Photo by: row2k
Big Green Enjoy Success at U23 World Championship
9/2/2024 12:45:00 PM | Women's Rowing, Athletics, Men's Heavyweight Rowing, Men's Lightweight Rowing
HANOVER, N.H. - The Dartmouth rowing programs had five student-athletes compete in the under 23 World Championships that took place in Canada in late August.
Among the competitors were Áine Ley '25, Miles Hudgins '25, Julian Thomas '25, Sammy Houdaigui '25, and James Frederikson '27.
Four Big Green athletes represented the U.S. and one represented Australia on the world stage.
Not only were Dartmouth athletes represented the Big Green but head coaches of the women's and lightweight programs John Graves, and Trevor Michelson were also there as U.S. coaches.
On the women's side, Ley sat in the four-seat in the 8+ and won silver with a time of 6.08.34 in the finals. Ley and the rest of the boat beat Germany (3), Australia (4), Romania (5), and Italy (6).
"Racing at the World Championships this summer was an incredible experience, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to represent my country," said Ley
"I was so proud to represent Dartmouth on the world stage, and medaling was super rewarding after many years of hard work. The whole experience training and racing with the team has added so much to my love of the sport, and I'm so excited to get back to training this fall! I also couldn't have done it without the support of my amazing Dartmouth coaches!"
"It was very emotional watching Áine receive her medal amongst the best U23 rowers in the world," said Dartmouth's head women's rowing coach John Graves.
"She made the decision to train at an elite level this year and has been unwavering in her commitment to getting faster — it is truly special to see all her work pay off this summer. I know I speak for the rest of our team when I say we are so proud of her and can't wait to get back to work with her in a few weeks."
In the men's 4+, Hudgins earned gold with a time of 6.15.55. The U.S. team beat Italy (2), France (3), Australia (4) and Germany (5) in the final.
"It was overall a joy to race at worlds. Having the camp in Hanover with so many Dartmouth people on the staff made camp fun to experience as a Dartmouth athlete," said Hudgins.
"I felt like we showed athletes from other schools what it's like up here. We were able to perform at a high level every day, which is a credit to the systems we have in place here that support high performance. Bringing home a medal made the experience so much better, but the process of earning the hardware was equally rewarding."
Thomas and Houdaigui won silver in the men's 8+ with a time of 5:27.50 in the final. Thomas sitting in the six-seat, and Houdaigui leading the boat as the coxswain, beat Australia (3), Canada (4), Romania (5), and Germany (6).
"Having the chance to represent Team USA and Dartmouth is the honor of my life.," said Houdaigui. "This was my third world champs and going into selection my goal was to make the eight and medal. With the selection camp being at Dartmouth, you take on the extra pressure of representing your community on the world stage. I'm only in this position because of our coaches at Dartmouth: Coach Trevor and Coach Wyatt Allen. The fact that Dartmouth sends so many kids to the national team isn't normal; it's a testament to our coaches and the cultures they have shaped."
Sitting at the bow and representing Australia, Frederikson finished third in the final at 5:29.43 to win bronze.
"It felt amazing to represent Australia on the world stage and to be able to race my fellow Dartmouth teammates who were representing the U.S. in the men's eight," said Frederikson.
"I can't wait to return to training with the Dartmouth team and use what I learned with the national team to help us go faster this year. It was great to see Dartmouth so well represented at worlds this year and I hope we can get even more athletes racing at the 2025 World Championships next year."
Michelson, who coached the U.S. men's four, shared insight into the selection process.
"After an intense selection process that lasted nearly three weeks, the lineup that emerged from camp consistently showed signs that we would be able to compete with any crew that showed up at the World Championships," he said.
"The four had their best pieces of the summer three days before racing began, on the course in Canada, and after a commanding victory in the preliminary race, the guys had confidence they could win."
Michelson shared insight into a conversation with his boat before the final.
"We talked about taking control of the race at the halfway mark and shutting the door on the competition, regardless of how far ahead or behind we might be," he said. "In the final, they did just that, taking the lead a few hundred meters into the race, and walking away from the field through the third five hundred. Watching Diggons, Miles, Braden, Bessler, and Iliad stand at the top of the podium, gold medals hanging from their necks, singing along to the national anthem, is a moment I'll never forget."
It was one of many rewarding moments for Big Green at the world championship regatta.
"It's always great to see Dartmouth rowers representing the program on the world stage, and to see them winning medals is especially gratifying," said Wyatt Allen, Betsy and Mark Gates 1959 Head Coach of Men's Heavyweight Rowing.
"We've consistently been one of the most well-represented programs on the U.S. U23 teams over the past few years, as well as having several international student-athletes representing their home countries over the past two years. This is a point of pride for us and a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes and the development happening in our boathouse."
The incoming class was also competing on the world stage this summer. Kyle Fox '28 competed in the under 19 World Championships. Fox represented the U.S. and captured the silver just two seconds behind Great Britain.
Representing Canada, Lucas Maroney '28 competed in the Junior World Championship and placed fifth.
Dimitria Papaioannou '28 represented Greece and won silver in the Junior Pair at the Junior World Championships.
Among the competitors were Áine Ley '25, Miles Hudgins '25, Julian Thomas '25, Sammy Houdaigui '25, and James Frederikson '27.
Four Big Green athletes represented the U.S. and one represented Australia on the world stage.
Not only were Dartmouth athletes represented the Big Green but head coaches of the women's and lightweight programs John Graves, and Trevor Michelson were also there as U.S. coaches.
On the women's side, Ley sat in the four-seat in the 8+ and won silver with a time of 6.08.34 in the finals. Ley and the rest of the boat beat Germany (3), Australia (4), Romania (5), and Italy (6).
"Racing at the World Championships this summer was an incredible experience, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to represent my country," said Ley
"I was so proud to represent Dartmouth on the world stage, and medaling was super rewarding after many years of hard work. The whole experience training and racing with the team has added so much to my love of the sport, and I'm so excited to get back to training this fall! I also couldn't have done it without the support of my amazing Dartmouth coaches!"
"It was very emotional watching Áine receive her medal amongst the best U23 rowers in the world," said Dartmouth's head women's rowing coach John Graves.
"She made the decision to train at an elite level this year and has been unwavering in her commitment to getting faster — it is truly special to see all her work pay off this summer. I know I speak for the rest of our team when I say we are so proud of her and can't wait to get back to work with her in a few weeks."
In the men's 4+, Hudgins earned gold with a time of 6.15.55. The U.S. team beat Italy (2), France (3), Australia (4) and Germany (5) in the final.
"It was overall a joy to race at worlds. Having the camp in Hanover with so many Dartmouth people on the staff made camp fun to experience as a Dartmouth athlete," said Hudgins.
"I felt like we showed athletes from other schools what it's like up here. We were able to perform at a high level every day, which is a credit to the systems we have in place here that support high performance. Bringing home a medal made the experience so much better, but the process of earning the hardware was equally rewarding."
Thomas and Houdaigui won silver in the men's 8+ with a time of 5:27.50 in the final. Thomas sitting in the six-seat, and Houdaigui leading the boat as the coxswain, beat Australia (3), Canada (4), Romania (5), and Germany (6).
"Having the chance to represent Team USA and Dartmouth is the honor of my life.," said Houdaigui. "This was my third world champs and going into selection my goal was to make the eight and medal. With the selection camp being at Dartmouth, you take on the extra pressure of representing your community on the world stage. I'm only in this position because of our coaches at Dartmouth: Coach Trevor and Coach Wyatt Allen. The fact that Dartmouth sends so many kids to the national team isn't normal; it's a testament to our coaches and the cultures they have shaped."
Sitting at the bow and representing Australia, Frederikson finished third in the final at 5:29.43 to win bronze.
"It felt amazing to represent Australia on the world stage and to be able to race my fellow Dartmouth teammates who were representing the U.S. in the men's eight," said Frederikson.
"I can't wait to return to training with the Dartmouth team and use what I learned with the national team to help us go faster this year. It was great to see Dartmouth so well represented at worlds this year and I hope we can get even more athletes racing at the 2025 World Championships next year."
Michelson, who coached the U.S. men's four, shared insight into the selection process.
"After an intense selection process that lasted nearly three weeks, the lineup that emerged from camp consistently showed signs that we would be able to compete with any crew that showed up at the World Championships," he said.
"The four had their best pieces of the summer three days before racing began, on the course in Canada, and after a commanding victory in the preliminary race, the guys had confidence they could win."
Michelson shared insight into a conversation with his boat before the final.
"We talked about taking control of the race at the halfway mark and shutting the door on the competition, regardless of how far ahead or behind we might be," he said. "In the final, they did just that, taking the lead a few hundred meters into the race, and walking away from the field through the third five hundred. Watching Diggons, Miles, Braden, Bessler, and Iliad stand at the top of the podium, gold medals hanging from their necks, singing along to the national anthem, is a moment I'll never forget."
It was one of many rewarding moments for Big Green at the world championship regatta.
"It's always great to see Dartmouth rowers representing the program on the world stage, and to see them winning medals is especially gratifying," said Wyatt Allen, Betsy and Mark Gates 1959 Head Coach of Men's Heavyweight Rowing.
"We've consistently been one of the most well-represented programs on the U.S. U23 teams over the past few years, as well as having several international student-athletes representing their home countries over the past two years. This is a point of pride for us and a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes and the development happening in our boathouse."
The incoming class was also competing on the world stage this summer. Kyle Fox '28 competed in the under 19 World Championships. Fox represented the U.S. and captured the silver just two seconds behind Great Britain.
Representing Canada, Lucas Maroney '28 competed in the Junior World Championship and placed fifth.
Dimitria Papaioannou '28 represented Greece and won silver in the Junior Pair at the Junior World Championships.
Players Mentioned
Rower
/ Men's Heavyweight Rowing
Coxswain
/ Men's Heavyweight Rowing
Rower
/ Men's Heavyweight Rowing
Rower
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