad kids coming 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th!
In Round 2, we had 9 of our squad members come 1st in their category, with 11 total podium places! It was the most successful day in the history of the White Spider Comp Squad so far, but they didn’t stop there!
In Round 3, we only had 14 Spiders competing due to Covid, but they came away with a whopping 12 podium places, with 6 of those in 1st place! It was the most challenging set so far, and they absolutely crushed it!
Round 4 continued on the same path, with a further 12 podiums, but this time 9 of them were 1st place! Â
Head Squad Coach Guy Davenport says: “I am incredibly proud of the White Spider Squad and their achievements in the YCS this year. After almost a year of not being able to train as a squad, they have worked so hard on both their physical and mental capabilities. We are now seeing the results of this commitment and determination. In 4 rounds of gruelling competition, we have gained 44 podiums, many of those being 1st places. It is fair to say that the squad has dominated the regional rounds and no other squad in the country has as many representatives going to the grand finals as White Spider. It is a testament to the commitment and dedication of this climbing centre to give opportunities to children and nurture raw talent. We are incredibly excited to see how this talented bunch of kids perform at Parthian Climbing Centre in a couple of weeks.”
Overall Results:
Twelve of the Spider Squad qualified for the Grand Finals:
Boys E: Joey 1st
Girls D: Jessica 1st
Boys D: Sebastian 1st and Oli 2nd
Boys C: Monty 1st, Sam 2nd and Tom 3rd
Girls C: Lilia 1st, Iggy 2nd and Charlotte 3rd
Girls B: Izzy 1st and Lia 1st (South East North)
The Youth E category aren’t allowed to take part due to their age, so 11 of our Squad are heading to Parthian Climbing in Southampton to compete at a national level! Finals are taking place on the 27th and 28th November, with Bouldering on the 27th and Ropes on the 28th. It’s going to be a busy weekend, but the Squad are mega excited to compete!
We can’t wait to see how they all get on at the Grand Finals – but we do know they’re going to send it! Sam Weatherstone (age 13) is super excited to be competing in the Grand Finals:
“I joined the White Spider Squad from the Red Spider Squad in 2020 so I could focus more on my lead climbing and I am having the most amazing time training with Guy and the team. My climbing ability has gone from strength to strength and YCS 2021 has been a fantastic experience with some great results for myself and my team members. I am so excited to be representing White Spider at the national finals at the end of November and really looking forward to a great competition. With 12 of us in the finals, it is going to be such a brilliant weekend for our team! I can’t wait!
Climbing is my life, and i am really proud to be part of such a successful squad and thank the coaches for all their support at the training sessions and the competitions. We drive for just over an hour from the South Coast for training but it is so worth it! I love being part of the Squad!” #WeAreSpiderClimbers  Â
Full Regional Round Results:
Round 1
Jess 1st
Monty 1st
Joey 1st
Oli 1st
Lia 2nd
Bastie 2nd
Sam 2nd
Harry 3rd
Tom 4th
Lilia 4th
Charlotte 5th
Zack 6th
Iggy 8th
Nils 10th
Tilly 12th
Round 2
Jess 1st
Izzy 1st
Monty 1st
Sam 1st
Lia 1st
Charlotte 1st
Oli 1st
Bastie 1st
Iggy 2nd
Nils 3rd
Lilia 4th
Tom 4th
Harry 7th
Zac 8th
Tilly 10th
Round 3
Sam 1st
Isabella 1st
Sebastian 1st
Jessica 1st
Lia 1st
Lilia 1st
Joey 2nd
Monty 2nd
Oli 2nd
Iggy 2nd
Tom 3rd
Charlotte 3rd
Round 4
Izzy 1st
Lilia 1st
Joey 1st
Monty 1st joint
Sam 1st joint
Harry 1st
Sebastian 1st
Lia 1st
Jess 1st
Nils 2nd
Iggy 2nd
Charlotte 4th
Tom 5th
Zack 5th
Tilly 6th
Oli 7th
Keep up with the Competition Squad news and updates:
