Nereid Boat Club Shines at 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships

Submitted and Written by: Jennifer Zuch

Photo credits: Susan and James Sprayberry, Nereid Boat Club

Nereid Boat Club, a fixture on the Passaic River and a growing force in youth rowing, delivered strong performances at the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships. The prestigious event — undoubtedly the premier stage for junior rowing in the United States — drew more than 4,000 athletes from 230 clubs across the country.

Nereid sent a club-record 12 boats to the National Championship. This feat reflects not only the depth of the program but also its consistent excellence throughout the Spring season, as earning a spot at Nationals requires qualifying through Regional Championships.

Nereid Varsity Girls duking it out at the finish line

The Mid-Atlantic Region, where Nereid competes, is considered the most difficult region to compete and qualify in, with teams coming from as far south as Washington D.C. all the way up to Northern Jersey and Southern NY. Three of Nereid’s crews finished among the Top Six in the Nation, a remarkable accomplishment in the sport’s most elite category of rowers under the age of 19. Four of Nereid’s crews finished among the Top Six in the Nation, a remarkable accomplishment in the sport’s most elite category of rowers under the age of 19. Headlining the club’s performance was the Women’s Youth 4+, who finished 4th in the Country. Rowers Erin Kirby, Violet Lombardo, Ella Woroniecki, Piper Rosenberg, and coxswain Catherine Miguel-Rasteiro powered through the field to finish among the top crews in the Nation.

Nereid Varsity Boys are giving everything they've got in a very tight race

In the Men’s Youth 4x, Lukas Dolak, Max Bednarz, Nikola Antich, and Cameron Gennardo delivered one of the most dramatic races of the regatta. Finishing just fractions of a second behind 3rd and 4th place, the Nereid quad took 5th place, with all three crews crossing the line within ONE second of each other — a testament to their grit and determination.

Also demonstrating skill and talent was the Women’s Youth Quad featuring Julia Fila, Eliana Fanders, Olivia Mendelsohn and Emma Miguel-Rasteiro, as well as the Women’s Youth 2nd Varsity 4x, featuring Ava Swinton, Beatrix Boniface, Katelyn McNamara, and Maryam Ali, all of whom rowed to a strong 6th-place finish against an intensely competitive field. Adding to the club’s top-tier showing, 7 boats made it to the Grand Finals, and 10 boats finished in the Top 15 in the Nation, a significant accomplishment at a regatta where depth and competition are at an all-time high. This year’s event was described by USRowing as “four days of fierce racing, remarkable teamwork, and standout individual performances,” and Nereid’s rowers more than lived up to that billing.

Nereid Varsity Boys at Henley Royal Regatta

Shortly after Nationals, Nereid’s Men’s Youth 4x and Coach Zach Spitzer headed to England to compete in the famed Henley Royal Regatta on the scenic Thames River. Although Lukas Dolak, Max Bednarz, Nikola Antich, and Cameron Gennardo did not progress past the first round, they delivered what the preeminent rowing journal, Row2K, called one of the best races of the Regatta: “Hartpury College and the Nereid quad went out, but for Nereid it took what we thought was one of the best races of the day for Hartpury to prevail…. and it was a cracker of a race…, even if the boys from New Jersey found themselves on the wrong end of the result.” According to Coach Zach Spitzer, “While not the result we were looking for at Henley Royal Regatta, it is a testament to the Nereid program for our athletes to be able to compete with one of England's Top Rowing Teams all the way down the course. Henley is regarded as the hardest race in the world given its dual format, and we are confident the next time we attend, we will be able to take on the best and come out on top.”

Nereid’s results this season underscore the club’s continued rise as a fierce competitor and a training ground for some of the country’s most promising young athletes. With momentum heading into the fall and growing recognition on both national and international stages, the future looks bright for Rutherford’s rowing gem.