Submitted Photo Goat Fort Thundering Herd team members, from the left, are Lily White, Elodie Criswell, Adelaide Keeports, Grant Criswell, Natalie Muntz, Chase Long, and, not pictured, Atreyu Laska. Together they brought home a team eighth-place finish from the USA Climbing Region 62 Championships last weekend in Pittsburgh.

The Thundering Herd rolled into the USA Climbing Region 62 Championships with high hopes and rolled out with an eighth-place finish.

There were seven climbers from the Goat Fort Climbing Team — the Thundering Herd — at the competition last weekend in Pittsburgh.

“It was a great end to our second season,” Coach Dana Harrington said. “Last year, we had four athletes attend this event.”

The team came in 10th a year ago.

“The regional event saw the best young climbers from West Virginia to Indiana, including teams from Indianapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburgh competing,” Harrington said.

On-side competition is a secretive affair.

The athletes do not get a chance to watch anyone else compete, nor see the wall they will face before they are called for their turns to climb. They can’t receive any coaching while they wait.

“When it is their turn, they are escorted to the climbing area where they are tested on four different boulder problems,” Harrington said. “These climbs are timed, and athletes are only allowed four minutes to solve and climb each challenge, all without any assistance. It is very similar to the bouldering format in the Olympics.”

Three members of the herd returned for their second regional events. Lily White placed eighth last year, moved up a category to Youth C, and remained in the top 15, Harrington said.

Natalie Muntz and Chase Long, both in Youth D, each improved – Muntz from 11th to ninth and Long from ninth to fourth.

Among the Goat Fort climbers competing at the regional event for the first time, Elodie Criswell finished in 13th, Atreyu Laska and Grant Criswell each came in 16th in their divisions, and Adelaide Keeports, who finished 26th; Atreyu Laska who finished 16th; and Elodie and Grant Criswell who finished 13th and 16th respectively.

“We are so excited to see our young athletes improve and to see this program grow,” Harrington said. “Our USA Climbing bouldering season has come to an end.”

“There is already excitement for our local competition at the Goat Fort this June,” he said.