The Division-B kids are exciting to watch as they visibly get better and better each week. First-year climbers like Jaxson Boozer, Harrison Cathcart, Silas Hecei and Bo Winkels are getting good fast.

Cable Excavating veterans Bella Smith and Finley LaVigne put up big numbers for the Bulldogs with a 29 and 28 3-Boulder Average, respectively. But the Bulldogs couldn’t quite hold off the Allegheny Outfitters Sasquatches who had six climbers with a 20+ 3BA. Strong performances by Boozer, Cathcart, Grayson Woods and Winkels put the Sasquatches ahead with a final score of 626-578.

The second match of the evening was the undefeated Constable & Sons Cougars vs. the Whirley Tornadoes, who suffered a hard loss in their last match against the Bent Run Hellbenders — by a margin of only 5 points. The Cougars came out with a roar and established a commanding lead. The brother and sister combination of Grant and Elodie Criswell were devastating — systematically crushing one hard boulder after another. Literally. Grant completed all of the hardest climbs, and Elodie only missed one.

For the Tornadoes, Nina Harrington managed to complete Boulder-13 on her first try. This “flash” was the highest score (on a single boulder) for the evening. Plus, Isaac Boisvert’s 36.7 3BA was his personal best so far this season. The Whirley team was putting up some good numbers. Still, with every success they would look to the scoreboard and see that they were still trailing the Cougars. They kept fighting, and their hard work brought them to within 26 points, however by this time it was late in the final period and opportunities were very thin. It was pretty clear that there were no more points within grasp. It was a valiant effort, but not enough.

Then, with only two and a half minutes remaining, Eloise Harrington decided to have one last desperate go on Boulder-13, which she had already tried many times with no success. She pulled through the first two moves, which brought her to the nearly impossible foot-switch that had spit her off every other time. This time, however, she managed to stay on. The gym became electric, and with her team cheering her on, she glided across the wall to secure the top. Wait. This was the second hardest climb in the meet. All eyes tracked to the scoreboard. Eloise’s 3-Boulder Average jumped by 28 points. Whirley had just eked past Constable & Sons by a mere 2 points.

The clock showed just under two minutes left. Instantly, both teams were frantic. It was the most exciting two minutes The Goat Fort has seen so far this season. Each team poured themselves into the task at hand, but time was evaporating and there just wasn’t much gas left in anyone’s tank. Except for one climber. Energized by her last top, Eloise grabbed another top on Boulder-12 putting the final nail in the coffin and helping her team hand the Cougars their first loss of the season. The final: Whirley Tornadoes 532 and Constable & Sons Cougars 526.

“Yes, this was an exciting finish. However, this was a true team effort,” said Jeremy Criswell, Whirley team coach. “Our success was only possible because we never quit. Each of our climbers rose to the challenge and brought their best.”

“The camaraderie and sportsmanship of this community never ceases to inspire me,” said Dana Harrington, league administrator. “At one point a Whirley climber was fighting hard, high on the wall. She was trying to secure a top. A cheer erupted from a Constable & Sons climber across the gym. It was her friend. Yes, we are working hard for our team, but we all belong to the same community. We celebrate each other — our effort and determination, and of course a hard-fought success.”

With only one weeks left in the regular season, here are the ranking by division:

Division B Ranking:

Team Season Average

Allegheny Outfitters 579.7

Cable Excavating 579.3

Slick Text 528.0

Stonehill Chocolates 498.0

Division A Ranking:

Team Season Average

Constable & Sons 511.7

Whirley 495.7

Kinzua Vet Clinic 487.0

Bent Run 459.0

Individual Climber 3-Boulder Average:

Whirley: Nina Harrington (45.7), Eloise Harrington (37.7), Isaac Boisvert (36.7), Scarlett Wymer (29.3), Wesley Hornstrom (28)

Constable & Sons: Grant Criswell (47.7), Elodie Criswell (45), Zain Woodburn (29), Evan Wellner (29), Autumn Waite (24.7)

Allegheny Outfitters: Jaxson Boozer (29.3), Harrison Cathcart (27.3), Grayson Woods (25.7), Bo Winkels (25.7), Isaac Myler (22), Owen Heath (21.7)

Cable Excavating: Bella Smith (29), Finley LaVigne (28), Silas Hecei (27), Emery Heacox (24.7), Sebastian Cable (23), Caleb Hellman (18), Grace Peterson (17.3), Lena Wilmoth (14)

The last-regular season meet featured the Slick Text Hornets vs. the Stonehill Chocolates Cocoa Bombs, and the Kinzua Vet Clinic Bulls vs. the Bent Run Hellbenders on Monday night.