Rowers from Weston and their teammates from nearby towns excelled at the USRowing Youth Nationals, held in Sarasota, Florida in June.

One boat from the Saugatuck Junior Rowing Program won a national championship and three others medaled. Two boats from the Norwalk River Rowing Association won silver medals.

The Saugatuck women’s U17 4+ A boat won gold, defending the club’s race title for the third year. In the photo above from left to right, coach Cody Silvester, Alice Frascella (Westport), Carolina Proctor (Westport), Madeline Casano (coxswain, Fairfield), Clementine Kirt (Westport), Hannah Makmale (stroke, Weston).

The club’s 4+ B women’s boat placed second, nipping Newport by two-tenths of a second. In the photo above, Grace Baker (New Canaan), Olivia Saw (Westport), Sora Yu (coxswain, Wilton), Anne Studnicky (stroke, Weston), Rylie Cordella (Westport), Mr. Silvester.

The Saugatuck men’s U17 4+ boat placed third. In the photo above, Coach Alex Vogt, Tristin Andreski (stroke, Fairfield), Davis Evans (Weston), Daniel Lee (coxswain, Weston), Tommy Wright (Westport), Westley Dick (Westport).

The U16 8+ boat placed third. In the photo, top: Elena Nasar (coxswain, Westport). Left to right: Jack Mello (Westport), Will Firmender (Fairfield), Jack Belloli (Wilton), Liam Wiegand (Westport), Gavin Remley (Fairfield), Daniel Arava (stroke, Westport), Henry Basham (Easton), Alex Proctor (Westport).

For the Norwalk River Rowing Association, the U17 Men’s Quad won a silver medal. In the photo above, from left to right, Cash Worthington (bow, Wilton), Felix Poydar (Katonah), Erik Huss (Darien), Robert Redpath (Weston).

In the photo below, the U17 Quad team drove to the finish. The team had qualified for the nationals by taking gold in the Northeast Regional Rowing Championships. There, Weston’s Abbie Carpenter and Alex Blaskiewicz also earned spots to compete at the nationals.

The Norwalk club’s women’s U17 Doubles team of Maia Andjelkovic and Ella Trudeau also won a silver medal.

This Youth Nationals was the largest ever, with over 4,000 athletes from 225 clubs and schools competing.