15 National Champions Crowned at Inaugural USRowing Small Boat National Championships

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — 15 national champions were crowned Sunday at the inaugural USRowing Small Boat National Championships Presented by the McNabb Family, as the country's top elite, collegiate, Para, and youth rowers closed out two days of racing on Mercer Lake. 

Sam Melvin (New York Athletic Club) and Evan Park (USRowing Training Center – Princeton) won the first-ever men's and women's single sculls national titles, while Peter Quinton and Chris Carlson (USTC – Sarasota) and Holly Drapp and Margaret Hedeman (USTC – Princeton) claimed the inaugural men's and women's pair crowns. Andrew Mangan, Frank Sankey and Annabelle Miller earned the first PR1 and PR3 single sculls national titles, and Brogan Fernald, Shay Triepel, Cole Martin and Brayden Collins, and Camilla Calderwood and Caitlin Cecere became the event's first youth national champions. 

Dartmouth, Michigan State, Princeton and Washington crews earned the first collegiate national championships, and USRowing Training Center – Princeton closed the regatta by winning the Sulger-Barnes Points Trophy with 46.55 points — the first program to claim the historic trophy in this new era of national championship racing.

Racing Recap

Below is a recap of A Final racing, with all results from the weekend available on HereNow.com:

Men’s Single Sculls 

• National Champion: Sam Melvin (New York Athletic Club)

U.S. National Team member Sam Melvin (New York AC) was crowned the event’s first national champion, winning the men’s single sculls in 6:54.15 and finishing 4.20 seconds clear of 2026 Worlds bronze medalist Cedar Cunningham (USTC - Sarasota), the silver medalist in 6:58.35. Two-time U.S. Olympian Ben Davison (California) took bronze in 6:59.78, with two-time U23 Worlds medalist Timothy Parsons (Boston Federation) an agonizing 0.06 seconds behind him (photo finish) in fourth at 6:59.84. Former U23 National Team member Isaac Spokes (California), U.S. Olympian Jacob Plihal (Green Racing Project), and Dylan Green (California) completed the field.

• Collegiate National Champion: Lucas Maroney Babuglia (Dartmouth College)

Dartmouth swept the collegiate podium in the men's single sculls. Lucas Maroney Babuglia claimed the inaugural collegiate national title with a time of 7:07.60, finishing sixth in Sunday's B Final against a field that included national team athletes. U23 Worlds silver medalist Cosmo Hondrogen took collegiate silver in 7:16.51, finishing fourth in the C Final, and teammate James Frederikson earned collegiate bronze in 7:19.07, fifth in the C Final. A Dartmouth 1-2-3 in the event's first year marks the Big Green as the program to beat in the collegiate single.

Women’s Single Sculls

• National Champion: Evan Park (USRowing Training Center - Princeton)

Two-time U.S. National Team member Evan Park (USTC - Princeton) won the inaugural women’s single sculls national title in 7:35.83, holding off U.S. Olympian Grace Joyce (California) by 2.84 seconds, with fellow U.S. Olympian Sophia Vitas (USTC - Princeton) a further 1.38 seconds back in bronze at 7:40.05. Lauren O’Connor (ARION), also a U.S. Olympian, finished fourth in 7:42.62, just 2.57 seconds off the podium. Two-time U.S. Olympian Kristi Wagner (USTC - Boston) placed fifth in 7:46.31, ahead of Savannah Brija (ARION) and Isabela Darvin (California).

• Collegiate National Champion: Maddie Kieft (Michigan State University)

Michigan State University’s Madison (Maddie) Kieft won the inaugural collegiate national title in the women's single sculls, clocking 7:54.05 with a fifth-place finish in the B Final. Caroline Phipps of Dartmouth College took the collegiate silver at 8:03.05, finishing fourth in the C Final, and Veronika Vachkova of Radcliffe claimed the collegiate bronze at 8:15.24, winning the E Final. Three programs stand atop the first collegiate women's single podium in the event's history.

Men’s Pair

• National Champion: Peter Quinton and Chris Carlson (USRowing Training Center - Sarasota) 

U.S. Olympians and 2026 world champions in the men’s four, Peter Quinton and Chris Carlson (USTC - Sarasota) won the inaugural men’s pair national title in 6:29.66, 2.11 seconds ahead of 2026 U.S. National team members Sam Sullivan and Wilson Morton (Cal. RC). 2026 U.S. world champions Peter Chatain and Gus Rodriguez (Cal RC) earned bronze in 6:32.20, with U.S. U23 National Team’s Taeden Landa and Great Britain’s U23 world champion Tristan Wenger (Princeton B) fourth in 6:37.05. Devan Godfrey and Lucas Andersen (University of Washington), U.S. National Team member Leo Bessler and U.S. U23 National Team member Jordan Dykema (California X), and U.S. National Team members Samuel Halbert and Madison Molitor (USTC - Sarasota H) completed the seven-boat final.

• Collegiate National Champion: Taeden Landa/Tristan Wenger (Princeton University)

Princeton's Taeden Landa and Tristan Wenger became the first collegiate national champions in the men's pair, posting 6:37.05 for fourth place in the A Final — the top college crew in a field dominated by training-center and elite club pairs. Devan Godfrey and Lucas Andersen from the University of Washington took the collegiate silver at 6:41.13, finishing fifth in the A Final, while Princeton's G. Dolce and E. Galer earned the collegiate bronze at 6:41.10 with a third-place finish in the B Final.

Women's Pair

• National Champion: Holly Drapp and Margaret Hedeman (USRowing Training Center - Princeton)

USTC - Princeton took first and second on the inaugural women’s pair podium, with world championship bronze medalist Holly Drapp and U.S. Olympian Margaret Hedeman taking gold in 7:08.09, just 0.81 seconds ahead of teammates U.S. Olympian and back-to-back world champion Teal Cohen, and world championship bronze medalist Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson. Annika Jeffery and Ella Wheeler (Cal. RC Composite) claimed bronze in 7:10.01, while Mia Levy and Azja Czajkowski (U.S. Olympian and back-to-back world champion) (USTC - Princeton C) placed fourth in 7:11.06, just 1.05 seconds off the podium. Megan Lee and Dahlia Levine, U.S. Olympian Kaitlin Knifton and Camille VanderMeer, and Etta Carpender and two-time U.S. Olympian Regina Salmons — all of USTC - Princeton and the U.S. National Team — rounded out the all-training-center final.

• Collegiate National Champion: Jess Weir/Amelia Westbrook (University of Washington)

Washington's Jess Weir and Amelia Westbrook won the inaugural collegiate national title in the women's pair, clocking 7:22.39 with a fifth-place finish in the B Final. Ellie Smith and Joely Cherniss of Princeton took the collegiate silver at 7:30.51, finishing seventh in the B Final, and Makeda Harrison and Anna Johnson of Penn claimed the collegiate bronze at 7:35.91 with a second-place finish in the C Final.

PR1 Men's Single Sculls

• National Champion: Andrew Mangan (USRowing Training Center - Boston) 

Four-time U.S. National Team member Andrew Mangan (USTC - Boston) claimed the inaugural PR1 men’s single sculls national title, winning in 9:45.21 as the event’s sole finalist.

PR3 Men's Single Sculls

• National Champion: Frank Sankey (Genesee Rowing Club, Inc.) 

Frank Sankey (Genesee) became the event’s first-ever national champion, winning the PR3 men’s single sculls in 7:54.43 as the event’s sole finalist.

PR3 Women’s Single Sculls

• National Champion: Annabelle Miller (USRowing Training Center - Boston) 

Annabelle Miller (USTC - Boston) claimed the inaugural PR3 women’s single sculls national title, covering the course in 8:38.43 to finish 18.32 seconds clear of Leila Morris (Delaware). Miller, who earned bronze in the Inclusion Mixed Double Sculls at the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, added the first-ever national championship in this event to her international résumé, with Morris taking silver in the two-boat final.

Youth Men’s Single Sculls

• National Champion: Brogan Fernald (Piscataqua Pirates) 

Brogan Fernald (Piscataqua Pirates) became the event’s first-ever youth men’s single sculls national champion, winning in 7:17.91 and holding off Christian Penny (Mohawk) by 1.49 seconds, with Parker Mansfield (Saratoga) a further 3.69 seconds back in bronze at 7:23.09. Graham Kokas (Conshohocken) finished fourth in 7:27.38, ahead of Jackson Kerr (River City), Rory Coleman (Malvern Preparatory School) — who raced in Malvern’s winning men’s youth quadruple sculls at the 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships — and Peter Madigan (Potomac).

Youth Women’s Single Sculls

• National Champion: Shay Triepel (Coastal Virginia Community Rowing) 

U19 U.S. National Team member Shay Triepel (Coastal Virginia) added the inaugural youth women’s single sculls national title to her 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships crown in the same event, winning in 8:11.91 — 12.34 seconds clear of Marlena Neff (Potomac), the silver medalist in 8:24.25. Egypt Strickland (Conshohocken) took bronze in 8:30.04, with clubmate Kiyoko Kubach fourth in 8:32.03, just 1.99 seconds off the podium. Whitney Coyle (Penn AC), Eloise Goldfine (Conshohocken), and Emiko Kubach (Conshohocken) completed the field, with Conshohocken placing four athletes in the seven-boat final.

Youth Men’s Pair

• National Champion: Cole Martin and Brayden Collins (Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer) 

Cole Martin and Brayden Collins (PNRA/Mercer) won the inaugural youth men’s pair national championship in 6:57.02, 6.89 seconds clear of Rhodes Pollack and Philip Martone (Brunswick School), the silver medalists in 7:03.91. John Kovalick and Jack Deverin (PNRA/Mercer) completed the podium with bronze at 7:10.33, with Nathaniel Van de Graaff and Calder Griffin (PNRA/Mercer C) fourth in 7:13.11, 2.78 seconds off the podium. PNRA/Mercer placed five crews in the seven-boat final, with Oliver Yiacas and Hollis Kaputa, Roman Masiuk and Erik Thyrum, and Leone Westrick and Dhilan Asarpota finishing fifth through seventh.

Youth Women’s Pair

• National Champion: Camilla Calderwood and Caitlin Cecere (Connecticut Composite) 

Camilla Calderwood and Caitlin Cecere (Connecticut Composite) claimed the inaugural youth women’s pair national title in 7:59.27, finishing 4.67 seconds ahead of Sophie Sampanthar and Caroline Jackson (Saratoga), the silver medalists in 8:03.94. Jiaqi Zhang and Fernanda Mendoza Aparicio (PNRA/Mercer) took bronze in 8:20.32, with Duru Develioglu and Heemin Kim (Lawrenceville) fourth in 8:55.50 in the four-boat final.

PR3 Youth Women's Single Sculls

Today’s PR3 youth women’s single sculls A Final featured the event’s sole entrant, U.S. PR3 mixed coxed four world champion Gabriella Bigler (San Diego), who was unable to finish the race.

The Sulger-Barnes Points Trophy

• Winner: USRowing Training Center - Princeton

USRowing Training Center – Princeton earned the most points at the inaugural USRowing Small Boat National Championships, becoming the first winner of the Sulger-Barnes Points Trophy in this new era of national championship racing. The program finished the championships with 46.55 points.

Originally established through the generosity of businessman and philanthropist Julius H. Barnes, the trophy recognized the rowing club accumulating the most points across the National Championship Regatta. It was later rededicated to honor the Sulger family, whose legacy of competitive excellence and leadership spans three generations of American rowing.

With USRowing Training Center - Princeton’s victory, the historic trophy begins a new chapter, returning to its original purpose of recognizing the program that earns the most points at a national championship. One hundred and ten years after its first presentation, the Sulger-Barnes Points Trophy remains a symbol of championship excellence, family commitment, and the traditions connecting generations of American rowers.

USRowing thanks the McNabb family for helping bring this new championship to life and looks forward to crowning many more national champions in the coming years.