Aussies impress at 2025 IRA and NCAA Rowing Championships

Australian athletes stood tall on the international collegiate stage this past weekend, with standout performances across the 2025 IRA National Championships and 2025 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships.

At the IRAs, two-time World Rowing Under 23 Champion Nick Dunlop coxed the University of Washington’s Varsity Eight to a dominant win, while Ben Scott delivered a powerful rhythm in the stroke seat for Harvard’s second-place finish.

Several members of last year’s Bronze medal winning Australian Under 23 Men’s Coxed Eight featured prominently across the IRA’s.

On the men’s side, Alex Baroni, Harry Manton, Scott and Jeremy Beale all delivered strong performances, continuing their upward trajectory from U23 representation to the top ranks of collegiate rowing.

They were joined by Angus Dawson, a dual Olympian from Tokyo and Paris, who brought experience and power to the Cal Berkeley Varsity Eight.

“The performances from our Aussie men across the IRA Championships were outstanding,” Rowing Australia Pathways Transitions Manager John Bowes said.  

“To see athletes like Nick Dunlop and Ben Scott leading two of the top Varsity Eights in the country speaks to the depth of talent we’re developing and the strength of our pathways program.

“These athletes are not only making their mark on the collegiate scene but are now transitioning into international racing with confidence.”

Across Harvard, Cal Berkeley, Yale, Princeton and Boston University, Australian athletes contributed to podiums and top-10 results in almost every boat division.

On the women’s side at the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships, Sarah Marriott (Stanford) won Silver in the Varsity Eight, while Jessica Colbran, Lucy Searle, Imogen Grey and Lucy McFarlane helped the University of Texas secure Bronze.

Other standout results included Olivia Cook and Olenka Moran placing fifth in the Varsity Four for Rutgers, and Sophie Houston (University of Washington), who is part of the Australia A program, finishing fifth in the Varsity Eight 

Last year’s U23 Women’s Eight was well represented, with Marriott, Katherine Easton, Star Rose Miller, Sophie Ward and Searle all contesting key boat classes.

Grey, a two-time Under 19 Australian representative, also impressed in Texas’ Bronze medal winning Varsity Eight.

“We’re incredibly proud of the Australian women who lined up at the NCAA Championships,” Rowing Australia National TID and US-Based Women’s Lead Coach Hally Chapman said.

“From Sarah Marriott’s Silver medal in the Varsity Eight to strong showings across multiple divisions, their results reflect not just elite performance but also the commitment these athletes have to growing within the US system and staying connected to the green and gold.

“It’s an exciting time for our women’s pathway.”

In total, more than 50 Australian athletes competed across both events, showcasing the depth and strength of the nation's overseas-based rowing talent.

Many of these athletes will now regroup and head to Varese, Italy for the World Rowing Cup and Henley Tour, where they’ll represent Australia A on the European circuit.

Most will also converge in Princeton from June 13-18 for the Under 23 Coxed Eight trials, a crucial step toward U23 World Championship selection.

Australian Representatives at the 2025 IRA National Championships

Varsity Eight
Gold – University of Washington (Nick Dunlop – AUS A)

Silver – Harvard University (Ben Scott)

Fourth – Princeton University (Patrick Long – AUS A, Patrick Shaw, Daniel Cashman)

7th – Cal Berkeley (Angus Dawson OLY, Harry Manton – AUS A)

11th – Yale University (Alexander McLean – AUS A, Marcus Emmett – AUS A)

18th – Temple University (Angus Tremlett)

Second Varsity Eight

Bronze – Cal Berkeley (Alex Baroni – AUS A, Jeremy Beale, Tom Heerding)

10th – Dartmouth College (James Isles, James Fredrikson)

12th – Boston University (Billy Sanders, Nixon Murray)

Third Varsity Eight
Gold – Harvard University (Lachlan Roach)

Bronze – Cal Berkeley (Rory Menzies)

4th – Yale University (Tane Potts, Magnus Randall, Max Jerimejnko)

12th – Boston University (Ambrose Hennersay, Sam Speed)

Varsity Coxed Four

Silver - Harvard University (Ryan Cornelius, George Burney) 

Third – Cal Berkeley (Marcus Cameron, James O'Meara)

12th - Drexel University (Kyle Brown)

Australian Representatives at the 2025 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships

Varsity Eight
Silver – Stanford University (Sarah Marriott)

Bronze – University of Texas (Lucy Searle, Imogen Grey, Lucy McFarlane)

4th – University of Tennessee (Thea Coull)

5th – University of Washington (Sophie Houston – AUS A)

6th – Brown University (Summer Balla Kellett)

10th – University of California, Berkeley (Star Rose Miller)

12th – University of Michigan (Katherine Easton – AUS A)

13th – Syracuse University (Aphrodite [Ruby] Gioulekas)

17th – University of Pennsylvania (Jemima Wilcox)

Second Varsity Eight
4th – University of Texas (Phoebe Robinson)

5th – Yale University (Lily Eales)

7th - Tennessee (Hannah Richardson )

9th – University of Michigan (Zara Bongiorno, Deana Macolino)

10th – Harvard University (Alex Smits)

11th – Cal Berkeley (Sophie Ward)

12th – Syracuse University (Rosie Turnbull, Minaya Bishop)

14th – University of Central Florida (Natasjia Voulanas, Sofia Scott)

7th – University of Tennessee (Hannah Richardson)

Varsity Coxed Four
Bronze – University of Texas (Jessica Colbran)

4th – Yale University (Lucy Richardson)

5th – Rutgers University (Olivia Cook, Olenka Moran)

10th – University of Michigan (Leija Murphy)

13th – University of Central Florida (Amber Tulloch)