Czajkowski, Harrison, Knifton Named 2022 USRowing Under 23 Athletes of the Year

USRowing is pleased to announce that Azja Czajkowski (Imperial Beach, Calif./Stanford University) and Kaitlin Knifton (Austin, Texas/University of Texas) have been selected as this year's USRowing Under 23 National Team Female Athletes of the Year and Isaiah Harrison (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) has been named the 2022 USRowing Under 23 National Team Male Athlete of the Year. Selected by the athletes and coaches of the team that competed at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Varese, Italy, Czajkowski, Harrison, and Knifton will be recognized during the 2022 Golden Oars Celebration, which will be held Wednesday, November 2, at Tribeca 360 in New York City. On the women's side, Czajkowski and Knifton tied for this year's honor. A first-time under 23 national team member and three-time national team rower overall, Czajkowski won a gold medal as a member of the women's eight in Varese. The crew won by open water over Great Britain, finishing nearly five seconds ahead of the field. "Being named co-U23 athlete of the year is hugely cool, especially with Kate, who I've known for a while and respect a lot," Czajkowski said. "It's always rewarding to see positive feedback from the work we do throughout the year, so it's exciting to learn about this a little before we both start our last year of college rowing. I wouldn't be in this position without amazing teammates, friends, and family that make 'the grind' something I look forward to. "U23s this year had a great group of people, so we all had pretty high expectations for the summer before camp even started. It's impressive how quickly we had to (and eventually did) mesh together from the various college programs in the eight. By the time we got to Italy, it really felt like we were all there for the same team. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to meet rowers from other programs, gain exposure to other coaching styles, and eventually win a world championship. Thank you USRowing for making this all possible." Knifton, a four-time national team member who also was racing at her first under 23 championships, stroked the women's four to a gold medal in Varese. The four defeated Great Britain by a length of open water in winning gold. "I am so honored to have been selected as U23 Female National Team Athlete of the Year," Knifton said. "This year's team was full of amazing athletes and people who worked hard and dedicated their summer to producing outstanding results in Varese. It means so much to me to be a representation of this great group of women. U23s is such a unique experience as it allows athletes not only to meet other rowers from across the country, but also across the world. It was so great to be reunited with some of my teammates from Texas and the U19 team, as well as meet great rowers from other programs and some of my incoming teammates. It also was so exciting to watch the U19 team perform so well, and it makes me excited for the future of U.S. rowing." Harrison, a two-time national team member, won a silver medal in the men's single sculls in his under 23 debut. The 19-year-old led through the first half of the race before winning the silver medal, finishing just behind Germany's Jonas Gelsen. "I'm incredibly grateful to have been selected for this," Harrison said. "To have made an impact on my peers, especially being a young U23 athlete, means a great deal to me. The Lord has been incredible to me in the ways he's blessed me and the opportunities I've been given, and this award is a recognition of the work that he has done in my life. The support I've seen from both the rowing and my local communities has been amazing, and I wouldn't have done as well without it. "I went into finals having no idea of what to do. I was entering a whole new ballgame, so though I'd hoped I'd do well, I had no way to know. Crossing the finish line in silver position was an incredible feeling, and the satisfaction I got from bringing a silver medal home was likewise amazing. I loved the regatta and the racing, and I can't wait to do more in the future."