A Lilleshall youngster has put herself in the frame for selection to a Great Britain junior squad after easing to victory in the climax of the national youth climbing series in Edinburgh.
Fourteen-year-old Lauren Barnett won all six of her climbs at the grand final of the British Mountaineering Council’s (BMC) under-15 series, to claim the GB title.
Existing national team members were not eligible to take part, but the remaining best three athletes from nine regions across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland were gunning for honours at the Edinburgh international indoor climbing centre.
Lauren got off to an impressive start when she became the only competitor from a field of 25 to top all three Boulder problems on the first attempt. The Stafford Grammar School student then dropped just 20 points from the 300 available for the trio of lead climbing routes.
“My initial aim was to get as high as fifth place or above. I felt great at the start because I was doing really well. As the competition wore on I got more nervous because I realised I was in such a good position, and that put a bit of pressure on.
“Last season I preferred the bouldering, but my training plan changed and I’ve been doing at least one lead climb a week. I’ve worked hard on it and now I really like it,” said Lauren, who took up the sport at the Shropshire Climbing Centre in Newport and now trains four times a week at Loughborough and Climbing the Walls centre in Shrewsbury.
The Lilleshall teenager added a team trophy to her individual crown when the Midlands and Peak outfit topped the points chart to snatch the silverware from seven year reigning champions, London.
Having already secured two podium places this season in national competitions which included Great Britain squad climbers, Lauren aims to stake a claim in the under-17 side at a selection event in Sheffield later this year. Meanwhile she will hope to lay down the gauntlet to her rivals at this summer’s Scottish youth bouldering and British junior bouldering championships, as well as the Welsh lead climbing championships.
