World U-23 recaps courtesy of USRowing.Org ...
PRINCETON, N.J. - The USRowing organization announced its recipients of the 2021 Under-23 National Team Athletes of the Year on Wednesday and the Navy rowing program took center stage with the duo of
Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson (USNA '21) and
Griffin Dunne ('22) earning the honor of Female Athlete of the Year and co-Male Athlete of the Year for their efforts at the 2021 World Rowing Under-23 Championships this past July.
Selected by the athletes and coaches of the team that competed at the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Racice, Czech Republic, Vallancey-Martinson, Dunne, and Gus Rodriguez, the second Male Athlete of the Year, will be honored during the USRowing Annual Convention, which will be held virtually this year from December 6-11.
A first-time national team member, Vallancey-Martinson won two medals at the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Sitting in the seventh seat, Vallancey-Martinson helped the women's eight win the gold medal by nearly four seconds over The Netherlands. The crew took the lead in the second quarter of the race before dominating the field over the final 1,000 meters. Just a few hours earlier, Vallancey-Martinson and three of her teammates had claimed the silver medal in the women's four.
"I'm super grateful to be considered for this award. I know I wouldn't be here without the support from my teammates and coaches these past few years," said Vallancey-Martinson. "I'm incredibly thankful for having the opportunity to row and train with top athletes from around the country this summer. It was an awesome experience and so much fun to be able to race with my teammates and win some hardware in Racice."
Vallancey-Martinson, the Naval Academy's 2021 VADM Lawrence Sword for Women recipient, was a standout throughout her four years competing with the Mids. Walking onto the team during plebe summer, she immediately earned her way into a seat with the team's first varsity eight boat. As a result of her efforts and Navy's team success, Vallancey-Martinson was selected to the CRCA All-America Second Team in each of her first two seasons, 2018 and 2019. As a senior in 2021, she was named to the CRCA All-America First Team. Thriving both individually and in a team setting, Vallancey-Martinson helped the Mids win Patriot League Championships and subsequently appear in the NCAA Championship in all three years that the events were held; 2018, 2019 and 2021. In addition to her success representing Navy on the national stage, she was selected to participate in the United States' entry in the 2019 King's Cup event at the Henley Royal Regatta, where the Americans held off strong performances from across the international field and won first place.
"I'm so happy for Alexandria and Griffin," remarked
Joe Schlosberg, head coach of the Navy women's rowing program. "To have a male and female winner come from Hubbard Hall is such a wonderful accomplishment. For Alexandria, it really speaks for all of the hard work she has put in over the years and the tremendous love she has for this sport."
Dunne and Rodriguez were boatmates in the men's eight that won the silver medal, just missing gold by two-tenths of a second. A national team rookie, Dunne sat in the sixth seat, while Rodriguez, who previously raced on the under 19 national team, stroked the boat. Dunne, Rodriquez and their boatmates waged a tight race with Great Britain and Germany over the final 1,000 meters, with the British crew edging its bow-ball ahead in the final few strokes.
"I am so very humbled to share the U-23 Athlete of the Year with Gus," Dunne said. "To have been voted for this by our teammates is incredible, and I will work every day to be deserving of this great honor. The whole U-23 process last year was such a great experience. When the times were tough, I could count on all my teammates to keep me focused on what we were training for. From selection to training to racing in Racice, I grew very close with the people on the team and know they will be some of my dearest friends for life. GO USA!"
Over Dunne's first three-plus seasons in Annapolis, the Illinois native has been a staple in Navy's first varsity eight boat. After the COVID-19 pandemic sideline his sophomore season in 2020, Dunne was honored in June as an IRCA Second Team All-American. Rowing in the core of the Mids' first varsity from the fifth seat, Dunne and his V8 teammates earned victories this spring over No. 13 George Washington, No. 14 Drexel, R/V Saint Joseph's and Jacksonville and were edged by 0.8 seconds in a near photo finish with No. 7 Boston University on April 25. At the IRA National Championships in late May in West Windsor, N.J., Navy raced its way into the petite final and placed tenth overall in the nation with a time of 6:19.289. Earlier in his career, Dunne competed at the prestigious 2019 Henley Royal Regatta as a member of the United States' mixed gender King's Cup crew that finished first in the world.
