May 08, 2026
Competition
2026 USRowing Youth Regional Championships Continue
The road to the 2026 Youth National Championships continues this weekend with four more qualification regattas set to take place as athletes aim to punch their tickets to Florida.
Mid-Atlantic
On May 9-10, in West Windsor, New Jersey, the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships will begin. Athletes will take the water on Mercer Lake with 539 entries from 61 different clubs. Cooper Junior Rowing Club will race the most boats, with 30 entries, followed by the hometown team, PNRA/Mercer, with 27 entries.
The largest event will be the men’s youth double with 41 entries, which is almost twice as many entries as last year. Malvern Prep will undoubtedly be looking to maintain its regional title in the double sculls, but will be facing some formidable competition. While Montclair is not returning their reigning national champions in the women’s youth pair, they should also be a team to watch this weekend.
Southeast
Also on May 9-10, the 2026 Southeast Regional Championships will take place at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida. Southeast Regionals has a total of 511 entries from 54 clubs, with Sarasota Crew leading the way with 56 entries.
The largest event is shaping up to be the men’s youth single sculls with 38 entries. Another event that will be interesting to watch is the women’s youth pair, where last year all of the national qualifiers from the Southeast finished in the top ten. After finishing in the A-final at last year’s Youth Nationals, the Andert twins from Orlando Area Rowing Society will be on the hunt for another qualification this year. Finally, the Winter Park Crew women’s youth eight is the boat to watch this weekend after a solid win at the FSRA Sweep Championships this year and a bronze medal at the 2025 Youth National Championships.
New York State Scholastic Championships & Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championships
Finally, on May 9-10, there will be two qualifying regattas for the 2026 Youth National Championships. The New York State Scholastic Championships, hosted at Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, New York, and the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championships, hosted at Kent Lake in Milford, Michigan. This is where schools such as Oak Neck Rowing Academy, bronze medalists in the women’s youth double, New Trier, A finalists in the men’s youth eight, and national champions in the men’s youth eight and the women’s youth eight, RowAmerica Rye, qualify for the national championships.
National Championships
The 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships will be held June 11-14 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, in partnership with Visit Sarasota County and the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy. Athletes must qualify through one of 11 regional regattas held over the next four weekends.
A world-class venue, Nathan Benderson Park has hosted numerous elite rowing events, including the upcoming 2028 World Championships, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, and the 2025 Youth National Championships, solidifying its reputation as the premier stage for American rowing.
The 2026 Youth Series and 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships will be streamed live on Overnght.
