Three finals. Three medals. Including a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
 
CHS starred on Sunday at the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Fla., as three crews all won medals in dramatic fashion to make CHS Rowing history.
 
Three rowers earned two medals each as they took to the Nathan Benderson Park course in races just 90 minutes apart.
 
It is the fifth national title for CHS Rowing and marks the second straight year that CHS has won multiple medals at the Youth National Championships. It is the first year that CHS has won three.
 
Liam Feeney '25 and Isaiah Aljuwani '25 won a national championship in the Men's Youth Pair, with Max Burget '24 and James Dodman '24 taking silver.
 
In the Men's Youth Four, Dodman, Feeney, Burget and Peter Cross '24 used a strong finish to take third and earn the bronze medal.
 
"We achieved every major goal that I felt was within reach at the start of the year," head coach Jacob Filby '14 said as he concluded an impressive first year as coach. "Qualifying the Eight and medaling in the Four at the Head of the Charles, taking two Varsity Eights to the Grand Final at the Scholastic Championships, being on the podium at the Canadian Championships, and the team's hard work culminated with winning three medals at the Youth Nationals.
 
"It is an amazing testament to the athletes who represent all the values espoused by Canisius. Every single member of the team, from the newest novice up to the senior captains, played a vital role in what we did this weekend."
 
In the pair, Canisius' two crews faced an early challenge from a seasoned duo from Montclair H.S. (N.J.) which posted the top times of the preliminary rounds in the 25-boat field and led most of the race.
 
As the race reached the final 500 of 2,000 meters, the two Canisius crews surged, with Feeney and Aljuwani appearing on their way to take the lead when the Montclair made an error that resulted in its boat flipping over in the water (no one was injured).
 
Feeney and Aljuwani finished in 7:00.49, with Burget and Dodman at 7:03.07; Burget and Dodman were nearly two seconds better than third-place First Coast Rowing Club of Jacksonville, Fla.
 
The Men's Youth Pair race began at 7:48 a.m.; Dodman, Feeney and Burget then prepared for the 9:18 a.m. Men's Youth Four for a championship race of the best eight boats from what was a 30-boat field of competitors hailing from coast to coast.
 
CHS was in the top five for much of the race but did not appear to be in medal position until a rousing finishing performance, as Canisius surpassed challengers to take bronze, finishing 0.08 seconds ahead of Northville Rowing Club of Michigan.
 
It is the second straight year that Feeney and Aljuwani have won gold as they were part of last year's Under-17 Four; it is also the second straight year of medals for Burget and Dodman, who won bronze last year in the Youth Pair.
 
Canisius' previous USRowing Youth National titles: Lightweight Eight (2006, 2007), Lightweight Four (2019), Under-17 Four (2023).
 
The U16 4x team comprised of Brodie Vitko '27, Von Kramer '27, Stanislav Ryskin '27, Joshua Epstein '27 and Joseph Castiglione '27, which missed out on becoming one of the 16 semifinalists by one one-hundreth of a second, finished fourth in the C final on Saturday.
 
Young athletes looking to start a rewarding career in this great sport or hone their rowing skills can do so during our "Best. Summer. Ever." camps via canisiushigh.org/bestsummerever
 
Families interested in the decades-long winning tradition of CHS Rowing and the excellence only found in a Jesuit education at Canisius can arrange an on-campus experience via canisiushigh.org/visit
 
This place is special. Let us show you why.
 
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