Seven members of the OU Climbing Club qualified for the 2026 USA Climbing Collegiate National Championship, the club’s first qualifying group since 2022.
The members qualified for the South Central bracket of the competition taking place May 21-24 in Kennesaw, Georgia. To participate in nationals, competitors must place in the top five for the intermediate category and top eight for the advanced category in boulder, speed, or lead and top rope.
The qualifying members include Kate Morrison, Rachael Cross, Oliver Schnell, Zach Chendra, Sabine Odulio, Joseph Nguyen and Caiden Steele.
Cross said qualifying members earned their invitations at the regional climbing competition held in Edmond a few weeks ago.
Morrison said she is excited to experience the atmosphere of nationals and to take climbing to the next level.
“I started climbing about three years ago, and I knew nothing,” Morrison said. “I had almost no upper body strength and just being able to see all the progress I’ve made and then finally be able to make nationals has been a really nice benchmark for me to have.”
All seven members attending the competition this year are making their nationals debut. This is the team’s first qualification since 2022 due to the program’s growth.
Odulio, international student and boulder qualifier, said the qualification of multiple members has brought the team closer together.
“I’m taking this as an opportunity to be able to explore more of the U.S. and get to spend time with my friends,” Odulio said. “I'm an international student so this is my first time being in this part of the U.S.”
The growing sense of community and connections have been especially meaningful for Cross, a graduate student at OU.
“It’s really brought me close to a lot of people. I’m currently in grad school so it’s really a good way to de-stress and sort of mentally recharge,” Cross said.
Cross, a qualifier in the ropes category, said she grew up dreaming of playing soccer for OU, but couldn’t due to knee surgeries. She said she is excited to represent OU and showcase her athletic skills in another sport.
“Being able to go to nationals, it’s like I get to compete for OU and fulfill that dream, but in a different way, …” Cross said. “It’s still an honor to go to these really big stages and get to see and climb alongside some of the best people in the country.”
Having recently had major surgery, Cross said this year’s events have been especially meaningful.
“I had just gotten out of a pretty major surgery not that long ago,” Cross said. “So it was really exciting to compete at that event and then put myself in for regionals.”
OU Climbing Club President Deshaun Fielder wrote in an email to OU Daily that the club has built a community of strong climbers.
“The climbers that made it to nationals this year have put a lot of time and effort into training, and I'm so proud to witness all their growth as well as be a part of that growth,” Fielder wrote.
The championship, hosted by USA Climbing, an organization recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, will be organized into two rounds: qualification and finals for each skill. Within each round, athletes are separated into advanced and intermediate categories.
Scoring results will be updated on the USA Climbing website through all rounds of the competition. The top five scoring athletes by gender in each category will qualify for the 2026 National Team, which is made up of a team for three categories and one Olympic Team.
The national team receives funding to represent the U.S. as they compete in international competitions, including the IFSC World Cup and World Championships.
The team has started a GoFundMe and other fundraising events to cover competition fees, lodging and other trip expenses.
This story was edited by Macey Thaxton and Natalie Armour. Vanessa Essien and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
