Year in Review: 2025 U.S. National Teams

The Gemini.com U.S. National Teams delivered a strong year in 2025, capturing a historic 19 medals across World Cup regattas and World Championships and marking significant milestones at every level of international competition.

Across senior, Para, U23, U19, and Beach Sprint disciplines, the team achieved outstanding results, marked by first-time victories, historic finishes, and powerful performances that signal the growth and depth of U.S. rowing. The induction of rowing legend Anita DeFrantz into the USOPC Hall of Fame further underscored the sport’s lasting impact and leadership on and off the water.

Senior Team Excellence: World Medals and Career Highlights

The senior squad stood out on the world stage, bringing home eleven medals and demonstrating exceptional competitiveness throughout the season.

Women’s Four World Champions — Olympians Kate Knifton, Teal Cohen, and Azja Czajkowski, with Camille VanderMeer delivered a strategic and commanding performance to win gold at the World Championships, fending off a determined Romanian crew in the final meters.
Olympian Michelle Sechser Dominates Lightweight Single — Sechser showcased remarkable strength and endurance by winning her heat and semifinal by open water and capturing her first world championship title in the lightweight single sculls.
Men’s Eight Bronze Medal Performance — The U.S. men’s eight of Rachel Rane, Olympian Pieter Quinton, Gus Rodriguez, Olympian Billy Bender, Madison Molitor, Alexander Hedge, Michael Herman, Jacob Hudgins, and Olympian Christian Tabash crossed the line third in a highly competitive field, earning bronze and adding to the team’s overall World Championships medal total.
Bronze for Women’s Pair — Holly Drapp and Olympian Jess Thoennes executed a gritty, come-from-behind race to secure bronze in the women’s pair, underscoring their resilience and technical prowess.
Historic Quadruple Sculls Finish — The men’s quadruple sculls achieved their best result since 1998 with a fourth-place finish, narrowly missing the podium but signaling a significant return to form in men’s sculling.

In addition to World Championships success, the senior team earned seven medals on the World Cup circuit, demonstrating consistency and excellence across the international season.

Beach Sprint Team Shines in Landmark Year

The Beach Sprint program posted its most successful World Championships in senior competition, medaling in three of five events.

Chris Bak Makes History — Bak earned his third Beach Sprint World Championship title, dominating the competition by more than twenty seconds and becoming the most decorated athlete in the history of the event.
Mixed Quadruple Sculls Medal — The U.S. returned to the top step, winning gold in the mixed quadruple sculls final against the Spanish crew.
First-ever medal in the Mixed Double Sculls — Bak, teamed with senior and Beach Sprint athlete Sera Busse, added a dramatic silver medal with a thrilling finish decided by mere inches.

World Rowing recognized the impact of this year’s achievements with nominations for Best Men’s Crew of the Year for Chris Bak and Best Coach of the Year for Marc Oria.

U23 and U19 Teams: Record Medals and Future Stars

Strategic adjustments to the U23 and U19 development pathways, with an increased focus on small boats, yielded strong results and multiple historic performances.

U23 World Championships:

Gold in Men’s Four — Ryan Martin, Wilson Morton, Sam Sullivan, and Lyle Donovan secured the first-ever U.S. gold in the U23 men’s four with a commanding open-water victory.
Men’s Pair Fall Speed Orders — Martin and Donovan continued their success, winning the men’s pair in the Fall Speed Orders.
Silver in Lightweight Single — Cosmo Hondrogen earned silver in the U23 lightweight single sculls, leading into the third 500 meters and displaying tactical grit. Hondrogen was also named the 2025 U23 Athlete of the Year.
U23 Women’s Eight Silver — The women’s eight captured silver in a dynamic race with Great Britain.
Men’s Quadruple Sculls — The U23 quad finished 10th in a deep field, with three of the four athletes eligible to return in 2026.
Women’s Four — The U23 four posted a strong A Final performance, placing 5th and within 1.8 seconds of third place.

U19 World Championships:

Gold for Women’s Four — Claire Van Praagh, Lauren Dubois, Lia Nathan, and Teagan Farley brought home the U19 women’s four title, the first for the U.S. since 2018.
Women’s Eight Silver — The U19 women’s eight charged through one of the most competitive fields in history to secure second place.
Strong Debut for Tony Madigan — In his first international season, Tony Madigan finished fifth in the U19 men’s single sculls. The senior at Wakefield High School won the U19 Athlete of the Year and even made his debut at the 2025 Fall Speed Orders, finishing 14th overall.

A Year of Milestones and Momentum

With a total of 19 medals, historic firsts, and breakthrough performances across senior and age-group levels, the U.S. National Rowing Team’s 2025 season stands as one of the most impactful in recent memory. These achievements reflect not only present excellence but also the promise of future success on the world stage.