Bend's Mira Capicchioni, 17, competes in the USA Climbing Elite Boulder National Championships last week at The Spot Bouldering Gym in Denver.

Bend Endurance Academy climber Mira Capicchioni, 17, won the bronze medal at the USA Climbing Elite Boulder National Championships last week at The Spot Bouldering Gym in Denver.

The Elite National Championships included 82 of the top female climbers from across the country competing for a spot on the U.S. National Bouldering Team over two days and three rounds of competition.

Capicchioni finished the qualification round in fourth place, right behind 2020 Olympian Kyra Condie. The top 20 women from the qualification round moved on to a challenging semifinals in which only two women successfully topped two of the climbs.

Capicchioni finished the round in fifth place and moved on with the top six women to the finals round. The final bouldering round proved to be a battle and Capicchioni executed two tops against a competitive field, earning her the bronze medal and a spot on the U.S. National Bouldering Team.

“It’s really exciting,” Capicchioni said in a pre-finals interview with ESPN and USA Climbing. “A little bit overwhelming because this is a life-long goal. I’ve been wanting to do this since I first started climbing, since I was 10 years old. It’s kind of unreal to be able to climb with everyone.”

After a day off in the event schedule, Capicchioni returned for the Lead discipline, held at G1 Climbing and Fitness in Broomfield, Colorado. After two routes in the qualifying rounds, the Bend climber was tied for 12th place, advancing her to the semifinals the following day. Capicchioni finished in 10th place in the lead discipline, just two spots out from the final round.

“We’re excited and happy to say the least,” said Bend Endurance Academy executive director Mike Rougeux, who has been Capicchioni’s coach for the last seven years. “A performance and result like this, at the elite level, is something we’ve known was possible but it came a little sooner than we had been thinking or planning on.”

The Bend Endurance Academy is a nonprofit based in Central Oregon that offers development programs for youth and juniors in rock climbing, cycling, and nordic skiing.

For more information, visit bendenduranceacademy.org.