The American Youth Cup returns to Nathan Benderson Park on the February 15th and 16th as the first race of the season for most clubs. Across all events, this race will serve as an early benchmark of training effectiveness, and the women’s youth single is no exception. Because many athletes’ names remain hidden on Regatta Central until race day, the focus shifts from individual entries to the history of the entered clubs and their production of high-performing scullers. Nathan Benderson Park, the same Sarasota venue that hosts the USRowing Youth National Championships, often showcases that success in the single scull reflects a club’s overall depth.
Naomi Ronen – Rockland Rowing Association
Among the few revealed athletes is Naomi Ronen, a 17 year old high school senior rowing out of Rockland Rowing Association in Nyack, New York. Ronen has demonstrated excellence across multiple age groups and events, most recently claiming ninth place in the women’s single sculls at the 2025 Head of the Charles, proving her ability on one of the most competitive stages in the rowing world. She also finished tenth in the nation at the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships in the women’s youth single as a junior in high school. Florida is an area heavily saturated with exceptional rowing programmes, but Rockland Rowing Association is no stranger to competing in small boats on the national level. In addition to Ronen, Rockland qualified five boats for the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships, all in singles, doubles, or pairs. Ronen, a standout from the class of 2026, will be a name to watch this weekend.
North Palm Beach Rowing Club
Although North Palm Beach Rowing Club has opted to keep its scullers’ names private until race day, the club’s track record in the women’s youth single cannot be disregarded when discussing expected podium contenders this weekend. At the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships, North Palm Beach’s Viktoria Ekstrand finished sixth overall in the women’s youth single, showcasing the club’s ability to prepare scullers not only for speed but also for consistency and racing under pressure. Travelling from Juno Beach, North Palm Beach has four scullers entered in this weekend’s women’s youth single and can be expected to demonstrate that same level of competitiveness.
Sarasota Crew and Sarasota Scullers
Sarasota Crew and Sarasota Scullers both enter the weekend with a record of producing strong scullers on a state and regional level. At the 2024 Florida Scholastic Sculling Championship (FSSC), Sarasota Crew advanced a youth women’s single to the A-final, showcasing the club’s ability to compete in one of the most competitive regions in the country. Sarasota Scullers backed that up with two consecutive championship final appearances in the youth women’s single at both the 2024 and 2025 FSSC, including multiple top-six finishes against strong state fields. These results speak not only to the individual scullers’ ability, but also to each programme’s consistency in developing competitive small boats. Their past performances make both home teams key contenders for the podium this weekend.
Prediction
As with many sports, early-season racing is often unpredictable. Ultimately, this weekend offers an important early look at both rising and returning talent in the youth women’s single. It’s a chance to see which athletes have built on last season’s results and which new names are ready to emerge on a bigger stage. At a venue like Benderson, where small boat success often mirrors overall programme strength, the single becomes more than an individual race. This weekend, the women’s youth single will serve as a reflection of each club’s development, depth, and ability to prepare scullers to compete under pressure at the start of a new season.
