Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

It was a turnaround season for City High as the Little Hawks posted their highest win total since 2021 while advancing to a Class 5A regional title game.

This week the Little Hawks have continued to reap the postseason rewards for their successful season.

City High had three players named to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 5A all-state teams when the organization released its postseason awards on Monday.

Junior Molly Carlson and seniors Lianna Hull and Avy Lindsey all earned all-state honors from the IGCA after helping City High to a 23-15 record and a spot in a 5A regional title game.

The City High trio highlighted a group of seven Your Prep Sports area athletes to earn all-state honors.

Liberty High senior pitcher Kaelyn Rickels, Clear Creek Amana junior infielders Kyla Schulte and Brenna Williams and Solon senior catcher Addie Miller were all IGCA all-state selections.

Carlson was a Class 5A first-team all-state selection following a monster season in which she led City High in hits (57), extra-base hits (25), doubles (15), RBI (46), total bases (102), batting average (.449), slugging percentage (.803) and OPS (1.303).

The junior catcher hammered 10 home runs, posted a .500 on-base percentage and scored 24 runs.

Hull earned second team all-state honors after capping a brilliant five-year career with a strong senior season.

The senior shortstop batted .449 with a team-high 43 runs, nine extra-base hits, 11 RBI, 19 walks, a team-best .529 on-base percentage and an OPS of 1.097.

Lindsey was named to the Class 5A third-team after batting .322 with 14 extra-base hits, five home runs and 28 RBI.

The senior second baseman scored 26 runs while posting a .525 slugging percentage and an OPS of .921.

Rickels was named to the Class 5A third team after posting a 7-7 record and 2.66 ERA in a team-high 118 1/3 innings pitched.

The senior right-hander struck out 80 and walked just 15 batters while posting a 1.17 WHIP.

In Class 4A Schulte was a first-team pick and Williams earned second team honors for Clear Creek Amana.

Schulte batted .459 with 26 extra-base hits including 10 home runs and drove in a team-high 52 runs while helping the Clippers to a 31-9 record.

The junior second baseman scored 39 runs and posted a .514 on-base percentage, .844 slugging percentage and a 1.358 OPS.

Williams earned second team honors after batting .403 with 34 runs scored, 31 RBI and a team-high 19 walks.

Miller was a second-team all-state pick in Class 3A for Solon.

The senior batted .427 with 21 extra-base hits including seven home runs and led the Spartans with 34 RBI.

Miller scored 31 runs and posted a .500 on-base percentage, a .777 slugging percentage and a 1.277 OPS.

Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-state Softball Teams

Class 5A

First team – Jordyn Kennedy, Jr., Ankeny Centennial; Mady Ott, Jr., Ankeny Centennial; Brooklyn Teerlinck, Sr., Bettendorf; Morgan Hewitt, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Lily Knutson, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Kaylynn Shorter, Sr., Davenport North; Clara Page, Soph., Des Moines Roosevelt; Sam Gripp, Soph., Indianola; Molly Carlson, Jr., City High; Grace Anderson, Sr., Johnston; Emily Koranda, Sr., Linn-Mar; Kasey Kane, Sr., Pleasant Valley; Riley Redig, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Leah Conlon, Sr., Sioux City East; Kennedy Borud, Sr., Southeast Polk; Tatum Johnson, Jr., Urbandale; Kari Rose, Jr., West Des Moines Valley; Mackenzie Mohler, Sr., West Des Moines Valley; Aunya Van Zetten, Sr., Waukee Northwest; Sophia Schlader, Fr., Waukee Northwest

Second team – Sydney Smalley, Sr., Ames; Kaylee Mescher, Sr., Ames; Aubrey Scieszinski, Sr., Ankeny Centennial; Amanda Finck, Jr., Cedar Falls; Lexi Trueg, Jr., Cedar Falls; Sophia Kevitt, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Maddie Sparks, Jr., Davenport West; Ellie Olson, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling; Luci Weber, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Jolee Strohmeyer, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Mallory Tomkins, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Lianna Hull, Sr., City High; Grayce Reiners, Jr., Johnston; Skylar Peterson, Jr., Muscatine; Ashley Hansen, Jr., Pleasant Valley; Karter Price, Soph., Southeast Polk; Jesslyn Stairs, Sr., Southeast Polk; Addy Ballard, Jr., West Des Moines Valley; Francesca Dehl, Jr., Waterloo West; Abi Felt, Jr., Waukee; Laurel Richards, Sr., Waukee Northwest

Third team – Camryn Johnson, Sr., Ames; Aubrey Lensmeyer, Sr., Ankeny; Kori Lincicum, Jr., Ankeny Centennial; Sydney Runyan, Sr., Cedar Falls; Ava Erger, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Adalyn Thorstenson, Fr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Ayla Streit, Sr., Davenport North; Grace Bell, Soph., Des Moines Roosevelt; Abby Johnson, Jr., West Des Moines Dowling; Annie Hefel, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Ava Rupp, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Dana Blake, Sr., Indianola; Avy Lindsey, Sr., City High; Kaelyn Rickels, Sr., Liberty High; Annie Cassidy, Soph., Linn-Mar; Elsie Lewis, Sr., Muscatine; Lily Garrison, Soph., Ottumwa; Tatum Goerdt, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie

Coach of the year – Carrie Eby, Waukee Northwest

Class 4A

First team – Lauren Hagedorn, Jr., ADM; Chloe Roling, Fr., Carlisle; Kyla Schulte, Jr., Clear Creek Amana; Jenah Gray, Soph., Dallas Center-Grimes; Addison Lyddon, Jr., Dallas Center-Grimes; Hope Allstot, Soph., Fort Dodge; Ellie Doster, Soph., Fort Dodge; Katie Sniezek, Jr., Gilbert; Aubree Davis, Council Bluffs Lewis Central; Mack Sims, Jr., Newton; Ava Husak, Sr., North Polk; Adalynn Johnson, Jr., North Scott; Carly Brewer, Sr., Norwalk; Nyah Hulbert, Sr., Norwalk; Emma Eekhoff, Sr., Pella; Brooklyn Ocker, Sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Melanie Runde, Jr., Western Dubuque; Zoey Breeding, Sr., Winterset; Braylen Conlon, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Katie Pilcher, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Second team – Kinzie Maxwell, Soph., ADM; Chloe Thurlby, Sr., Bondurant-Farrar; Keirah Wiseman, Sr., Burlington; Logan Brown, Sr., Carlisle; Mallie Stoner, Jr., Carlisle; Brenna Williams, Jr., Clear Creek Amana; Ava Adamson, Sr., Creston; Sophia Bauman, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes; Tessa Jones, Soph., Dallas Center-Grimes; Lucy Porter, Sr., Fort Dodge; Kylee Bond, Jr., Grinnell; Katelyn Klever, Sr., North Polk; Lucy Lucas, Sr., North Polk; Bailey Birmingham, Sr., Norwalk; Maddie Gullion, Sr., Norwalk; Haylee Parker, Soph., Oskaloosa; Katie Scheckel, Jr., Pella; Bailey Moreau, Jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Kaitlyn Thole, Sr., Western Dubuque; Ashlynn Devine, Sr., Winterset; Carley Jonker, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Third team – Alexis Havlovic, Soph., Bondurant-Farrar; Carlyn Busch, Sr., Boone; Anna Prosise, Soph., Central DeWitt; Emerson Bohlen, Sr., Charles City; Taryn Frederickson, Sr., Creston; Lauren Luzum, Jr., Decorah; Brylie Lorence, Sr., Fort Madison; Clara Newton, Jr., Gilbert; Allison Koontz, Sr., Glenwood; Rhiannon Rees, Jr., Grinnell; Brenna Leraas, Sr., LeMars, Kalyn Hackman, Sr., Maquoketa; Aubrey Deshaw, Sr., MOC-Floyd Valley; Tessa Dillinger, Sr., North Polk; Chevelle Kingsley, Sr., North Scott; Brinley Schroeder, Fr., North Scott; Lily Delperdang, Jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Avery DeHaan, Soph., Storm Lake; Kyla Ramler, Soph., Western Dubuque; Maddyn Gates, Soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Coach of the year – Nikki Gahring, Cedar Rapids Xavier

Class 3A

First team – Grace Pence, Jr., Albia; Reagan Haynes, Soph., Algona; Ana Glawe, Sr., Benton Community; Kavri Van Kekerix, Sr., Boyden-Hull; Mya Hillers, Sr., Center Point-Urbana; Addyson Jeske, Sr., Eagle Grove; Hillary Ruschy, Sr., Estherville-Lincoln Central; Rylee Yager, Sr., Estherville-Lincoln Central; Hayden Gookin, Soph., Mount Vernon; Camden Webb, Fr., PCM; Libby Winters, Fr., PCM; Rylee Parsons, Jr., PCM; Peyton Jeter, Sr., Roland-Story; Isabel Bernard, Sr., Sumner-Fredericksburg; Julia Roth, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Ruth Tauber, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Ella Greiner, Sr., Washington; Leighton Salazar, Jr., Washington; Pearson Hall, Sr., West Liberty; Alley Gorsh, Sr., Williamsburg; Jersey Metz, Jr., Williamsburg; Makenna Hughes, Sr., Williamsburg

Second team – Aliyah Hood, Soph., Albia; Madeline VanLoon, Soph., Albia; Allison Trunkhill, Jr., Algona; Charlotte Nigey, Jr., Davenport Assumption; Lila Wiederstein, Jr., Atlantic; Peyton McLaren, Soph., Atlantic; Hannah Greiner, Sr., Benton Community; Kenna Sandoval, Jr., Central Lee; Taylor Schwenn, Soph., Clear Lake; Haylee Stokes, Sr., Estherville-Lincoln Central; Colette Loges, Sr., Forest City; Charlee Morton, Sr., Hampton-Dumont-CAL; Claire Dieleman, Jr., Humboldt; Audrie Kohl, Sr., Missouri Valley; Addison Steenhoek, Sr., PCM; Margo Schuiteman, Sr., Sioux Center; Addie Miller, Sr., Solon; Lauren Eslick, Sr., Southeast Valley; Susie Funke, Jr., West Delaware; Sully Hall, Soph., West Liberty; Mallory Wulf, Jr., West Liberty; Taylor Sanchez, Soph., Williamsburg

Third team – Sophia Caudle, Fr., Davenport Assumption; Addie Williamson, Sr., Davenport Assumption; Zoey Kirchhoff, Jr., Atlantic; Layna DeMoss, Soph., Benton Community; Cianna Newman, Sr., Camanche; Adriana Howard, Sr., Centerville; Payden Hoffman, Soph., Centerville; Sydney Cain, Sr., Chariton; Maisy McCoy, Jr., Clarke; Lydia Barker, Jr., Davis County; Leah Helmick, Soph., Fairfield; Becca Anderson, Jr., Greene County; Isabelle Janssen, Soph., Iowa Falls; Payton Harris, Fr., Mediapolis; Dilynn Meade, Soph., Missouri Valley; Grace German, Sr., Missouri Valley; Sophia Woodward, Sr., Sioux Center; Addison DeBoom, Soph., Unity Christian; Ruby Zylstra, Sr., Unity Christian; Lyndsey Kelley, Sr., West Burlington; Jillian Karsjen, Sr., West Marshall; Lillian Fischer, Sr., West Marshall

Coach of the year – Adam Berte, Williamsburg

Class 2A

First team – Addison Frake, Jr., Cascade; Allison Toft, Soph., Durant; Haley Glade, Sr., Earlham; Peyton Grabenbauer, Jr., East Marshall; Sarah Mead, Jr., Jesup; Addie Clark, Sr., Lisbon; Grace Kissell, Fr., Louisa-Muscatine; Hannah Kissell, Jr., Louisa-Muscatine; Brenna Staab, Sr., MMCRU; Olivia Chapman, Fr., Osage; Chloe Snyder, Soph., Pella Christian; Halee Hauswirth, Jr., Pocahontas Area; Delaney Matthews, Jr., Treynor; Mary Stephens, Sr., Underwood; Finley Netten, Sr., Van Meter; Ava Hohenadel, Sr., Van Meter; Cali Richards, Sr., Van Meter; Libby Trewin, Sr., West Fork; JoAnna Wallace, Sr., West Fork; Ella Langenhorst, Sr., West Lyon; Jersey Hawf, Sr., West Lyon; Savannah Lucas, Sr., West Monona

Second team – Ingrid Landa, Jr., Alburnett; Maggie Cassidy, Fr., Dyersville Beckman; Kaylen Morris, Jr., Belmond-Klemme; Sharli Fessler, Sr., Central Springs; Lily Coil, Sr., Columbus; Bailey Grant, Sr., East Marshall; Livy VanDerSluis, Jr., Grand View Christian; Marissa Askeland, Sr., Griswold; Kayla Sypersma, Jr., Hinton; Elyse Maxwell, Soph., Interstate 35; Hayden Kresser, Jr., Jesup; Kamryn Taylor, Sr., Louisa-Muscatine; Kalli Freiburger, Jr., Maquoketa Valley; Cadence Driscoll, Sr., Northeast; Aubrey Leonard, Jr., Ogden; Aubrey Chapman, Sr., Osage; Lauren Hoover, Jr., Pocahontas Area; Hayden Thomas, Sr., Tri Center; Ashlynn Huff, Sr., Van Buren; Preslee Dickman, Sr., West Fork; Braylyn Childress, Jr., West Lyon; McKenna Baker, Soph., West Monona

Third team – Eva Walker, Jr., Aplington-Parkersburg; Kate Green, Sr., Cascade; Brilee Ackerson, Jr., Denver; Madde Buskohl, Sr., Dike-New Hartford; Bailey Kraklio, Jr., Durant; Riley Miller, Soph., Exira EHK/Audubon; Ailey Wahlert, Fr., Griswold; Gracie Knobloch, Sr., Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn; Karlyn Korvana, Jr., Hinton; Addie Rhoades, Sr., Hudson; Brylei Clausen, Sr., MVAOCOU; Kamrin Groen, Soph., North Butler; Regan Grewe, Sr., North Mahaska; Leah Mangelsen, Sr., Northeast; Ella Clark, Sr., Pleasantville; Taylor Perkins, Fr., Pleasantville; Peyton Athen, Sr., Shenandoah; Adalyn Minahan, Jr., Treynor; Bianca Prickett, Sr., Van Meter; Brihanna Hill, Jr., West Monona; Addison Westergard, Sr., West Sioux; Kinsey Drake, Sr., Wilton

Coach of the year – James Flaws, Van Meter

Class 1A

First team – Katie Quick, Sr., Ankeny Christian; Claire Lodge, Sr., Clarksville; Emmalee Manwarren, Sr., Clarksville; Rachel Eglseder, Jr., Edgewood-Colesburg; Lana Alley, Soph., Fremont-Mills; Kamryn Fink, Fr., Highland; Addison Winters, Jr., Kee High; Ellie Baker, sr., Martensdale-St. Marys; Keirsten Klein, Jr., Murray; Kinzee Hinders, Sr., Newell-Fonda; Sami Kruckenberg, Jr., Mason City Newman; Kenzie Bridgewater, Sr., North Linn; Elly Henderson, Sr., Riverside; Madison Kelley, Jr., Riverside; Josephine Moore, Sr., Sigourney; Jaycee Neer, Sr., Southeast Warren; Mariah Myers, Sr., Fort Dodge St. Edmond; Lauren Gibb, Sr., Fort Dodge St. Edmond; Taylor Buhr, Jr., Wapsie Valley; Izzie Moore, Sr., Wayne; Allie Jo Fortune, Sr., Wayne; Charlie Pryor, Sr., Woodbine

Second team – Lainey Schuknecht, Sr., Akron-Westfield; Katelyn Weathers, Soph., Ankeny Christian; Aniya Hardee, Soph., Bedford; Delaney Engler, Sr., Calamus-Wheatland; Paige Kampman, Jr., Clarksville; Anna Hart, Jr., Coon Rapids-Bayard; Kennedi McGarvey, Sr., Don Bosco; Faith Dugan, Fr., Edgewood-Colesburg; Taylor Mikesell, Sr., English Valleys; Kassidy Wenck, Jr., Glidden-Ralston; Lilly Barre, Sr., Highland; Karlee Arp, Jr., IKM-Manning; Lydia Kriegel, Sr., Iowa Valley; Anna Mercer, Sr., Newell-Fonda; Avah Hanig, Sr., Mason City Newman; Jaylyn Beran, Sr., Riceville; Kallie Peck, 8^th, Seymour; Lexi Clendenen, Jr., Southeast Warren; Faith Shirbroun, Jr., Fort Dodge St. Edmond; Espyn Decker, 8^th, Wapsie Valley; Ava Whitney, Sr., Wayne; Lexi Gilbert, Soph., Woodbury Central

Third team – Josie Jacobs, Sr., Akron-Westfield; Macy Musich, Jr., Bedford; Karagyn Minnaert, Sr., BGM; Hanna Merron, Sr., Algona Garrigan; Sydney Lovrien, Jr., Clarksville; Jayden Peters, Soph., Collins-Maxwell; McKenna Hoefer, Jr., Edgewood-Colesburg; Reese Gute, Jr., Fremont-Mills; Delaney Shaw, Sr., Hillcrest Academy; Ayla Hall, Sr., HLV-Tri-County; Lilah Strong, Soph., Kee High; Julia Howe, Soph., Kingsley-Pierson; Allyson Martin, Soph., Lamoni; Sadie Cox, Sr., Lenox; Ellie Sievers, Fr., Newell-Fonda; Ainsley Ulrich, Soph., North Union; Hallie Bunkers, Soph., Remsen St. Mary’s; Peyton Schafer, Fr., Riverside; Dani Aller, Sr., Sigourney; Addison Merritt, Soph., Springville; Maci Mayer, Jr., Saint Ansgar; Bree Mitchell, Sr., Stanton

Coach of the year – Katie Burman, Clarksville

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The Missouri Valley College athletic department has earned the NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award for their conduct in competition, in the classroom and in the community during the 2024-25 athletic year. In addition to the award, the athletic department was recognized as a COC Gold Institution, the highest honor for NAIA schools.

The NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Award was established to recognize NAIA institutions that focus on character, academics and positive conduct in competition. Schools earn points based on their involvement in those areas, including overall GPA, community service and outreach projects, character training and conduct during competitions.

Missouri Valley finished the 2024-25 school year with a perfect score of 100 out of 100 possible points, earning the Gold designation. Highlights from the NAIA Champions of Character scorecard includes various community service projects from multiple athletic teams, character and sportsmanship training by athletic staff, and embracing the five-core values the NAIA represents.

Missouri Valley has earned the Gold Award in eight of the past ten athletic years, and has been recognized as a Champions of Character institution each year since the program was established in 2000. This year, the school is one of 132 NAIA institutions to earn the Gold Award and a perfect COC score. A total of 11 institutions from the Heart of America Athletic Conference finished with a perfect scorecard. Missouri Valley also helped the Heart earn the Five-Star Conference Award.

The U23 Worlds wrapped with the USA women’s eight winning a repeat silver, and saw the US in the running in all the big sweep boats. The W8’s charge into second place gave the squad three medals on the weekend: gold in the men’s four, silver in the women’s eight, and silver in the light men’s single.

Head here to read our report on Saturday’s medals in the four and light single.

The US men’s eight also made the A Final, and took fifth in the last race of the regatta. In that final, Britain won a sixth straight gold medal while New Zealand–who had not fielded an eight in eight years–stormed through the pack for a silver ahead of Germany.

USA M8 in the A Final

In all, the US put five of its nine crews into the A Finals this year, and the men’s quad made the AB semis before taking 10th overall in the B Final. Two of the others–the men’s pair and double–made the C finals, while the light men’s double was the odd boat out in a seven boat field and did not advance from the heats.

W8+ Wins Silver – ‘Friendship Moves Boats’

Not only did the women’s eight win silver, with a patient start and firm command of the middle thousand, but they added a 19th year to the nation’s medal-winning streak in this event. Since the W8+ became part of the U23 program in 2006, the USA has made the podium every time, for 11 golds, 4 bronzes and now 4 silvers.

Four of the women in the boat returned from the crew that kept the streak going last year: stroke Joely Cherniss, seven seat Áine Ley, five seat Natalie Hoefer, and four seat Kathryn Serra all collected a second silver in Poznan to add to the one they won a year ago in St. Catherines.

“Friendship moves boats,” was how coxswain Honor Warburg summed up in the race talking to USRowing after the race.

“It is an honor to race such a fast field and we wouldn’t have wanted any other competition,” Warburg added, when row2k caught up with her. “Our word of the race week was from Coach Gia Doonan. She told us to be ruthless out there.

“Second in the world is such a privilege,” Warburg said, “and a wonderful closing for these women. Our support on land, our teammates who pushed us, the coaches who inspired and everyone who has represented the United States of America. This is a race to be proud of.”

USA W8

Warburg, who coxes at Stanford and raced here on her first US team, told row2k that the key to the race was the crew’s base speed.

“We knew we were a middle thousand crew, and our goal was to execute a lethal base rhythm. With confidence and composure we trusted one another, just thinking about the stroke we were on.

As the race unfolded, Great Britain got away early to claim a repeat gold, but the US crew moved relentlessly through the field, and overtook a fast starting Canada to grab the silver medal.

“All summer, this boat has been working on improving each practice by one percent,” said Warburg. “We talked about how this race is just an opportunity to put the training together and have fun with it. I think we did exactly that. I’m so incredibly proud to be a part of this year and this moment.”

Six seat Ella Wheeler, making her debut at this next level after wining two golds as a U19 national teamer, talked about how the boat gelled through selection camp and training.

“It has been such a great experience coming together as a crew and I think every time we got in the boat at practice and even through the racing here we got better,” Wheeler said. “As a boat, I think we are really proud of our performance in the final.

“For my first time at Under 23s, it was super exciting being in a boat that was so hardworking and being pushed by our coach, Gia Doonan, who was so inspiring and helped us all grow as rowers.”

Dartmouth College’s Áine Ley echoed those thoughts, telling USRowing:

“We’ve talked about putting the pieces together for the last few weeks. This group has come so far, and I’m so proud of all of us.”

Staying on the Pathway, to Win

The US has been putting more emphasis on developing national team talent over time with its Pathways program: this year, fourteen athletes made at least their second U23 team and a few, like Ella Wheeler in the W8, were moving up from successful U19 appearances. In Poznan, Wheeler aded a U23 silver to the back-to-back golds she won in the U19 four with in 2022 and 2023.

Sam Sullivan, who helped the men’s four win the USA’s first ever gold on Saturday, told row2k that his experience as a returning athlete played a role in winning this time around.

“Last year Wil Morton and I had the experience in the 8, where we left disappointed after not following up our performance in the heat,” Sullivan said. “This year, throughout the rounds, we made sure that we stayed within our boat and stuck to what we knew we were best at no matter who we lined up against.

Men’s 4, with Morton second from left, Sullivan third from left

“We knew that the US had never won the straight four, so there were no huge expectations on our shoulders,” Sullivan added.

“Overall it was a great experience. The team, with us, the 8, the quad and lightweight single, pushed each other throughout training together in OKC and we were lucky to have an amazing coaching and support staff behind the scenes to set us up to take the gold.”

Notes from the Course

More Driver’s Seat Alums – Coxswains who do the row2k ‘In the Driver’s Seat’ Interview keep popping up on national teams (coincidence? Probably.) We did run an updated version of Elenna Seguin’s column last week when we saw she would be driving the USA M8 this year, and then we spotted another familiar face as the regatta got underway: Rutgers coxswain Victoria Grieder. Victoria–whose interview from 2023 you can read here–was in Poznan coxing the Canadian women’s eight. Both she and Rutgers got a name-checked by Martin Cross on the commentary in the final, just as she was looking across at the the German eight to lock up Canada’s bronze medal on Sunday.

Grieder, on left, with her bronze medal winning CAN eight

Too Shallow For Tossing – one last consequence of the low water level that we mentioned in Saturday’s report? Lake Malta was not deep enough for the officials to okay a cox toss by the British men at the end of the regatta. For all of the great problem-solving that made the regatta happen despite the water level, there wasn’t a work-around for this one, so the Brits will just have to try winning again next year in Duisburg–which looked plenty inviting both for racing and cox-tossing in the coverage from the World University Games this past weekend.

Streaky Brits – The British won both eights again this year, and while that is “just” a two-in-a-row repeat for the women, then men now have a six year winning streak that runs all the way back to 2019 (math thanks to COVID, of course, since there was no 2020 event.) Six seat Harry Geffen has a streak of his own: this was his fourth gold in four tries at U23, and he also has the full “set” of sweep golds, winning in the pair in ’23 and the four in ’24, to go along with two wins in the eight.

GBR’s M8, with Geffen bottom right

But Five Still Beats Four – With Aurelia-Maxima Janzen’s dominating win in the single–by ten seconds–the Swiss sculler now has 5 straight U23 medals, so she is one up on Geffen. Janzen now joins the USA’s Kendall Chase, a Tokyo Olympian, as the second individual to win five U23 medals. Chase won her five–all gold–in just three years, doubling up in 2014-2016; Janzen collected hers by medalling every time she raced U23s, racking up 2 golds and 3 silvers, and of course, qualifying for the Paris Games along the way.

SUI’s Janzen

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