NCS Climbing Team Wins Washington-Area Championship

On Feb. 6, the NCS Voyageur Indoor Climbing Team competed in the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing Leagues Championship and won the women’s division by 17 points. Three NCS climbers placed in the top ten. Layla C. ‘25 was the top scorer in the division with 60 points, Theo Barassi ‘22 was the second-highest scorer with 47 points, and Maddie Murnick ‘22 finished in 9th place with 37 points.

“The NCS climbing team returned to our first championship since 2020 with enthusiasm and energy,” says Voyageur Assistant Eileen Giles. “We, as coaches, were curious how it was going to go since only two of our six climbers had ever been to the championship competition before, and the format is different from other competitions. But we were confident in their ability to come together as a team. Throughout the two-hour competition, each of them worked to continuously improve their individual and team scores. They fought through frustration and fatigue and helped and encouraged each other. We were thrilled to come away with the championship win for this hard-working and deserving group of competitors.”

For the seniors on the team, this victory was particularly meaningful.

“Winning the championship was amazing,” says Murnick. “I’ll remember the palpable energy in the air during the competition for a long time—a mix of adrenaline, joy, frustration, and awe.”

“Having missed out on a competitive season last year, it was extremely rewarding winning our championship meet,” says Barassi. “It was also a proud moment for the upperclassmen, since the last time we competed (my sophomore year) we also won.”

Despite the high stakes of the championship, the team members found joy throughout the competition.

“I often let my nerves get the best of me, especially since it hit me that this meet would be the last time I compete with my team,” says Barassi. “That being said, I tried to stay calm and get some ‘safety climbs’ (basically placeholders, so in case I end up running out of time, I'll still have some points). After that, I just tried to have fun with it. I didn't want the competitive nature of the meet to detract from my love of climbing. Coach [John] Velosky always tells us we compete much better when we're having fun.”

Murnick says, “Part of what makes climbing meets so unique is the friendly collaboration across teams, with competitors offering each other advice and cheering their opponents on during tougher climbs, and it was really cool to see that spirit continuing during the championship.”

Congratulations, climbing team!

Learn more about the NCS Voyageur program.
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    • Layla C. ‘25 climbs a rock wall at the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing Leagues Championship.

    • Kaitlin M. '25, Katie J. '24, Findley S. '25, Maddie Murnick '22, Theo Barassi '22, and Layla C. '25 pose with the team’s trophy.