CRC Medals "4 for 4X" at Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships with 2 Golds & 2 Silvers

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA – Conshohocken Rowing Center (CRC) captured two golds and two silvers at the USRowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships, punching the ticket for all four of their quads and all 16 of their rowers to row in the invitation-only USRowing Youth National Championships. This was the second straight year the women’s varsity quad took home gold and the second year the team earned the Efficiency Trophy, awarded to the team with the greatest percentage of winners and final qualifiers.

“I’m proud of the accomplishments of these young men and women and their unwavering drive to win and their commitment to each other,” said Craig Hoffman, executive director of CRC. “They have lived up to their name of high performance athletes and they never take a race or competitor for granted. They are committed to their goal and that propels them to victory.”

Leading the way was the Women’s Youth Quad, fighting off a mounting challenge in the final 250m to take home the win for Piper Konz, Egypt Strickland, Emiko Kubach, and Graciela Preetam. The quad had taken first in the time trials and would not be denied the back-to-back golds. Seniors Konz and Preetam will complete their high school rowing careers having medaled at Mid Atlantics and competing at Nationals in each of their four years. This will be the third time qualifying for juniors Strickland and Kubach, with Strickland medaling all three years and Kubach winning gold twice. This will be Strickland’s third year and Kubach’s second year competing at Nationals.

"Winning at Mid-Atlantics is quite difficult; doing so in back-to-back years is even more challenging. The results of the WV4X are a testament to the hard work and commitment that they have to each other. These four women embody what we are striving for at CRC," said Head Coach Aaron Preetam. "What is genuinely exciting is that they have just tapped into their speed, and how fast they can go is still unknown."

The Men’s Youth Quad pulled from a third place in time trials to a hard fought second in the finals, capturing silver for Graham Kokas, Rowan Arendt, Jackson Stoddard, and Hugo Rowbotham. This was the third medal at Mid Atlantics and will be the third trip to Nationals for stern pair Kokas and Arendt. Kokas previously captured silver in 2023 and gold in 2024 at Mid Atlantics, while Arendt previously won gold at Mid Atlantics in 2023 and 2025, and silver at his 2023 Nationals appearance. This was the first Mid Atlantics medal and will be the first Nationals appearance for bow pair Stoddard and Rowbotham who previously successfully competed in scholastic events.

The Men’s Second Varsity Quad defiantly held on in a nail biter final, winning gold by a margin of less than half a second for John Walish, Grant Goldfine, David Bauml, and Max Niescior. This was the fourth consecutive year of a gold medal for Walish at Mid Atlantics and will be his fourth appearance at Nationals, having won silver and gold there in 2023 and 2024 respectively. This is the second gold medal and third qualifying year for both Goldfine and Bauml, who will be making their second and third Nationals appearances respectively. This was Niescior’s first Mid Atlantics competition and will be his first trip to Nationals.

“The men’s quad races had some of the tightest finishes of the day, where a single seat could make the difference in gold and a few seconds could mean you medal or you go home,” said Coach Bill McNabb. “These young men started strong in their races to set their pace and sprinted hard in the final meters to not let anyone take it from them. They have the heart of winners and the drive to make it happen.”

The Women’s Second Varsity Quad won second with the team of Kiyoko Kubach, Madeline Nielson, Elsa Deitz and Eloise Goldfine, in their first ever appearance at Mid Atlantics. Kubach, Nielson, and Goldfine are still in their novice year, with Deitz having begun rowing last spring in scholastics.

“It’s incredible to see how far these ladies have come in such a short amount of time and it’s been truly exciting to help them figure out just how fast they can go, while watching them fully embrace and enjoy the process,” said Coach Aislinn O’Brien. “They still have quite a number of seconds they can squeeze out, so it’ll be fun working on maximizing their potential in these weeks leading up to Nationals.”

The next stop will be the USRowing Youth National Championships, taking place June 11 - 14 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida. This will be the final race for CRC’s seniors with long-time teammates competing for neighboring colleges next year: Graciela Preetam at George Washington University and Piper Konz at Georgetown University. Hugo Rowbotham will continue his pursuits at The University of Colorado Boulder.

“Graciela, Piper, and Hugo have had incredible rowing careers and they are first getting started,” said Hoffman. “CRC is committed to training world class rowers. They have the drive of champions.”

CRC’s Justin Schmidt won the US Rowing Lightweight Men’s Single Trials earlier this month at the US Rowing NSR/SSO World Championships Trial, with a time qualifying him to represent the United States at the Senior World Championship in Amsterdam this summer. CRC’s Claire Freelander won the Women’s Lightweight Single Trial but missed the time qualifier by just one second. CRC Junior Coach Aislinn O’Brien finished third in the event.

“Justin, Claire, and Aislinn bring the speed, skill, and style that make a difference on and off the water. “They are inspiring the next generation of rowers who get to see them train and benefit from their experience,” said Hoffman. “I am encouraged by the speed shown and look forward to continuing working with these CRC senior athletes this summer as they continue their pursuits in US Senior Team competitions.”

The Conshohocken Rowing Center Junior Competitive Race Team is composed of 16 rowers from across the region who were selected for their dedication, achievement, and performance on and off the water. The team is based in Conshohocken under the leadership of CRC Executive Director Craig Hoffman, Head Coach Aaron Preetam, and coaches Bill McNabb, Aislinn O’Brien, and Evie Holder who collectively bring more than 100 years of rowing expertise and mentorship to the program. For information, visit conshohockenrowingcenter.org.

--------------------------------------------EDITOR’S NOTE: Hometowns and Schools for CRC Juniors:

Rowan Arendt (16), Philadelphia, PA (Central High School ‘27)

David Bauml (16), Gladwyne, PA (Harriton High School ‘28)

Elsa Deitz (17), Bryn Mawr, PA (The Baldwin School ‘27)

Eloise Goldfine (13), Bryn Mawr, PA (Radnor Middle School, RHS ‘31)

Grant Goldfine (16), Bryn Mawr, PA (Radnor High School ‘28)

Graham Kokas (17), Bryn Mawr, PA (The Shipley School ‘27)

Piper Konz (17), Ambler, PA (Abington Friends School, ‘26)

Emiko Kubach (16), Wayne, PA (The Agnes Irwin School ‘27)

Kiyoko Kubach (15), Wayne, PA (The Agnes Irwin School ‘29)

Madeline Nielson (17), Gladwyne, PA (Harriton High School ‘27)

Max Niescior (16), Wynnewood, PA (Harriton High School ‘27)

Graciela Preetam (17), Philadelphia, PA (Germantown Friends School ‘26)

Hugo Rowbotham (18), Bryn Mawr, PA (Radnor High School ‘26)

Jackson Stoddard (17), Wyndmoor, PA (William Penn Charter School ‘27)

Egypt Strickland (17), King of Prussia, PA (Upper Merion High School ‘27)

John Walish (16), Wayne, PA (University Scholars Program, Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School ‘27)