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Two of our Manhattan high school students are headed to Chattanooga, TN, for this year’s men’s USRowing Youth Development Camp.  This two-week camp, starting Sunday, is part of the national Olympic Development Program that seeks to identify and develop talented student-athletes from across the country, ultimately putting together the fastest possible high school crews to represent their regions and our country at national and international competitions.

For AJ Hoffman, this camp will be his second.  Last year, the development experience helped him fine tune his technique in both types of rowing—sculling, which involves one oar in each hand, as well as sweeping, which uses only one oar per rower.  This year, he is excited to continue getting better at his sport and most looks forward to making new friends from the different clubs and states represented.

Ewan Wileman will be stepping onto the national stage for the first time at this summer’s camp.  He first decided to apply because he wanted the chance to learn from Olympic team coaches.  Additionally, he most looks forward to rowing with other high-level athletes in eights—the biggest and therefore the fastest boats in the sport of rowing.

Head Coach Grace Ure could not be prouder.  After sending a handful of graduating seniors to D-I programs this fall, she is pleased that the class behind them are continuing to build the team’s competitive culture.  Additionally, she notes that building successful rowers doesn’t happen in a vacuum: “I know it’s tough for families, especially during the summer, to prioritize things like this when you also have to balance work schedules, family vacation, other extra-curricular activities, not to mention other kids.  It means a lot to me to have the support of parents when my athletes have grown to be good enough for an opportunity like YDC.”

The team hosted a scrimmage at home last weekend and will be spending the rest of the summer laying the groundwork for a competitive fall.  New athletes are welcome at any time and are offered two weeks of free lessons when they fill out the free trial registration form on the Manhattan Junior Crew website.

The spring racing season came to a frustrating close on day two of the USRowing Central Youth Championships Sunday, May 7th.  In the day one time trials held on Saturday the 6th, three of the five entries from Manhattan Junior Crew placed in the top six of their respective categories, earning them the privilege of competing for a bid to nationals in day two racing.

Sunday conditions started out with flat water but deteriorated by noon.  Even large boats were struggling to line up evenly for a fair start at the top of the course, and the race officials were forced to make the difficult decision of canceling the rest of the day’s racing.  The results of Saturday’s time trials were then used to determine which boats would represent the region at nationals.

The cancelation was particularly disheartening for the Manhattan Junior Crew women’s pair since their time on Saturday was a mere two seconds behind third place.  Had they made up those two seconds and placed third in Sunday’s side-by-side racing, they would have been MJC’s first crew in the last decade to earn a spot at nationals.

This cancelation marks the second year in a row that wind conditions have prevented fair racing on day two of the Central Youth Championships held in Oklahoma City.  Additionally, this year’s Prairie Sprints, held annually in Wichita in mid-April, were also canceled due to high winds.

Despite not getting to see her crews challenged to their fullest potential, Head Coach Grace Ure is generally pleased with the progress of the team as a whole.  The team now has several weeks’ break from rowing to focus on graduation, finals, and rest before summer season starts on the 30^th.

Three of this year’s seniors have set their sights on Division I college rowing.  Kathryn Borthwick signed with KU last fall, Hailey Vardiman signed with K-State this spring, and Ava Reese has been verbally committed to the University of Washington since the summer, signing with them in the fall as well.

Going furthest afield, Ava says, “Rowing at the University of Washington has been my dream ever since I first sprinted down Lake Shawnee in July 2018.”  She looks forward to combining the beauty and mental toughness of rowing as the mainstay of her college experience in the Pacific Northwest.  Most notably, she will get to train under Head Coach and former Olympian Yasmin Farooq at the historic UW program where Ava is “excited to be pushed even harder, allowing myself to become the best athlete I can be, adding my own contributions to the legacy of the ‘Women of Washington.’”

For Hailey, in true K-Stater style, continuing her rowing career here at home is all about family.  On the one hand, she says, “the K-State community attracted me automatically and the campus feels separate from Manhattan.”  At the same time, she’ll stay connected to her “biggest support system” of mom, dad, sister, and grandparents as she takes the next step up in her athletic career. Rowing for Head Coach and former Olympian Patrick Sweeney was an easy choice since Hailey says, “My life right now is in Manhattan, my life being my family, passions and KSU!”

Kathryn had chosen to go to KU for the academic programs and atmosphere before considering the possibility of Division I athletics.  When she met the rowing team and coaches, it was a perfect fit.  She describes the program as “loving and understanding” because “they see their rowers as people and students first, which is something I believe is super important.”  Kathryn will contribute to the Jayhawk tradition under KU-alumna Head Coach Carrie Cook-Callen.

With Division I rowing and coaching experience herself, Manhattan Junior Crew Head Coach Grace Ure will watch these budding college careers with bated breath.  “It will be particularly interesting to watch the results of future Sunflower Showdowns as Kathryn and Hailey, having been more or less inseparable, currently rowing our women’s pair, and serving as co-team captains this semester, will now have to become ‘best frenemies’ on the water.  I’m also super proud of Ava’s bravery in thinking outside the Kansas-box for the next stage in her career.  Despite only the humblest of beginnings our program has been able to give them, I’m excited to see how far these three will fly.”

Manhattan Junior Crew will complete their regular season at the US Rowing Central Youth Championships in Oklahoma City on May 6 and 7.  Top finishers will qualify to race in the US Rowing Youth National Championships in June.