Conestoga Crew Among Nation’s Elite: Two Boys Quads Finish Top 15 at USRowing Youth Nationals

SARASOTA, FL — Conestoga Crew Club delivered one of the strongest national performances in recent history at the 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships, placing two boys quads among the top 15 crews in the United States while showcasing the depth of a public-school rowing program competing against the nation’s largest clubs and private-school powerhouses.

Held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, USRowing Youth Nationals featured 863 entries from across the country. While the regatta is dominated by club programs and private schools, only about 25 public high schools qualified boats, bringing a combined 77 entries. Conestoga accounted for four of those boats, an accomplishment that placed the program among a small group of public schools represented on rowing’s biggest youth stage.

The highlight of the weekend came from Conestoga’s two boys quad sculls, both of which finished among the nation’s elite and ranked second nationally among public-school entries in their respective events.

Boys Youth Quad Finishes 14th in the Nation

The Conestoga Boys Youth Quad of Kaden Murray, Sebastian Jodzio, Ethan Borst, and Jack Sauder entered the national championship qualifying through the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships.

Earlier in the season, the varsity quad captured Conestoga’s first Boys Senior Quad medal at SRAAs in four years, earning a bronze medal at the Scholastic National Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

At Youth Nationals the crew advanced through the opening time trial, earning a place among the top 16 crews in the country. After battling through the semifinal, Conestoga qualified for the B Final and ultimately finished 14th overall nationally.

The result represented a remarkable climb from their pre-regatta seeding and placed the crew among the top two public-school boats in the nation.

Sauder will continue his rowing career at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Trinity is the reigning two-time IRA Division III national champion. Murray, Jodzio, and Borst will all return next season as rising seniors, giving Conestoga a strong foundation heading into 2027. Murray, recently elected team captain, will play a key leadership role for the program.

Boys Second Varsity Quad Places 11th Nationally

Conestoga’s Boys Second Varsity Quad of Hudson Dunkle, Oliver Carr, Avi Verma, and Kieran Engel produced an equally impressive performance.

The crew advanced through the opening rounds and reached the semifinals before earning a spot in the B Final. They closed the regatta with a strong race to finish 11th overall in the nation, one of the highest finishes recently achieved by a Conestoga second varsity boat at Youth Nationals.

Like the varsity quad, the 2V crew also ranked second nationally among public-school entries.

Dunkle will continue his academic career at Florida State University, while Verma will attend and row at the University of Pittsburgh. Engel returns next season as a rising senior and Carr is a rising junior.

Young Rowers Gain National Experience

Conestoga’s future was also on display in Sarasota.

The Boys Youth Double of Petras Vainius and William Simon, both rising juniors, finished 20th nationally after advancing through the early rounds of competition. The young crew gained valuable national-level racing experience and is expected to return as a contender in future championship events. Earlier this year, they earned a silver medal at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships in West Windsor, New Jersey.

On the girls’ side, the Girls Youth Double of Aurora Hagerman and Lin Lai, both rising sophomores, finished 25th nationally. Competing against older and more experienced crews from around the country, the pair represented one of the youngest boats in the field and provided another promising sign for the future of Conestoga sculling.

A Public-School Program Competing With the Nation’s Best

USRowing Youth Nationals has increasingly become a showcase for large year-round club programs and nationally known private schools. Against that backdrop, Conestoga’s results stood out.

By qualifying four boats, placing two boys quads in the national top 15, and producing four boats that finished among the top public-school entries, Conestoga demonstrated that a public-school-based program can compete with—and beat—many of the country’s most established rowing organizations.

For a team built largely around student-athletes balancing academics with high-level rowing, Sarasota served as validation of years of work.

And with a deep group of returning athletes, Conestoga leaves Youth Nationals not only with national recognition, but with the foundation for continued success in the years ahead.

Conestoga Crew is inviting local middle and high school students to discover the sport of rowing through its 2026 Summer Learn to Row program.

Register for Learn to Row here