CHS Rowing raced at the 60th Head of the Charles Regatta, the premier global rowing event and spectacle in Boston, and left with the Crusaders' best youth eight performance in a decade.

The largest regatta in the world brings together athletes from all areas of the sport, from junior rowing to alumni to masters competition to championship level racing featuring world and Olympic champions.

The Men's Youth Eight, steered by coxswain Joey Castiglione '27 and manned by Ethan Pirigyi '26, Oliver Reynolds '26, Brodie Vitko '27, Von Kramer '27, Zach Bialkowski '27, Patrick Basil '26, Zack Benczkowski '26, and Stanislav Ryskin '27, completed the 3-mile course in 15:20, finishing 26th out of the 86-boat field, which is an eight-spot improvement over the 2024 finish and the program's best placement since 2015. The event was won by British powerhouse St. Paul's School. 

"It was a good run down the tracks and it's positive to keep improving year over year, and there's a fair amount we must keep improving upon, but overall, I'm pleased," said head coach Jacob Filby '14. "Our campaign aims to peak in May and June, and this is a productive first marker to put down to establish who we are now and sets us up for who we want to be when we line up against many of these teams again to compete for national titles."

Last year, Canisius' eight won national championships at the Scholastic Rowing Association of America regatta as well as the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association championships.  

The CHS Under-17 Four, composed entirely of second-year oarsmen, finished 18th in a 30-boat field. Linden Serbinowski '27 stroked the crew and was supported by Elliot Embow '28, Colin Harper '28, Eli Feuerstein '28 and coxswain Andrew Harris '28.

The Crusader coaching staff also competed, with assistant coach Andrew Skakal '21 racing in the Alumni Eights category with his alma mater Saint Joseph's University, while coach Filby coxed the winning Women's Senior Master Four with his teammates from Island Racing Team of New Haven, Conn.

The Crusaders finish off their fall racing slate at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia on Oct. 26. 

Students and families interested in CHS Rowing and the excellence only found in a Jesuit education at Canisius – ranked as the Buffalo area's "Best Catholic School" by Niche.com – can learn more by scheduling an on-campus experience at cansiushigh.org/visit

This place is special. Let us show you why.

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