USRowing has selected 39 athletes to race at the 2026 World Rowing Under 19 Championships, scheduled for August in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Photo 2025 USA JM4x
Plovdiv is a fast course where records tend to fall, most recently it hosted the World Rowing Cup II in June, where the senior US team topped the medal table with six golds and five silvers. An inspiration, then, for the current under-19 team, who hope to improve on last year’s fourth place on the 2025 World Rowing Under 19 Championships medal table. But they will face tough competition from under-19 powerhouses Greece, Italy, Great Britain, Romania and Germany.
The roster announced on July 22 includes nine crews, six alternates and eight coaches. USRowing’s release describes seven boat classes, but the published roster covers nine events: the JM1x, JM2x, JW2x, JM4-, JW4-, JM4x, JW4x, JM8+ and JW8+. The entry list published by World Rowing shows that the USA athletes will also compete in the JMix2x and JMix8+.
Seven Athletes Return
Seven athletes from the American roster that raced in Trakai last year are back, after the United States took gold in the women’s four and silver in the women’s eight. The remaining crews draw athletes from junior, school and club programmes across the country.
Photo 2025 USA JW4-
Caitlin Cecere is back in the women’s eight, while Clare Junius returns to the women’s quad and John Piersma is back in the men’s four. Andrew Vizecky moves from last year’s men’s quad into the double alongside Graham Matlock.
Three 2025 alternates have earned racing places: Porter Collins takes the men’s single, Angela Johnson joins the women’s four and Parker Mansfield enters the men’s eight.
The Plovdiv Crews
- Men’s single sculls: Porter Collins, Greater Houston Rowing Club.
- Men’s double sculls: Graham Matlock, Y Quad Cities Rowing; Andrew Vizecky, Lake Phalen Rowing.
- Women’s double sculls: Kathryn McClellan, Vancouver Lake Rowing Club; Addi Levensten, Black Sheep Racing.
- Men’s four: Noah Arismendez, Marin Rowing Association; Howard Elliot Davis, Noble & Greenough School; Vrishank Nalla, Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer; John Piersma, Cincinnati Jr. Rowing Club.
- Men’s quadruple sculls: Rowan Arendt, Conshohocken Rowing Center; Dean Burton, Phillips Academy Andover; Goose Faynsod, Marina Aquatic Center; Brogan Fernald, Great Bay Rowing.
- Women’s four: Angela Johnson, St. Andrew Rowing Club; Olivia Lill, Saratoga Rowing Association; Tessa Murphy, Greenwich Crew; Sophie Rostad, The Milwaukee Rowing Club.
- Women’s quadruple sculls: Clare Junius, RowAmerica Greenwich; Naomi Ronen, Rockland Rowing Association; Shay Triepel, Coastal Virginia Community Rowing; Sydney Vilhelm, South Orlando Rowing Association.
- Men’s eight: Jacob Bobrow, Marin Rowing Association; Patrick Meredith Caldwell, McCallie School; Beckett Kallman, Gainesville Area Rowing; Parker Mansfield, Saratoga Rowing Association; Cole Martin, Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer; Ethan Pirigyi, Canisius High School; Malcolm Stanton, Community Rowing; Peter Ward, NorCal; Charles Winder, RowAmerica Rye.
- Women’s eight: Maija Andert, Orlando Area Rowing; Camilla Calderwood, Connecticut Boat Club; Francine Carr, San Diego Rowing Club; Caitlin Cecere, Montclair High School; Lynn Gulli, Greenwich Crew; Evelyn Mace, Community Rowing; Isabella Roberts, Capital Crew; Ava Smith, Mount Saint Joseph Academy; Ellah Taylor, Atomic Rowing.
Harper Skey, Connor Cross, Brayden Collins, Suzanne Reardon, Charlotte Green and Olivia Peters have been named as alternates.
Photo 2025 USA JM1x Michael Madigan
Eight Coaches Assigned
The crews have eight named coaches, with Jamie Phelps covering both doubles. Geordie Macleod will coach the men’s four and Caitlin McClain the women’s four, while James Konopka and Carol Dinion take the men’s and women’s quads respectively. Nick Haley leads the men’s eight, Allison Foster coaches the women’s eight and Porter Collins Sr. is responsible for the men’s single.
The World Rowing championship programme opens in Plovdiv on Wednesday, August 5, with racing continuing through Sunday, August 9.
