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Long before sunrise, students at Duncan Polytechnical High School are already scaling walls, pushing past fear and testing their physical and mental limits as part of the school's rock climbing team.

The team is made up of students in grades 9 through 12.

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Daniel Orozco, one of 20 students on the team, said climbers quickly learn that every route demands both strength and strategy.

"As you can see, that green climb is a V-Zero," he said. "As the numbers go up, it gets progressively harder."

Orozco, a senior, joined the team for the first time this year.

He said stepping into the climbing gym wasn't easy.

"I was nervous because, like, what if I'm not strong enough? Or what if, like, I embarrass myself in front of other people?" He said.

But with encouragement from a friend, he decided to try out and was hooked.

"So on the first day they were having tryouts, I was like, 'Oh, wait, this is pretty fun,'" Orozco said.

The team is coached by physics teacher Chris Navarro.

Navarro said the program offers more than climbing skills.

"Seeing these kids go from maybe not even being super interested in school, or being a little detached, and then coming here, finding something to be passionate about, something to connect them to the school," Navarro said.

In addition to the team, Duncan Polytechnical offers a climbing club open to all students.

Although this is only Navarro's third year coaching the competitive team, the program has already seen significant success. The team placed second in the league in 2024 and took first place last year.

This season, the roster is younger after several seniors graduated, but Navarro said they remain competitive.

"I just want to maintain that spot and just keep that progress going, keep our club going, so we have this continuous flow of new kids and learning new things," he said.

For Orozco, climbing has built confidence and given him a chance to support teammates. He hopes to eventually take his skills beyond the gym.

"Maybe once I build my strength here, I'll be able to go outdoors and really climb," he said.

The team's next competition will be held on April 25, followed by the final meet on May 1.

Both competitions will be held at MetalMark Climbing in central Fresno.

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