Gainesville Area Rowing makes historic waves at USRowing Youth National Championships
Press release from Gainesville Area Rowing
SARASOTA, Fla. – Gainesville Area Rowing (GAR) delivered its most successful performance to date this past weekend at the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships, held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota. With three boats qualified—each competing in one of the nation’s most elite youth rowing events—GAR brought home its highest-ever finish at Nationals, including a silver medal and two top-tier results.
Women’s U17 Quad (4x): Katharine Carodine, Natalie Jones, Sadie Parker, and Eva Bailey
The youngest boat in the GAR contingent, the Women’s U17 4x, raced fearlessly in their national debut.
“For many of these rowers, just qualifying for Nationals was a huge achievement,” said Head Coach Garrett Bower. “This was their first time competing at this level, and I couldn’t be prouder of their performance. Finishing as the 22nd fastest Women’s U17 4x in the nation places them firmly within the top 10% of all athletes in their category. This has shown them the immense progress they’ve made this season.”
“I was really impressed by how professional the atmosphere was,” said Natalie Jones, a member of the U17 Quad. “From the way the event was set up and run to how focused the other athletes were—it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Competing at that level was an amazing experience.”
Men’s Youth 4- (Straight Four): Eli Wells, Mason Turek, Branan Andreu, and Miles Loyd
GAR’s Men’s Youth 4- lit up the course with a thrilling performance, taking first place in the B Final and recording a time competitive with those in the Grand Final.
“The Men’s Youth 4- event has become one of the most exciting races to watch at Youth Nationals,” said Bower. “This year, the competition was exceptionally tight. Our first-place finish in the B Final would have actually landed close to second place in the Grand Final. It’s truly remarkable considering some of these athletes finished in the C Final just last year. Winning the B Final this year is a testament to their hard work, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next season.”
“The B Final was incredibly tight—there were only nine seconds between first and seventh place,” said Eli Wells, a returning GAR athlete. “We were sitting in second with less than a minute left, and somehow we managed to push ahead in the last ten strokes. That finish is something I’ll never forget.”
Women’s Youth 2- (Pair): Sophie Goldstein (Ocala) and Addy Mathews
The standout moment of the weekend came from GAR’s Women’s Youth Pair, who delivered an electrifying Grand Final performance and earned the first silver medal in the club’s history—in true Florida fashion.
“This was an incredibly competitive category,” said Bower. “After placing 4th in the Time Trial and 3rd in the Semi-Final, they found themselves in 5th place during the first half of the Grand Final. Even I was on the edge of my seat. But through sheer grit, they jumped from 5th to 2nd place in the final half of the race, walking several boat lengths past their competition.”
“It was truly an upset for some other teams and got them the second place title at National Championships, making this the best result Gainesville Area Rowing has ever achieved in its history,” added Bower.
The duo’s final push came just seconds after a Florida alligator was spotted swimming across Lane 3—their lane—right before their shell surged through it.
“I feel our finals race really showed our trust in our training and with each other,” said Sophie Goldstein, a recent UCLA commit. “While coming out of the start last, we were able to work ourselves into the race and pull out the second place finish by going for it in the last 750 meters.”
A Program on the Rise
GAR concluded the weekend with one silver medal, a top-nine finish, and a top-22 national ranking—cementing the team’s status as one of Florida’s fastest-growing and most competitive youth rowing programs.
“Without a doubt, this was Gainesville Area Rowing’s best showing ever at the USRowing Youth National Championships,” said Bower. “This great performance shows the dedication and hard work these athletes are putting in, truly making a name for Gainesville Area Rowing and for themselves among the fastest rowers in the entire country.”