Early in the school year, it was clear that Dartmouth men’s heavyweight rowing’s varsity eight had the makings of a special season.
 
“Having a good core group of guys returning — along with Billy [Bender] coming back from the Olympics and having a really good first-year group joining us — it felt like there was certainly potential,” said Wyatt Allen, Betsy and Mark Gates 1959 Head Coach of Men’s Heavyweight Rowing.
 
The Head of the Charles in October was an early reminder of that potential. The Big Green showed the speed to be one of the best crews in the country, finishing third overall in the Championship Eight as the second college finisher.
 
Success would follow in a big way. Flash forward to the end of the spring when the Big Green would finish second at the Eastern Sprints and third at the IRA National Championship, barely over a second behind national champion Washington. It was the heavyweight rowing program’s best finish since 1992.
 
And now, they will have one last opportunity to row together, at the Henley Royal Regatta which runs from July 1-6 in Henley-on-Thames, England. Racing for the Big Green kicks off on Friday.

How it Happened
Getting to this point has been months in the making. Senior Julian Thomas was optimistic entering the season.
 
“We realized we had the opportunity to medal and compete for a national championship after the Charles,” he said. “It validated that we had a talented group and motivated us to continue pushing hard through the winter seasons, when generally motivation is low.”
 
A strong winter and spring training camp led to a historic start to the spring at Yale, as the Big Green captured the Olympic Axe for the first time in the Axe’s 21-year history.
 
The varsity eight’s resiliency was on full display. In less-than-ideal conditions (rain and wind), the Big Green defeated the Bulldogs.
 
“The Yale result was another big step forward for them in terms of believing,” said Allen.
 
Keep the word resiliency in mind.

Check out the end of the varsity eight’s win today to claim the Olympic Axe for the first time in its 21-year history!#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/r9Y3HNfQKv

— Dartmouth Men’s Heavyweight Rowing (@BigGreenHeavies) April 5, 2025

Resilience wasn’t only on full display against the Bulldogs, but also has been for the entirety of these student-athletes’ careers.
 
“Julian (Thomas), Munroe (Robinson), Sammy (Houdaigui), Miles (Hudgins) — guys who came out of the varsity last year — were really disappointed with the way things ended,” said Allen. “It would have been really easy to not fully invest in this year the way they did.”
 
The Big Green varsity eight finished 11th in the nation in 2024 and were determined to improve in 2025.
 
“They continued to trust the training and our program, as well as me and our staff,” said Allen. “It is a resilient group, and they came back this fall with an ‘all-in’ approach. Their approach and hard work were converted to belief and momentum through big early-season results.”
 
After Yale, the Big Green varsity defeated Boston University for the Bill Cup, then hosted the Lake Morey Invitational where they beat Syracuse, Wisconsin and Columbia over the course of two days. A win over Northeastern wrapped up an undefeated dual season.
 
The Eastern Sprints led to a true moment of resilience. Despite a tough start during the grand final, the Big Green roared back to earn silver, 1.3 seconds behind Harvard. Below are the final results.

1. Harvard – 5:33.895
2. Dartmouth – 5:35.577
3. Princeton – 5:37.575
4. Yale – 5:38.275
5. Brown – 5:38.783
6. Penn – 5:39.133
 
“For them to be in sixth place coming through the 500 and be able to stick together, trust their base speed and row themselves back into silver-medal position, that was a huge moment,” said Allen.
 
First-year Lucas Maroney explained the resilience the crew had to show.
 
“It’s so easy to just give up on a race when you’re down six seats off the first couple strokes, but it really showed a lot staying together through that and rowing through such a competitive field,” he said. “That was an awesome experience and a good show of what we can do together.
 
“We definitely carried a lot of momentum out of that.”
 
In the end, a negative (slow start to the race) turned into a positive (further belief in their speed).
 
“I believe the easiest thing to fix in terms of race execution, is getting better out of the blocks,” said Allen. “They did that between Sprints and IRAs.”  

Full coverage from a strong showing at Eastern Sprints on Sunday, featuring medals in our 1V, 2V and 4V.

| https://t.co/3MkofT0LzJ#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/MVz5dUDGWI

— Dartmouth Men’s Heavyweight Rowing (@BigGreenHeavies) May 19, 2025

 At the national championship, the Big Green took care of business in their heat and a challenging semifinal. That set the stage for the grand final, which Dartmouth hadn’t qualified for in the varsity eight since 2004.
 
The feeling entering the grand final was, as Thomas said, one of “immense gratitude.”
 
“There was also excitement that the work we’d put in throughout the year had given us the opportunity to compete for a national championship with the best in the country,” he said. “There definitely were nerves as well. Everybody went out with the intent to give it their all.”
 
A tight race was expected and saw the Big Green finish in third place with a time of 5:30.90, just 0.15 seconds behind Harvard and only 1.12 seconds behind Washington in first. Dartmouth was 1.3 seconds ahead of fourth-place Princeton.
 
“To be going against the top collegiate crews and racing against teams like Washington and Harvard was really cool,” said Maroney. “I remember growing up and watching these races.”

Bronze medal for the varsity eight at the IRA National Championship!

Check out the final strokes of a very tight final #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/bVmgvKCbwp

— Dartmouth Men’s Heavyweight Rowing (@BigGreenHeavies) June 1, 2025

 Maroney was not only a relatively recent addition to the varsity eight, but it also marked his first time ever rowing in an eight.
 
“I’ve been at some big competitions, but this was my first year actually learning to sweep row,” he said. “That was a pretty steep learning curve, but it was really fun.”
 
Maroney’s growth over the course of the year is a testament to not only his talent, but also the coaching — led by Allen and assistant coaches Sabrina Bohrer and Jack Smith. Allen was recently named the IRCA National Coach of the Year.
 
Thomas touched on the belief Allen has instilled into the Big Green.
 
“Wyatt has taken this program from the bottom of the Ivy League to competing for a national championship in a very short time,” said Thomas. “Year after year, he has inspired this belief that we can compete with anybody on any given day. And this was the year when it all came to fruition.”
 
Reasons for the success were both tangible and intangible.
 
“Rowing is a very hard sport; it’s not fun all the time,” said Thomas. “You go out early in the morning, it’s cold, it’s wet at times and the work’s very hard, but we have a group of guys who manage to find fun within the process — whether it’s joking with each other or playing pranks on each other throughout the year.
 
“That has really kept it light-hearted when perhaps people are down or when you forget why you’re doing it,” Thomas continued. “On top of it, we all are very competitive, and we’ve all kept the goals we set at the start of the year in mind — beating crews that we hadn’t historically beaten.”
 
How did that happen? 
 
“The capacity and ability of the guys, and the depth of the team — not limited to the nine guys in the top boat — was obviously a big factor,” said Allen. “Having someone like Billy in the stroke seat, having his experience and his rhythm, was a big piece of it. Having the senior leadership leading that group throughout the year was another big piece of it as well. Lastly, the way the personalities fit in the crew and the respect they have for one another was a big contributor to the success of the crew over a long season.”

Recap from a thrilling end of the season for the varsity eight and the Big Green!

| https://t.co/5myRFBs8Cr#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods

— Dartmouth Men’s Heavyweight Rowing (@BigGreenHeavies) June 1, 2025

Looking Ahead to the Henley
The Big Green are aiming to continue the chemistry at the Henley Royal Regatta. Dartmouth’s eight will be competing in the Ladies’ Challenge Plate, which includes a mix of international and United States crews, one of which is Harvard.
 
“It’s always a matter of perspective, but I would say the Olympics are the biggest stage in our sport, and it’s arguable that Henley is the second biggest stage for our sport internationally,” said Allen. “To have a Dartmouth crew representing the boathouse and the college is pretty incredible. Having that exposure for international recruiting is huge as well.”
 
“We were obviously thrilled with the result at the IRA and the Eastern Sprints, but I definitely feel like there was some unfinished business,” said Thomas. “We definitely have more in us, and we’re very grateful for the opportunity. I’d like to thank the donors who gave us the opportunity to go race at Henley.”
 
The regatta gives the five seniors in the boat one last opportunity to represent the college they love. It also gives one junior and three first-years more valuable experience they can draw from heading into next season.
 
“This has been a big bucket list race of mine for a long time,” said Maroney. “I’m really excited to once again prove ourselves one more time with this crew.”
 
Allen called the Henley “icing on the cake” after Sprints and the IRA.
 
“I’m proud of them, and psyched that they were able to win medals, both at Sprints and the IRA and earn this opportunity,” said Allen.
 
“One of the best things about coaching at Dartmouth, and coaching in our boathouse, is the incredible alumni support,” Allen continued. “The fact that we had several key individuals step up right away and make this trip possible for the guys is incredible and something none of us take for granted.”

The Catholic Star Herald highlights the Diocese’s student athletes who stood out during the month of June.

Claire Magee

Paul VI High School, Haddonfield

Track and Field

Claire Magee keeps seeing her school records get broken – by Claire Magee.

The Paul VI High School junior has made the 400 meter run her signature event as she continues to improve the school record in the single-lap event. Magee first claimed the Eagles’ school record last year, toppling Aliya Rae Garozzo’s mark of 56.88, which was set in 2019.

This year, Magee broke her own record by clocking 56.11 in a fifth-place finish in an incredibly talented field at the Non-Public A state championships.

On June 4, Magee eclipsed the 56-second mark and bested her own time by nearly a half second (55.69), finishing sixth in the state at the Meet of Champions.

Anna Marquardt

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken

Lacrosse

Anna Marquardt became the first girls lacrosse player from Bishop Eustace Preparatory School to be named a USA Lacrosse All-American, which is awarded to student-athletes who exhibit superior skills, exceptional game knowledge and outstanding sportsmanship.

The recognition was well-earned as Marquardt led the Crusaders to a 13-6 record and an appearance in the Non-Public state quarterfinals. On the season, Marquardt scored a team-best 51 goals along with 21 assists and 123 draw controls. The Fairfield University signee accumulated four straight 40-goal seasons and finished her high school career with 189 tallies and 60 assists, in addition to 177 ground balls and 490 draw controls.

Mia Merlino

Holy Spirit High School, Absecon

Softball

Holy Spirit High School was the last softball team alive in the Diocese of Camden this season as the Spartans made another deep playoff run. It gave senior Mia Merlino more time to savor the moment and add to her already impressive resume, which included more than 100 career hits and 200 career strikeouts.

Merlino batted over .400 this season, and on May 3, she became the first Holy Spirit player to reach the 100-hit milestone in 13 years when she hit safely in a 2-0 loss to Oakcrest.

During Merlino’s time at Holy Spirit, the Spartans won 50 games and reached the semifinal round of the Non-Public B playoffs three times, including a sectional final appearance in 2024.

Merlino will attend the University of Delaware next year.

Julian Onesti

Saint Augustine Preparatory School, Richland

Track and Field

Before graduating, Julian Onesti proved he was one of the fastest runners in the state as the Saint Augustine Preparatory School sprinter turned in an incredible senior year on the track.

After clocking 10.58 seconds in the 100 meter dash in the Atlantic County Championships in May, Onesti shaved another two hundreds of a second off his personal record and placed third in the Non-Public A state championship.

Onesti went out with a bang, running 10.46 to take third place at the Meet of Champions on June 4. With a slight wind at his back, Onesti’s time was an Atlantic County record and the 12th-fastest time ever recorded at the Meet of Champions. He will run track next year at Rider University, Lawrence Township.

Jackson Smallets

Gloucester Catholic High School, Gloucester City

Baseball

Jackson Smallets ended his Gloucester Catholic High School career as a state champion, throwing 101 pitches in a 7-4 victory over Pope John XXIII Regional High School in the Non-Public B state final June 11 at Veterans Park. 

Smallets’ final outing represented another outstanding start, as he allowed just five hits in 6 1/3 innings. For the season, Smallets pitched 89 innings, allowed just 19 runs (1.21 ERA) and struck out 66 batters. Smallets’ 2025 resume included a 12-strikeout performance in a complete game win over Saint Augustine Preparatory School as well as a six inning one-hitter (nine strikeouts) in a 3-0 victory over Cherry Hill West.

Smallets will play at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina next year.

Ryan Wodazak

Saint Augustine Preparatory School, Richland

Lacrosse

Opposing defenders just couldn’t figure out how to stop Ryan Wodazak, especially in the most crucial time of the season.
The Saint Augustine Preparatory junior scored 43 goals this year, including nine hat tricks. Six of those hat tricks came in the Hermits’ final six games of the season. Wodazak’s fourth career four-goal game came in the Hermits’ opening round of the Non-Public state playoffs in a 9-4 win over Montclair Kimberley Academy. Wodazak helped Saint Augustine roll to a 16-4 record as the Hermits were regarded as one of the top teams in the state.
He is committed to play lacrosse at Penn State University after he graduates high school in 2026.

Featuring a host of players, including QB Aaron Rodgers, the Jets hosted a holiday shopping spree presented by Cash App and VISA at DICK’S Sporting Goods in East Hanover, NJ. The Jets players shopped with 25 students from Brooklyn Community Services’ Jets Academy, with each student receiving a $400 gift card provided co-funded by the Jets Foundation and Cash App.

Federal agents detained a possibly undocumented immigrant inside the Baltimore City Circuit Court last month, marking the first immigration arrest in the city’s highest court since President Donald Trump renewed and magnified his deportation efforts earlier this year, officials said.

Originally Published: July 1, 2025 at 4:08 PM EDT