From June 12-15, the fastest junior rowers in the United States will compete at the USRowing Youth National Championship, at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year’s Championship will draw nearly 10,000 athletes, coaches and supporters to revel in the pinnacle of US junior rowing, at the premier racecourse in the country. Drawing from regional and state championships, with the addition of worthy petitioners, the USRowing Youth National Championship will deliver a top notch racing and memorable experience for all athletes and fans. The Women’s Youth 4+ features 31 entries from over 15 different states.
St. Louis Boat Club
This St. Louis crew comes in as Midwest Junior Rowing Championship winners, boasting a rapid 7:09 pace to take a clear water win. They placed second at the Dogwood Regatta behind a loaded entry from Saint Andrew (racing in the women’s eight here), and will look to take on a very experienced field.
This team will peak at the right time after being tested early in the season and improving throughout. The girls from St. Louis have shown winning form and speed so far this spring and will be in the medal hunt on Sunday morning.
Nereid Boat Club
The Nereid Boat Club from Rutherford, NJ have greatly succeeded in the last few years under coach Jessica Eiffert. After placing third at the USRowing Youth National Championships in 2024, they started off this year with a bang, placing second to RowAmerica Rye at the Head of the Charles. Nereid rebounded from an early-season loss to Blair at Mercer Sprints, by winning the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championship in an impressive 7:12. They will hope to maintain their championship form and be at the top of the field when it counts.
Greenwich Crew
As one of the premier women’s sweep programs in the United States of America, every Greenwich girl’s boat can be counted on to race hard and go fast. Their programme’s depth is fully displayed in the coxed four, which took fourth at the Head of the Charles this past fall. At the Mercer Sprints, they placed behind Blair, but ahead of Nereid. Like many teams from the northeast, their spring has been marred by intense wind and exceptional flow, leading to the cancellation of the Northeast Youth Championship. Because of this, Greenwich enters as a bit of a question mark, but will look to draw upon their teammates’ experiences, who placed second in this event in 2024.
Inglemoor High School
Located in the suburbs northeast of Seattle, this entry from Inglemoor High School are my favourite story in this field. They placed fifth at this regatta in 2024, but get a chance for redemption, as they return the entire lineup! It is an infrequent opportunity for a programme to get a second bite at the apple at this stage and return the complete unit. They enter the race as the Northwest Junior champions, and have one of the furthest possible trips to Sarasota. The girls from Inglemoor will hope to build on their experience and disappointment from last year, and should be able to get on that elusive podium.
Other Mentions
This field has many talented crews, who could all contend for medals at the regatta’s end. Nobles is the NEIRA champion for 2025. Blair is a perennial contender looking to overturn a stinging second place at SRAA Nationals. NorCal took sixth at the Head of the Charles and a strong second at Southwest Youth Championships. My dark horse is Narragansett, who impressed at the Saratoga Invitational and will look to build on the A-final performance at the Youth Championships in 2024.
Prediction
I think St. Louis will get the job done and take first. After that, I think a close race between Nereid and Inglemoor will have them finish in that order. Nobles and Blair will be in the mix early, and could challenge for medals if they can stay out in front, but the 2000m discipline of NorCal, Narragansett and Greenwich may just as easily shine through in the last 500m.
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