Rowing Club of The Woodlands Show Success at USRowing Youth Nationals

THE WOODLANDS, TX – June 14, 2023 – The Rowing Club of The Woodlands (RCTW) proudly celebrates its junior athletes' outstanding performance at this year’s USRowing Youth Nationals in Sarasota, FL. A volunteer-run organization for over three decades, RCTW has continued its mission of nurturing local athletes through rowing in Northwest Houston.

This year’s Youth Nationals was the largest-ever event, with 4000 athletes from 225 clubs representing most of the fifty states. All crews present had to qualify through regional championships or petition subject to peer review in order to attend. Amid this large field of exceptional talent, RCTW athletes stood tall. Coached by RCTW's Director of Rowing Troy Howell along with longtime volunteer Coach Joe Flynn and Coach Magdalena Pillow, the Woodlands sent seventeen athletes to race in seven events after having qualified in ten events at the Central Region Youth Championships in Oklahoma City.

RCTW’s third visit to Youth Nationals and unprecedented number of bids signifies the value of experienced, knowledgeable coaching. An accomplished sculler himself, Head Coach Troy Howell has an ability to convey the nuances of good sculling to young athletes in a way that translates to greater mastery and faster boats. Asked to comment on the season and Youth Nationals itself, Coach Howell said 'Like almost all forms of racing, sculling and rowing are stopwatch-based sports. We had a pretty good idea of where we would finish before we left for Sarasota based on data from previous year's nationals results as well as our own training data at home. That said, stopwatches aren't exciting, and having someone else next to you often inspires athletes to perform at a level they've never experienced before - and that's where we find the best opportunities for growth. Our kids have had enormous breakthroughs this year, both in our training at home and at regattas - our U17 athletes in particular got faster every time we raced. Our never-stop-racing mindset served them exceptionally well this year, from Austin to Waco to Oklahoma City to Sarasota.' Coach Howell first coached at The Woodlands during the pandemic, for most of the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021. He returned to his full-time job at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont in the fall of 2021 but has since relocated to Texas with his wife Kimberly in order to be closer to family. He is supported by Coach Joe Flynn and Coach Magdalena Pillow, mainstays of the RCTW juniors program. Together, this team of dedicated and experienced coaches continues to strengthen and develop RCTW athletes.

The highlight of the competition was Devan Godfrey's commanding performance in the men’s youth single. Devan won Men's U19 single sculling title for the second consecutive year, posting the fastest time of the semifinals by more than four seconds. Cooper Hagan, from South Orlando Rowing Association gave him a great race all the way down the course in the final, with Devan only taking full control of the race in the last 500 meters.

In addition to Devan's convincing victory, RCTW’s women's U17 girls quad, consisting of Alisha Muncherjee, Lili Shiver, Allison Fruehwirth, and Isabella Irarragorri from stern to bow, became the second team boat in RCTW’s history to race in an A final at Youth Nationals, ultimately finishing fifth in a 30-boat field. Saturday's highlight was the strong performance of the Men's U17 quad of Liam Barnes, Harry Godin, Klim Zolotarev, and Mariano Gomez Medrano, who won the B final in a neck and neck race all the way down the course to finish ninth nationally. Saturday afternoon's races both took place under a merciless Florida sun augmented by Houston-worthy humidity. Oliver Hinkle raced well to finish third in the D final of the U19 single, and Klim Zolotarev, who also doubled up in the U17 quad, finished second in the D final of the U17 event. Sunday's A finals opened with Devan's race in the single, and as soon as he landed he went back up the course with his teammates Max Hinkle, Ayden Ressler, and Carson Jones in the Men's U19 quad, which finished eighth nationally. They had put together their best race of the year on Friday, coming from the back of the field to secure a third place finish in their semifinal and be RCTW's third team boat ever in a national A Final. Rounding out Sunday's events, our Women's U19 quad finished fourth in the B final for a respectable twelfth place nationally.

We think it's fitting to let Coach Joe Flynn, now in his seventh year with the juniors program, have the last word: 'Our club's culture has changed. We had four quads and three singles racing at the highest level of high school competition in the United States and they all held their own. Just four years ago, no RCTW crews had ever qualified for nationals and we were watching these races on the internet from home. Now we are on the water in Sarasota and racing the fastest crews in the country side by side. It was thrilling for our athletes, parents, and coaches. I think even Coach Howell was a little excited for a few minutes here and there. In fact, I know he was.'

RCTW sincerely thanks the coaches, the supportive parents, and the Rowing Club of The Woodlands’ community. The unwavering encouragement and backing have been instrumental in creating an environment where athletes can flourish and excel.

As this successful season comes to a close, the RCTW team looks ahead to the forthcoming head race season. High school students and adults interested in excellence in rowing can learn more about joining the Rowing Club of the Woodlands at www.woodlandsrowing.org

Follow RCTW’s Instagram @Official_RCTW for further updates to learn more about the Club’s Youth Nationals journey, as well as the team’s exciting season to come.

About RCTW:

RCTW is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering and promoting the sport of rowing among high school students and adults in The Woodlands, TX, and surrounding areas.

Photos