Buffalo Rowing Club wins premier events at 2025 USRowing Summer National Championships
The Buffalo Rowing Club (BRC) asserted its dominance on the national stage once again, winning both the Men’s Youth Eight and U17 8+ at the 2025 USRowing Summer National Championships, held on Ford Lake in Michigan on Sunday, July 13 and Tuesday, July 15.
I spoke to Head Coach RJ Rubino last year (listen to podcast) about the tremendous growth of the Buffalo rowing organization, and the incredible advancements that it continues to make regionally and nationally. That growth includes a new rowing clubhouse, located at 145 Ganson Street along the Buffalo River.
According to Rubino, BRC defended its national title in the Men’s Youth 8+ for the second consecutive year, leading wire-to-wire and finishing in a blistering time of 5:55.52. Ready Set Row finished second in 5:56.67, followed closely by Penn A.C. in 5:57.70.
This elite eight was composed entirely of recruited athletes from across the U.S.:
- Stroke – Benjamin Read (Montclair Academy)
- 7 Seat – Judson Myers (Christ School)
- 6 Seat – Mosus Lewis (Saugatuck Rowing)
- 5 Seat – Nate Arsenault (Cambridge Boat Club)
- 4 Seat – Will Hagberg (St. Andrew’s School, DE)
- 3 Seat – Nevan Torres (Milwaukee Rowing Club)
- 2 Seat – Jack Keavey (Christian Brothers Academy)
- Bow – Jack McMahon (Christian Brothers Academy)
- Coxswain – Connor Burke (Christian Brothers Academy) Championship action continued Tuesday as Buffalo’s U17 Men’s Team delivered a historic performance, sweeping the U17 8+, U17 4+, and U17 4-, firmly establishing Buffalo as the top summer men’s rowing team in the United States. In the victorious U17 8+:
- Stroke – James Schmidt (Belen Jesuit)
- 7 Seat – Sam Gagnon (Montclair)
- 6 Seat – Sam Moon (Montclair)
- 5 Seat – Von Kramer (Canisius)
- 4 Seat – Alek Shetler (Los Gatos)
- 3 Seat – Luke DeGraff (Los Gatos)
- 2 Seat – Carter Bridge (Canisius)
- Bow – Tristan Lewis (St. Joe’s)
- Coxswain – Eli Lobdell II (Nichols) The U17 4+ and 4- featured the stern four of the 8+, with coxswain Joey Castiglione (Canisius) joining for the 4+. This crew also earned bronze in the Men’s Youth 4+ on Sunday, racing up an age category.
Additionally, several BRC athletes are currently training in California with the U.S. U19 National Team in preparation for the 2025 World Rowing Championships: Liam Feeney and Isaiah Aljuwani (Canisius High School), Will Heaton (Chicago Rowing Foundation), and Nolan Hamm (Los Gatos Rowing Club).
“For a team of this caliber to unite for the inaugural season of the Buffalo Rowing Club is truly something special,” said Rubino. “After being removed from our home club, we faced immense challenges—acquiring equipment, securing training facilities, and finding consistent water access. Overcoming these obstacles to win the premier men’s event has brought international recognition to Buffalo Rowing Club and opened the door to attracting top rowing talent for years to come. We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors and supporters, including Buffalo businessman Joseph Carubba, The Advocate Team of Sandhill Investments, Alessi Fitness, and my wife, Liana—who, while pregnant with our first child, believed in this vision and encouraged me to finance the foundation of this nonprofit organization.”
Source: Buffalo Rising – Original Article Link
