By David Brinson
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – Last weekend, Southwood High School utilized its new rock wall and hosted the first Unger Mountain Climbing Competitionfor students across Wabash and Huntington counties.
The smack talk and seriousness usually seen at sporting matchups between rival schools was nowhere to be found Saturday. Instead, the students laughed, shook hands and yelled up tips to one another, like when a foothold was right there, just out of the climber’s eyesight.
“We’re competing, but it doesn’t feel like it,” Jabin Burnworth, a Manchester High School teacher and chaperone, said. “Everyone is having fun. Everyone is cheering each other on. It’s great.”
Twenty-three students of all ages came out to scale the 46-foot-high outdoor climbing wall known as Unger Mountain. There were representatives from Southwood, Northfield, Wabash, Manchester and Huntington North. All Saturday morning, students were zooming up the four paths, before floating back down to the ground on the new auto-belay system, only to rush back up again when their name was called.
The big winner of the day was Southwood seventh–grader, Micah Smith. He was the fastest climber on both the flat (beginner) and chimney (advanced) side of the wall. Elijah Burlingame, a Manchester sophomore, was the last man standing in the single elimination speed climb. Top winners received a first-place ribbon and an Unger Mountain T-shirt.
Those who made it to the top included boys, girls, basketball players, football players, wrestlers, cheerleaders and those who played no other sports. There were no requirements, except two signed waivers. Some of the participants were trying it for the first time, while others competed for the top spots.
“I think it’s cool because we have a chance to compete with different schools,” Brayden Smith, a Southwood freshman, said. Smith owned the fastest time on the hardest route with a 2 minutes and 11 seconds time.
Tyler Meredith, a Manchester freshman, said he enjoyed getting to compete, while meeting some new people. Faith Macy, a Northfield senior, didn’t get to the top on her first climb of the day, but conquered the wall several times before the competition was over.
“It’s a really incredible opportunity,” Macy said. “I’m really grateful for it. A lot of students should take advantage of this.”
Natalie and Sean Unger built the wall on their own property in 2016, naming it “Unger Mountain.” After its construction, they faced pushback from both neighbors and the county planning commission. It became clear that the wall would have to either be torn down or moved.
Sean is a Southwood graduate. Natalie teaches fifth grade at Southwood Elementary. Both their young sons, James and Cale, attend the elementary school as well. Southwood High School became the obvious fit, and the structure was officially donated and constructed on the school’s property in July 2018.
While the path to this competition was more difficult than expected, requiring both perseverance and strength, the smiles of the students standing at the top made the Ungers’ long, personal climb feel well worth it.
“There’s been some frustrations for Natalie and me,” Sean said. “There were days it would have been easier just to take it down and not put it back up, but we had a vision of a home for the wall, and we knew what it could do, because we’d seen what it could do for people when they’d been on it.”
Although Metropolitan School District now owns the wall, the name, Unger Mountain, remains. The couple also volunteered and ran the event. For the Ungers, climbing is a family affair. Natalie and Sean, both trained and certified, coached from the ground: helping students with their harnesses, making sure everyone is being safe and shouting words of encouragement to struggling climbers. James and Cale waited patiently until the event was over so they could have their turn. Sean’s mother, Deeana Unger, stood off to the side, helping when she could. She has also climbed the wall, but only enough times to be legally certified, so she could be there for events like this.
“Oh, it’s scary for me,” Deeana said, laughing. “But I thought if I’m ever going to do it, it’s going to be now. And I’m glad I did.”
Sean hopes to turn the competition into an annual tradition. He wants to make sure he is never interfering or taking away from other sports but wants to continue raising the community to new heights, getting even more students and schools involved in the future.
“It’s days like this that make it worthwhile, especially when it’s the first time some kid gets up there. They got their friends cheering them on. It’s a positive thing,” Sean said.
“I think the future is bright for it. I think it’s going to be more than just the school, and that’s what it needs to be,” he said. “It would be my ultimate goal that anyone who wants to try this, as long as they sign the waiver and their health checks out, that they be able to come out here and experience it for themselves.”