Montclair HS Rowing Champs Commit To Prestigious Colleges

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Montclair High School Rowing Team. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The Montclair High School Rowing Team is proud to announce its exceptional 2025 recruiting class, continuing a long tradition of preparing student-athletes for success at the most prestigious academic institutions and rowing programs in the world. This year, five outstanding athletes have committed to renowned universities, with more expected to finalize their commitments before the end of the school year:

• Avril Callanan – Columbia University
• Maddie Young – Brown University
• Olive Sterry – Smith College
• Olivia Langton – Tufts University
• Sonia Haynes – Tufts University

These athletes embody the commitment to excellence and teamwork that has defined Montclair High School Rowing for over two decades.

A Legacy of Excellence

The Montclair High School Rowing Team is a vibrant and diverse group of Men’s and Women’s Freshman, JV, and Varsity athletes from Montclair High School in New Jersey.

Representing a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, the team reflects the community it serves and thrives on its inclusive culture, which values both individual growth and collective success.

Regarded as the most successful rowing programs in New Jersey and one of the most competitive public high school rowing programs in the nation, Montclair High School Rowing stands out in a landscape often dominated by private clubs and prep schools. The

team’s diversity, dedication, and tradition of success have established it as a powerhouse on the national and international rowing stage.

Founded in 2002 by a visionary parent, Montclair Rowing has grown from a small group of two dozen students into an internationally recognized, co-ed program with over 80 student athletes. Under the leadership of the highly accomplished, international coaching duo Jeremy Michalitsianos and Lorna Rundle, the team consistently competes at the highest levels, appearing regularly at prestigious regattas around the country.

Achievements and Accolades

Montclair Rowing’s record speaks for itself, with 69 New Jersey State Championships, 13 Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) Championships, and 24 Championship titles at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the world’s largest high school regatta. The team has also consistently excelled at the Head of the Charles, US Rowing’s Youth National Championships and reached the semi-finals at the esteemed Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames in the United Kingdom.

In their most recent season, the team claimed New Jersey State, Mid-Atlantic Youth, and Philadelphia City Championships, while also earning podium finishes at Stotesbury, SRAAs, and achieving a program-best result at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.

As they prepare for their spring season, Montclair Rowing has already made a powerful statement with a remarkable performance at the Don Bosco Ironman Ergathon last weekend. Competing against 30 rowing teams and over 500 participants, the Mounties swept the Women’s Open category, securing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishes.

Additionally, they earned 1st and 3rd place finishes in the Lightweight category and 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Coxswain category.

World-Class Coaching

Montclair Rowing benefits from the expertise of Head Coaches Jeremy Michalitsianos and Lorna Rundle, both former members of the Great Britain National Team. Their international experience and leadership approach have elevated the program to its current stature. Jeremy, a second-generation coach, draws inspiration from his father, Panagis Michalitsianos, who coached the 1992 Great Britain Olympic Team and served as Assistant Coach at Cambridge University Boat Club.

Recruiting the Best, Year After Year

Each year, Montclair athletes are recruited to row for prestigious universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Cornell, Stanford, UC Berkeley, MIT, Georgetown, Tufts, the US Naval Academy, and Northeastern, among many others. This year’s recruits continue this proud tradition, demonstrating the program’s ability to prepare athletes for success at the collegiate and professional levels.

Youth Programs

In addition to its high school program, Montclair Rowing offers a Middle School Program that introduces younger students to the sport, fostering a lifelong passion for rowing within the Montclair public school community. The team also co-hosts the annual Overpeck Fall Classic, a premier regatta attracting over 1,000 competitors from across the East Coast.

As the Montclair High School Rowing Team celebrates its 2025 recruits and prepares for the upcoming season, it remains committed to its mission of excellence, integrity, and inclusivity in the sport of rowing.

For more information or to be a part of Montclair’s championship rowing program, please contact Coach Lorna Rundle, lornarundle@hotmail.com.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.