June 12, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - Four Aztec rowing signees competed in the 2017 US Rowing Youth National Championships over the weekend at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., where two freshmen recruits medaled in events.
Incoming freshman Hannah Broadland served as the coxswain for the Capital Crew that won the national championship in the women’s youth four final in 7:10.774. A native of Rancho Cordova, Calif., Broadland rowed all four years of high school as Rio American HS’s coxswain. As a member of the Capital Crew Junior Rowing Program, she also served as the coxswain for the Capital Crew junior varsity eight team that placed third at the 2016 USRowing Southwest Youth Championships. Part of the Row West Racing Camp in summer 2016, she raced in the intermediate eight, intermediate coxed four, and U-19 coxed four at the 2016 USRowing Club National Championships.
Maire Shannon Malloy stroked the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club to a second place finish in the women’s youth eight final, recording a 6:31.927 finish. Originally from Fort Mitchell, Ky., Malloy started rowing in the fall of her freshman year and has made the finals at the USRowing Youth National Championships in in all four years of high school, medaling her junior and senior years. Malloy also helped the CJRC’s varsity eight take home a silver medal at the 2016 USRowing Youth National Championships. In 2015, Malloy rowed in the CJRC youth four with coxswain that placed sixth at Youth National Championships and in 2014 rowed in the CJRC lightweight eight that placed fourth at Youth National Championships.
Kaytlin Barker, representing Upper Natoma Rowing Club, placed sixth in the youth double in 7:48.264. Barker, who began rowing during her freshman year of high school, has seen continued success with her crew at UNRC. Barker was selected for the 2016 USRowing Junior Women High Performance Team. At the 2016 USRowing Club National Championships, she raced in the intermediate eight, U-19 eight, U-19 coxed four, and U-19 pair, where she won a bronze medal in the U-19 eight and placed fifth in the intermediate eight. Barker rowed in the UNRC’s varsity four at the 2015 USRowing Southwest Youth Championships, where her crew won the event and went on to place second at the 2015 USRowing Youth National Championships. She also raced in the UNRC’s varsity quad and varsity double at the 2016 USRowing Southwest Youth Championships.
Ariana Thomas, a bow from the Capital Crew’s second varsity eight boat, finished tenth in the youth eight final in 6:38.100. Thomas started rowing in the fall of eighth grade and rowed in the Capital Crew’s third varsity eight last year, placing first at the 2016 USRowing Southwest Youth Championships.
Nathan Benderson Park also served as the host site of the 2017 American Athletic Conference Championships, where the Aztecs logged third place finishes in the second varsity four and varsity four, as well as a fourth in the second varsity eight, fifth in the varsity eight and a team finish of fourth in the conference. Nathan Benderson Park is set to host the 2017 World Rowing Championships and next year, the 2018 NCAA Championships.