By Anne White
Greenwich Crew closed its 2025-26 season with one of the strongest national performances in program history, winning two national championships, earning two national runner-up finishes and placing nine boats in the top 10 at the 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships.
The regatta was held June 12-15 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, where Greenwich Crew competed against leading junior rowing programs from across the country, according to Greenwich Crew. The results reinforced the Cos Cob-based program’s position among the top youth rowing organizations in the United States.
The Men’s Youth 2V 8+ delivered Greenwich Crew’s first national title of the weekend, winning Final A in 6:06.40. Greenwich finished more than two seconds ahead of the field, according to Greenwich Crew, in a race that gave the men’s program a national championship in one of the sport’s marquee boat classes.
Nikash Bhandari coxed the championship boat, which included Tyler Hatstadt, Hunter Zeppelin, Nicholas Hall, Vicente Estela, Ryder Garcia, Sean McKenna, Theodore Nestoros and Nicholas Riley. The crew’s execution under pressure became one of the defining performances of the weekend.
“The 2V put together a strong race when it mattered most,” Men’s Head Coach Cary Wasserman said. “They executed the plan, stayed composed, and trusted each other from start to finish. Winning a national championship takes a lot of work over a long season, and this crew earned it.”
Greenwich Crew’s second national title came from the Women’s U16 8+, a younger boat that won gold in 6:46.34. Hannah Port served as coxswain for Hannah Kutai, Adeline Collins, Eliza Harper, Kaelani Becker, Liv Hadley, Amaya Leah Ahsan, Arielle Levy and Beatriz Hirsch.
The U16 result gave Greenwich a championship that extended beyond a single varsity class. It also showed the depth of the girls’ program and the presence of younger athletes capable of competing at a national level before reaching the upper age categories.
Greenwich added two silver medals to its national championship total. The Women’s Youth 4+ finished second in 7:14.16, with Lila Mootabar coxing Valentina Marchese, Maggie Barratt, Madeleine Martin and Hope Hyde. The Men’s U17 8+ also placed second, finishing in 6:15.62. Caroline Stowe coxed Edward Willott, Daniel Lisboa Da Cunha De Freitas, Cristopher Pomara, Eric Murphey, Kai Licznerski, Caleb Cha, Gabriel Bisio and Alexander Greenberger.
The program’s strength extended beyond its medalwinning boats. The Women’s Youth 2V 8+ placed fourth nationally in 7:01.60, with Olivia Mingione coxing Gabriela Estela, Niamh O’Donovan, Josephine Herman, Alexandria Nestoros, Evelyn Roach, Nuria Hoffman, Sumner Bowers and Caroline Hopley. The Women’s Youth 8+ placed fifth in 6:53.31, with Makayla Jaffe coxing Elia Amaro, Alexandra Laverge, Victoria Bergholt, Kateri Daly, Katharine Kerko, Elisabeth Schmitz, Lynn Gulli and Tessa Murphy.
Women’s Head Coach Paul Ruggeberg said the regatta tested Greenwich against the fastest programs in youth rowing.
“Nationals brings together the fastest boathouses in the country, and our athletes proved they belong among the nation’s elite,” Ruggeberg said. “The composure, determination, and resilience shown throughout the week were remarkable, and we could not be prouder of what this team accomplished.”
Greenwich Crew credited the season’s success to a coaching staff that includes Wasserman, Ruggeberg, Nicole Chaloux, Quentin Thibault, Darren Gary, Tripp Smith, Bert Harney, Martin Villanueva, Anna Yamamoto, Trent Boone and Mike Wieneke, the program’s director of rowing.
Founded in 2005, Greenwich Crew is based at 49 River Road in Cos Cob. The program describes its mission as developing athletes in an environment that is safe, challenging and fun, with an emphasis on hard work, integrity and inclusion.
The Sarasota results give Greenwich Crew measurable momentum entering the next rowing cycle. Two national titles, four podium-level finishes and nine top-10 boats left the program with evidence of both frontline speed and organizational depth, the combination required to remain in contention at the highest level of junior rowing.
