U19 Racing Underway, U23 Semis Set at World Rowing Under 19 & Under 23 Championships in Varese

Racing got underway in the under 19 events Wednesday morning with men's single sculler Charles Boldt (Zionsville, Ind./Indianapolis Rowing Center) winning his heat to advance to the quarterfinals at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships on Lake Varese in Varese, Italy. In addition to Boldt, the U19 men's double sculls advanced to the quarterfinals.

The U.S. also had nine under 23 crews advance from the repechages and quarterfinals on day three of the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.

With four to advance to Friday's quarterfinals, Boldt used a strong start to take a length lead on the Chinese and Egyptian scullers during the first 500 meters of the fifth and final heat of the U19 men's single sculls.

"We were sitting at the start line for four or five minutes, and I was like the nerves, everyone's taking pictures. It's crazy. I've never seen that many cameras at the start line," Boldt said. "It was more intense than youth nationals. Coming from youth nats over the summer, people are still kind of loose and fun at the start, but it was straight faces … They started naming the countries and then we were off."

During the second quarter of the race, Boldt and Egypt's Marawan Mohamed began to get separation from the rest of the field. The American continued to lead by about 1.5 seconds as the scullers hit the 1,500-meter mark. Mohamed then made his move. However, Boldt was able to hold off the challenge to win by a half-second. Boldt crossed the line in a 7:08.14, with Mohamed clocking a 7:08.66.

"I think I had a pretty good start. I felt I kept my start good – fast strokes. So, I got out and just stayed out," Boldt said. "The guy next to me (Mohamed), we were kind of pacing a little bit together. We were bow to stern with each other for about 1,700 meters. He started his move and then I started my move. I was kind of conserving (energy). I was happy with my pacing and felt like if Egypt tried to make a move, I could counter it. I think I did pretty well with that all the way to the finish. I heard the (finish) horn go off, and I was like, 'Sweet!'"

The U19 men's double sculls crew of Tristan Wakefield (Bettendorf, Iowa/Y Quad Cities Rowing) and Nikhil Ramaraju (Bettendorf, Iowa/Y Quad Cities Rowing) moved on to the quarterfinals thanks to a second-place finish in the third of five heats. With four to advance, Wakefield and Ramaraju sat in fifth off the line before working their way into second during the third quarter of the race. The Netherlands' Gunnar Van Den Hoogen and Auke Kloosterman won the race in a 6:31.25, with the U.S. finishing in a 6:35.95. Romania and Greece claimed the other two qualification spots.

"I think we had a strong showing," Wakefield said. "We didn't really know what we could produce, but we went out there and did a pretty solid effort. We hope we can go faster these next couple of days."

With two to advance to the semifinals, the U19 men's quadruple sculls crew of Sam Dowd (Omaha, Neb/Red Dog Rowing), Walid Ghamra (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Crew), Timothy Parsons (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene Rowing Club), and Ashton Perlroth (Palo Alto, Calif./Redwood Scullers) just missed a spot in the semis and will now race in tomorrow's repechage. Greece got out to the early lead, with the U.S. sitting in second position and Great Britain rowing just off the pace. However, the British crew was able to inch ahead of the Americans as the crews entered the final quarter of the race. Greece won in a 5:57.23, with Great Britain crossing the line in a 5:59.14. The U.S. finished in a 6:01.00.

Racing in the first heat of the U19 women's single sculls, Olivia Petri (Brisbane, Calif./Redwood Scullers) finished fourth and will now row in tomorrow's repechages. Petri rowed in fifth position until the final 500 meters when she overtook Moldova's Ecaterina Fedorenco. With two to advance to the semifinals, Germany's Rebekka Falkenberg won the race in a 7:41.80, with Switzerland's Lina Kuehn taking second. Petri clocked an 8:03.61.

The U19 men's pair of Jonas Thieme (San Jose, Calif./Los Gatos Rowing Club) and Alberto Lasso (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos Rowing Club) finished fifth in the third of three heats and will now race in tomorrow's repechage. With three to advance to the semifinals, Thieme and Lasso dropped to fifth off the start and maintained that position the entire way down the course. Germany's Vinzent Kuhn and Kieran Holthues won the race in a 6:39.22, with Slovenia and Greece claiming the other spots in the semifinals. The U.S. finished with a time of 7:10.07.

The U19 women's double sculls crew of Hannah Peters (Newton, Mass./Noble and Greenough School/Cambridge Boat Club) and Catherine Barry (Oyster Bay Cove, N.Y./Friends Academy) finished sixth in the first heat and will race in tomorrow's repechages. Peters and Barry fell to sixth off the line and sat there the entire way down the course. With only one to advance to the semifinals, Greece's Sofia Dalidou and Styliani Natsioula dominated the race, taking more than three seconds on the field just 500 meters into the race. The Greeks continued to build on their lead the rest of the way down the course, winning in a time of 7:05.01. The U.S. finished with a time of 7:29.54.

Twelve U23 boats raced in repechages or quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon, with nine moving on to either semifinals or finals.

In the second repechage of the men's eight, coxswain Jack DiGiovanni (Pittsford, N.Y./Brown University), Kai Hoite (Berkeley, Calif./Brown University), Alexander Abuhoff (Montclair, N.J./Northeastern University), Adam Campain (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cornell University), Charles Fargo (Winnetka, Ill./Brown University), Miles Hudgins (Andover, Mass./Dartmouth College), Jacob Hudgins (Andover, Mass./Dartmouth College), James Wright (Philadelphia, Pa./Stanford University), and Will Legenzowski (Vista, N.Y./Brown University) cruised to a four-second victory to advance to the final. The U.S. got off the line in first and then built just over a three-second lead by the midway point. The Americans continued to move away from Poland over the back half of the race, crossing the line in a 5:34.92.

The men's four with coxswain of William Dempsey (Ocean Township, N.J./Northeastern University), Zachary Vachal (San Francisco, Calif./Princeton University), Benjamin Dukes (Morton Grove, Ill./Syracuse University), Nathan Phelps (Ridgefield, Conn./Princeton University), and Erik Spinka (Southport, Conn./Princeton University) won their repechage pulling away, finishing more than four seconds ahead of New Zealand to earn a spot in the final. The U.S. held a small advantage 500 meters into the race but slowly built on the lead the rest of the way down the course. The American boat crossed the line in a 6:11.97, finishing 4.20 seconds ahead of the Kiwis. Italy and Australia claimed the other two qualification spots for the final.

The men's pair of Floyd Benedikter (Dortmund, Germany/Princeton University) and Nick Taylor (Chicago, Ill./Princeton University) won the first of two repechages to advance to the semifinals. With three to advance, the U.S. got off the line in fourth position and sat in third at the 1,000-meter mark. Benedikter and Taylor used a strong third 500 to pass France and Germany before pulling away at the line. The U.S. clocked a 6:39.45. France took second in a 6:42.15, with Germany taking third in a 6:42.55.

In the first quarterfinal of the U23 men's single sculls, Isaiah Harrison (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) finished second to advance to the semifinals. Harrison led off the start before Bulgaria's Emil Neykov took the lead in the second quarter of the race. Neykov used the third 500 meters to pull away from Harrison and Great Britain's Callum Dixon, who inched into second place as the scullers hit the final 500 meters. Neykov won the race in a 7:06.73, with Harrison overtaking Dixon for second with a time of 7:09.14. Dixon took the last spot in the semifinal with a time of 7:14.70.

In the women's double sculls, Simone Vorperian (Madison, Wis./University of Pennsylvania) and Susan Cook (Portland, Ore./Boston University) moved on to the semifinals thanks to a second-place finish in the first of two repechages. With three to advance, Vorperian and Cook moved into second place in the first 500 meters and held their position the entire way down the course. Italy's Matilde Barison and Josephine DeBelle held off a late charge by the Americans to win the race in a 7:08.45, with the U.S finishing just 0.32 seconds behind in a 7:08.77.

In the lightweight men's double sculls, Clay Rybus (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Sean Rybus (Newport Beach, Calif./Georgetown University) finished second in their repechage to move on to the semifinals. With two to advance, the Rybus twins held third through the 1,500-meter mark before passing Japan in the final quarter of the race. Ireland's Claran Purdy and Hugh Moore won the race in a 6:27.91, with the U.S. clocking a 6:32.10. Japan's Hiroki Aoki and Koji Abe held on for third.

In the closest race of the day, the men's quadruple sculls crew of Cooper Tuckerman (Bozeman, Mont./Dartmouth College), Maxwell Kreutzelman (Orinda, Calif./Cornell University), Matthew Davis (Malvern, Pa./University of Pennsylvania), and Isaac Spokes (Baltimore, Md./Dartmouth College) used the fastest final 500 meters to end up on the right side of a photo finish to take third and move on to the semis. With three to advance, the top four crews – Australia, Chile, Poland, and the U.S. – were never separated by more than two seconds the entire way down the course. Australia held a slight lead through the 1,500-meter mark, but the Aussies ended up on the wrong side of the photo finish as second through fourth places were separated by just 0.07 seconds. Poland won the race in a 5:51.29, with Chile taking second in a 5:51.70, just a hundredth of a second in front of the U.S. The Americans clocked a 5:51.71, with Australia finishing in a 5:51.78.

"The last 250 was just kind of a dogfight," Davis said. "I had a similar race a few years ago at youth nationals in the quad. It was a similar situation – just like this, it was four boats across, so it was a really cool experience. You're not trying to think; just going all out. I was trying to get everything out of my legs that I could. Our stroke seat called our call for the last 10 strokes, and I tried to just get everything out. We had five strokes to go; it was hard to continue going, but I'm glad we edged Australia out."

In the repechage of the lightweight men's quadruple sculls, Troy Riesenberger (Sarasota, Fla./University of Pennsylvania), Justin Schmidt (Westport, Conn./University of Delaware), Eli Rabinowitz (Rye, N.Y./Georgetown University), and Simon Dubiel (Seattle, Wash./University of Pennsylvania) finished third to advance to the final. With four to advance, the U.S. sat in third through the 1,000-meter mark before inching ahead of France as the boats entered the final 500 meters. France was able to regain second in the final few meters, with the U.S. finishing comfortably in third. Germany won the race in a 5:54.41, with France finishing in a 5:55.66. The U.S. finished with a time of 5:55.90.

The U.S. women's quadruple sculls crew of Ellen Ulitsky (Sunnyvale, Calif./University of California, Los Angeles), Sophia Calabrese (Shaker Heights, Ohio/University of Texas), Lauren Benedict (Reston, Va./University of Virginia), and Katelin Gildersleeve (Dallas, Texas/Stanford University) came from behind to claim the final qualification spot in the repechage. With four to advance, the six-boat field was within a second of each other 500 meters into the race. The Czech Republic crew began to take control in the third 500, but the final three qualification spots were still up for grabs as the crews hit the final sprint. At the line, the Czech crew won with a time of 6:25.52. Germany took second, with Romania finishing third. The U.S. pulled away from New Zealand for the last spot in the final, finishing in a 6:28.47.

In the women's pair, Megan Lee (Natick, Mass./Duke University) and Sue Holderness (Charlotte, N.C./University of Texas) finished third in their repechage and will race in the B final for overall places 7-12. With only two to advance, Germany, Italy, and France took the race out hard, building a big advantage on the U.S. in the first 500 meters. France, however, was unable to hold that pace as the U.S. moved into third as the crews hit the midway point. Lee and Holderness tried to track down Italy over the back half of the race but were unable to get back on terms. Germany's Katarina Tkachenko and Luisa Schade won the race in a 7:15.25, with Italy's Clara Massaria and Giorgia Borriello finishing second in a 7:19.32. The U.S. clocked a 7:21.66.

In the lightweight women's double sculls, Ruthie Lacy (Edmond, Okla./Oklahoma City University) and Brooke Ruszkiewicz (Middleton, Wis./Stanford University) finished fourth in the first of two repechages and will now race in the B final for overall places 7-12. The American boat dropped to fourth off the line and was never able to get back on terms with the top two crews and a qualification spot for the final. Switzerland's Margaux Oural and Marion Heiniger led from the start, winning with a time of 7:04.59. Germany's Ayse Guenduez and Lea Schneider finished second in a 7:08.57. Lacy and Ruszkiewicz finished with a time of 7:25.43.

In the second repechage of the men's double sculls, Thomas Foltz (Richmond, Va./Virginia Tech) and Tucker Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Princeton University) finished sixth and will now be racing in the C final for places 13-18 overall. With the top three advancing to the semifinals, Foltz and Thomas used a strong start to take an early lead in the first 500 meters and crossed the midway point in the third qualifying spot. However, Croatia and the Czech Republic were able to move into qualifying positions behind Uruguay in the back half of the race. Uruguay won the race in a 6:28.70. The U.S. finished in a 6:33.11.

The eight remaining U19 crews will take to the water for the first time on Thursday.

The U19 men's four with coxswain will race in the first of two heats, with the winner advancing directly to the final. The U.S. boat of coxswain Elenna Seguin (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Crew), Andrew Wilkinson (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation), Charles Richards (Winston Salem, N.C./Deerfield Academy Crew), William Jett (San Carlos, Calif./Norcal Crew), and William Deutchman (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center) will race against South Africa, Germany, and Australia.

First-time national team members Rachel Lande (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Marina Aquatic Center) and Shannon Kearney (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Marina Aquatic Center) will race in the second of two heats of the U19 women's pair against crews from Italy, Greece, Romania, and Germany, with a top-two finish needed to automatically qualify for the final.

The U19 women's four of Samantha Smart (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Rowing Association), Elsa Hartman (Roseville, Calif./Capital Crew), Imogen Cabot (Cambridge, Mass./The Winsor School), and Kennedy Housley (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Crew) will race in the second of two heats against crews from The Netherlands, France, Germany, and Great Britain, with the top two boats advancing directly to the final. Cabot won gold in the four with coxswain last year, while Hartman won gold in the eight.

The U19 men's four of Davis Schroeder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center), Jack Skinner (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier Rowing Club), Oscar Patton (Lincoln, Mass./Deerfield Academy), and Josh Yin (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis Rowing Club) will race in the third of four heats, with the top two advancing to the semifinals. The U.S. will race against crews from the Czech Republic, Romania, Australia, and Poland.

The U19 women's quadruple sculls crew of Alice Dommer (San Carlos, Calif./Redwood Scullers/PACJC), Ava Schetlick (Charlottesville, Va./Virginia Rowing Association), Cillian Mullen (Batavia, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation), and Heather Schmidt (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna Rowing) will race Denmark, Greece, Great Britain, and Germany in the first of three heats, with the top three moving on to the semifinals. Schmidt was part of the quad last year, while Mullen raced in the four.

In the U19 women's eight, the U.S. crew of coxswain Frances McKenzie (Cos Cob, Ct./Greenwich Crew), Eugenia Rodríguez-Vázquez (A Coruña, Galicia, Spain/Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer), Lily Pember (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation), Sarah Bradford (Oconomowoc, Wis./Milwaukee Rowing Club), Quincy Stone (San Francisco, Calif./Marin Rowing Association), Ellie Bijeau (Washington, D.C./Wilson Crew), Phoebe Wise (Greenwich, Ct./Greenwich Crew), Sofia Simone (Miami, Fla./Sarasota Crew), and Nora Goodwillie (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation) will take on boats from Australia, Italy, Germany, Poland, and China in the first of two heats, with only the winner advancing directly to the final. The U.S. won gold in the event last year. Goodwillie and Simone return from that crew, while Stone was part of the gold-medal four with coxswain in 2021.

In the U19 men's eight, the U.S. boat of coxswain Adam Casler (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center), Davis Kelly (Vashon Island, Wash./Burton Beach Rowing Club), Drew Cavanaugh (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Crew), Luke Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Preparatory School), Travis O'Neil (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center), Jordan Dykema (Seattle, Wash.), Owen Finnerty (Ardmore, Pa./St. Joseph's Preparatory School), Kian Aminian (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center), and John Patton (Houston, Texas/Deerfield Academy) will take on Germany, Romania, Great Britain, and Serbia in the first of two heats. The top two finishers will advance directly to the final. Casler, Patton, and Dykema return from last year's gold-medal eight.

With only five crews entered in the U19 women's four with coxswain, the U.S. crew of coxswain Ella Casano (Fairfield, Conn./Saugatuck Rowing Club), Ella Wheeler (South Orange, N.J./Northfield Mount Hermon School), Annika Jeffery (Portland, Ore./Rose City Rowing Club), Lindsey Brail (New York, N.Y./ Pelham Community Rowing Association), and Sophia Greco (Norwalk, Conn./Connecticut Boat Club) will take on China, Romania, Germany, and Italy in a race for lanes. The five crews will race again in Sunday's final.

The World Rowing Under 23 and Under 19 Championships will be running simultaneously this year. Finals in the U23 events get underway on Friday. Saturday's racing includes the remaining U23 finals, as well as semifinals in the U19 events. Racing concludes Sunday with finals in the U19 events.

Complete press coverage, athlete bios, and links to event information are available at www.usrowing.org and www.worldrowing.com. Follow along with the U.S. U19 and U23 national teams as they prepare for the championships by using the hashtags #WRU23Champs and #WRU19Champs.

USRowing would like to thank Filippi Lido, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior, Under 23, and Para-Rowing National Teams. Under the agreement, Filippi is providing USRowing a fleet of boats for international competitions including the World Rowing Cup regattas, World Rowing Under 23 Championships, World Rowing Championships, Olympic Games, and Paralympic Games, as well as a domestic training fleet for the USRowing Training Center.

USRowing also would like to thank HUDSON, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Under 19 National Team. Through the partnership, HUDSON supplies racing shells for selection and training domestically, with matched shells provided internationally for racing.