Several current, former UVA rowers competing on international stage

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

University of Virginia rowers Lauren Benedict and Kate Kelly will compete for the United States at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Varese, Italy, USRowing announced this week.

Benedict and Kelly will represent UVA in the five-day regatta, held July 25-30. Benedict will compete in the women’s squad, while Kelly will compete in the women’s four.

Benedict and Kelly were part of the ACC champion Varsity Eight, which was also named ACC Crew of the Year. The duo helped the UVA Varsity Eight to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

The World Rowing Under 23 Championships is the premier event for rowers under the age of 23 and offers a total of 22 events. The other 15 U.S. boats were selected at the 2022 USRowing Under 23 National Team Trials in Sarasota in June.

In addition, four incoming UVA rowers will compete at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships held July 27-31, also in Varese.

Cillian Mullen (women’s quad), Elsa Hartman (women’s four) and Sarah Bradford (women’s eight) will represent the United States, while Riley Richardson (women’s four) will represent Canada. Mullen, Hartman, Bradford and Richardson are part of UVA’s prestigious 20-member recruiting class for the fall of 2022.

The World Rowing Under 19 Championships is the premier event for rowers under the age of 19 and offers a total of 14 events.

Long claims gold at World Rowing Cup III

Former Virginia standout Heidi Long (Class of 2019) captured a gold medal for Great Britain on Sunday at the 2022 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Long and the Great Britain women’s four posted a world-best time of 6:18.64 to top runner-up Romania (6:24.65).

UVA alum Morgan Rosts (Class of 2018) helped Canada (6:08.09) to a silver medal in the women’s eight. Australia won the event with a time of 6:06.51.

Cavalier senior Leia Till placed sixth with partner Maya Meschkuleit in the women’s pair for Canada.

“It is really awesome to see Heidi win gold in a world-best time, Morgan’s silver and Leia making the final as an undergrad,” Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer said.

Full results for the World Rowing Cup III are posted online at worldrowing.com.