Another major regatta, another round of national championships for CHS rowers.
Nine Crusaders came home with gold medals competing for @rowbuffalo at last week's @usrowing RowFest National Championships in Oklahoma City.
Five CHS rowers were part of the first crew from Buffalo to win a national title in the sport's signature event as the Men's Youth 8+ roared to a dominating victory.
Stroke Liam Feeney '25, Isaiah Aljuwani '25 (7 seat), Max Burget '24 (2 seat), bow James Dodman '24 and coxswain Noah Rajacki '25 were part of a crew that finished in 6:06.87, an eye-popping 12.39 seconds ahead of the defending national champion, the Pennsylvania Athletic Club Rowing Association.
Row Buffalo, coached by R.J. Rubino '09, said the margin of victory is the largest on record for the Men's Youth 8+ event.
The same crew raced two days prior in the U23 Men's 8+ category, finishing second only to Mendota Rowing Club crew that consisted of the University of Wisconsin's Varsity 8+ rowers.
In the event immediately following the eight's big win, four more Crusader rowers earned gold for @rowbuffalo by defending its title in the Men's U17 4+ event: stroke Ethan Pirigyi '26, Oliver Reynolds '26 (3 seat), Brodie Vitko '27 (2 seat) and bow Von Kramer '27 were led by coxswain Bianca Ficorilli, a rising junior at Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. The Row Buffalo team held off hometown crew OKC Rivesport by 1.05 seconds.
Feeney and Aljuwani won the pair at the USRowing Youth Nationals earlier this year, while Dodman and Burget were second.
RowFest, a weeklong event that saw nearly 2,000 athletes and 105 clubs compete in 356 events, saw 24 national titles awarded Under-17 and youth events – with @rowbuffalo coming home with five titles. Among those were two women's events featuring Sophia Pirigyi, Ethan's older sister, who is a City Honors graduate who is entering her sophomore year with the University of Minnesota rowing team.
RowBuffalo has continued to train out of the Buffalo Scholastic Rowing Association's Patrick Paladino Memorial Boathouse – which is also the home of CHS Rowing – as it prepares for the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta held in St. Catherines, Ontario from July 29-Aug. 4.
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.
#amdg #gocrusaders #pursueexcellence
