After an exciting week at Youth Nationals, where seniors Emmett Infante (Mountain Lakes 21’) and Wilson Morton (Delbarton 21’) earned  a silver medal in the Mens 8+, these teammates stayed behind in Sarasota, FL to get a little more rowing in.  Switching gears, joining 140 U19 athletes from across the country, Emmett and Wil became pair partners to compete  in the time trials for the Junior National Team.  

After a few practice sessions and looming bad Florida weather, Emmett and Wil gave it their all to take first in the time trials.  Despite the bad weather and racing delays, the skies cleared and  Emmett and Wil took to the course at Nathan Benderson once again.  Coach Rob described the finals as “one more final barnburner—trailing most of the race before pulling ahead at the end to cross the lines first over entries from the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and West Coast regions.”

An incredible last 200 meters, with a photo finish worthy .12th of a second ahead of the pair from PNRA/Mercer, these Row New Jersey athletes earned the bid to represent the United States in the Under 19 Mens 2- competing in the 2021 World Rowing Junior Championships , Plovdiv, Bulgaria this August.  

Earning the title as the first Row New Jersey team members in program history to make the Junior National Team,  Emmett and Wilson will head to Chula Vista, California to train for the next few weeks before heading to Bulgaria in August.

Row New Jersey s a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation located on Lake Hopatcong. It is devoted to developing the strength, character, and confidence of middle school and high school students as well as masters rowers, through the discipline and teamwork of rowing. Rowers and Coxswains come from multiple communities including Summit, Basking Ridge, Boonton, Budd Lake, Califon, Chester, East Hanover, Far Hills, Hackettstown, Hopatcong, Kinnelon, Madison, Mendham, Morristown, Mountain Lakes, Oak Ridge, Randolph, and Roxbury. To learn more about Row New Jersey and  the sport of rowing  contact Rowing Director, Robert Welsh rwelsh@rownj.org or visit www.rownj.org.