Goodwillie, Casler, O’Neil, and Patton Named 2022 USRowing Under 19 Athletes of the Year

USRowing is pleased to announce that Nora Goodwillie (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation) has been named the 2022 USRowing Under 19 National Team Female Athlete of the Year, while Adam Casler (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center), Travis O'Neil (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center), and John Patton (Houston, Texas/Deerfield Academy) have been selected as this year's USRowing Under 19 National Team Male Athletes of the Year. Selected by the athletes and coaches of the team that competed at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships in Varese, Italy, Goodwillie, Casler, O'Neil, and Patton will be recognized during the 2022 Golden Oars Celebration, which will be held Wednesday, November 2, at Tribeca 360 in New York City. A two-time Under 19 National Team member, Goodwillie stroked the women's eight to a gold medal and a world championships' best time in Varese. Goodwillie and her crew took the lead off the start and won by 2.41 seconds over Great Britain. "I am so honored to receive this award and grateful to my coaches and teammates who voted for me," Goodwillie said. "I was in the company of so many returners and incredibly competitive athletes – this is unexpected. I look up to the athletes who have previously received this recognition, so I'm just super grateful. "This past summer was really challenging but so rewarding. Being on a timeline that was two weeks shorter than normal, inevitably made our training plan much more intense. But when I found out that I would be in the eight again, I was really excited for the challenge. As a team, we had to overcome many obstacles – injuries, COVID, and the stress of that condensed timeline, but all the hard work and determination surely paid off. We achieved results that I'm so proud of – the eight and the four with coxswain winning the gold and both setting world records. We were lucky to have very experienced coaches who worked us super hard, inspired us to perform at our best, and recognized each of us as individuals. I am so grateful to have been a part of a team of hardworking, gritty, and kind athletes. There was so much depth on the team – faster rowers with faster times; and every one of my teammates made me better. It's an experience better than I could have ever imagined and one I will never forget." On the men's side, Casler, O'Neil, and Patton ended up in a three-way tie for the honor. The three were all part of the men's eight that won the bronze medal in Italy behind Germany and Great Britain. The U.S. held off China to take third by just over a second. All three athletes were two-time U19 team members. Casler and Patton were part of the gold medal-winning eight from 2021, while O'Neil served as an alternate last year. "I am very honored and grateful for this acknowledgement," Casler said. "I couldn't have asked for better teammates this summer and the camaraderie we all had made the experience that much more meaningful. I am very glad I wasn't the sole winner of this though because I believe John deserves this award just as much, if not more. He played a massive role, not only in the eight, but with the whole team creating a positive, energetic, and motivated atmosphere during both training and racing." "At the end of the day, it wasn't any individual that made our summer successful, but it was the entire U19 team who brought dedication and hard work to every practice," Patton said. "I'm proud of what this group was able to accomplish considering how fast the field was in every event. As I heard repeatedly throughout the summer, you have to trust the process to form the best boat and team you can, and I believe everyone was able to do this. I'm thankful to have been a part of this team and am fortunate enough to be eligible for another summer with the U19 team to hopefully help with future success. I couldn't ask for anything else, and it was an amazing experience." USRowing announced the 2002 Under 23 National Team Athletes of the Year last week. The 2022 USRowing National Team Athletes of the Year and 2022 USRowing Beach Sprint Finals Athletes of the Year will be announced following completion of those championships this fall.