The American Collegiate Presence on an International Stage

From Tuesday June 30^th till Sunday July 5^th, the banks of the River Thames bustled with excitement. The annual Henley Royal Regatta was well underway with thousands of attendees ranging from loyal spectators, top international rowers, local English crews, and American collegiate teams.

Many English clubs and crews have long established legacies of competition and ultimate success at the infamous event. The first American collegiate crew, from Columbia College, made its debut in 1878, almost forty years after the original founding date of the competition. It was not until 1990 with the introduction of the Temple Challenge Cup that the American collegiate presence at Henley began to notably shift. Now, in 2026, there is undoubtedly a strong American attendance at the event providing tough competition to crews with legacies to defend.

NK Sports had the opportunity to recap this year's Henley Royal Regatta through the eyes of three coxswains representing American colleges and crews. Each individual possesses unique Henley experiences, takeaways, and outlooks on the competition and the road ahead for the 2026-2027 season at home.

Setting the Scene

With Caroline Jennings

Caroline Jennings is a rising junior coxswain at Boston College, originally from Wellesley, MA. Her precise approach to coxing coupled with a grounding demeanor is a proven recipe for success. Coming off of valuable learning experiences at Henley, Caroline is ready to continue to push herself and her teammates to see just how far the BC Eagles can soar next season.

To learn more about Caroline Jennings and her 2025-2026 season visit: Class Act on the Charles: How Coxswain Duo Caroline and Lucy Handle Competition, Closeness, and Communication.

NK Sports: Set the scene for us, what were your first impressions of Henley Royal Regatta upon arriving?

Caroline Jennings: "Watching the women's Henley races was one thing, but then seeing all the, all the blazers, all the outfits, and how they run Royal Henley was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It was like you walked into the steward's enclosure, and you feel like you have traveled back 60 years. It was surreal. They have these signs everywhere that say no mobile telephones.

When you're watching the races, nothing is electronic. They don't have a scoreboard that says everything. They have people that are putting up physical boards, and they say: this boat won, lane two won; this was their final time. They don't even give the losers time. There's also a post by the grandstands at the finish line, and they have people moving these wooden boats to show you where the crews are on the course before you can see them in real time."

NK Sports: What were your experiences and your crew's experiences at Henley?

Caroline Jennings: "For me personally, I had a great experience at Henley. I had never been before, and I think only one other girl in our boat had been before too. We had some highs and lows, naturally as only one team could win. We rowed at both Women's Henley and Royal Henley. We made it through till the quarterfinal rounds at Women's Henley where we lost to Edenborough.

Going into it, you don't know where your placement is coming out of the time trial; they just tell you which crews qualify, not the times or ranges. Instead, they just list them in alphabetical order, and so, we were bow 30 going into our race. Every other crew was bow 15 or below, I believe."

NK Sports: How did you and your crew adapt to this new and challenging environment from a mental and emotional perspective?

Caroline Jennings: "It was a little bit difficult for us, but we had to calm our nerves and control ourselves and know, okay, we do deserve and belong in this race. Of course, in the very first head race, we were put up against the only other Boston crew. We were sitting at the start line and we said to each other, 'we could have done this back home.' We were thinking, 'what are the odds?'

At Royal Henley we spent the next week or so training for the qualifying round.

Unfortunately, 14 crews pre-qualified, and there were 10 spots for 38 crews. We fell to be crew 11. We did then learn a few days later that it was only by 0.03 seconds. So, I think, you know, when we originally didn't qualify, we were a bit emotional, as any team would be. I think, you know, we kind of got over it.

At the end of the day, we were just still super grateful to be there because that's a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially for crews that aren't from the UK or from Europe. So, we were grateful to be there. Watching racing was an incredible experience."

Building On Spring Season Momentum

With Luke Joseph

Luke Joseph is a rising Junior coxswain at Drexel University, originally from Mickleton, NJ. With a calm attitude and secure confidence, Luke has led his crew through new and competitive environments such as Henley with ease. He is ready to continue Drexel's strong track record through the 2026-2027 season and beyond.

NK Sports: Recapping Drexel Men's Rowing's season how do you feel this performance impacted or set you up for the team's performance at Henley?

Luke Joseph: "At Drexel, our main slogan is ambition can't wait. I feel as though on the team there was so much ambition going into this year and going into the spring season. This was seen especially in terms of what we wanted to accomplish at Dad Vail Regatta, which set us up well for the IRA Championships, which then set us up well for Henley Royal Regatta.

Following that progression and taking one race at a time throughout the regular season really helped us. When it got to championship season, starting with Dad Vail, it allowed us to put up a historic performance across all events and reclaim the varsity 8 after a loss last year. Overall, we also ended up winning the second varsity 8, the third varsity 8, the varsity 4, then the second varsity 4, and the team points trophy for best male Division 1 program.

The commitment between all the guys and communication between all coxswains was a big help, especially considering there were a lot of new coxswains on the team. Coxswains are the bridge between the coach and the rowers. So, if the messages between the two groups are transcribed perfectly or at a minimum in a good way, then great success will come from it. In terms of training for IRA's and then traveling to California, the experience allowed us to figure out new lineups going into our Henley training block. That training block was probably some of the most fun I've had in terms of training."

NK Sports: How would you describe your own personal experience and the team's experience at Henley?

Luke Joseph: "I think my overall take on Henley, and I think most of the guys would agree, is yes, we went to Henley and we did how we did, but the main takeaway is a new confidence from this new racing exposure internationally. We can take this experience with us now into our next season and show that we've raced at a high level now and use that to our advantage against teams that we've previously faced in the spring and even in the fall."

NK Sports: What was the tone of the crew like once you arrived? Was it excitement, nervousness, focus, etc.?

Luke Joseph: "I think the overall vibe or spirit among the team was high. We're in a new environment and racing a new distance. The course is about 100 meters more than the standard 2k course we're used to. Considering all that, the week prior leading up to racing was giving some nerves since there's a mix of national teams, good high school teams, excellent collegiate teams, and we saw all these teams out there at the same time. I think that made us feel way more comfortable in terms of where we were at because we were thinking yeah, we can compete with a bunch of these big-time crews. For me it was a confidence booster to hear the speeds that they were hitting from their coxswains or even just see them rowing and think yes, we can beat them in that time trial.

I think also living together during the time we were racing brought a sense of camaraderie and more bonding between each other. The guys in my house, most of them were in my boat, but some were freshmen, some were seniors. It was cool to bond with them and start to learn more about them since some were guys I don't usually talk to outside of rowing settings. It heavily contributed to the positive vibes and the common goal of trying to do well at Henley."

NK Sports: What is your personal favorite part about going to Henley?

Luke Joseph: "For me it's just going down the course. You could say the dressing up, you can say the shopping around, that's all great, but I think just going down the course is the best part for me. Especially in the time trial setting, which was something I haven't done before, and we had to fight for our spot to be in the bracket. So, I liked having the opportunity to go out and just say, 'we deserve to be in this, we deserve to be in this race, we deserve to be in this bracket.'

That's where the fun is at, just going down the course, ripping a piece with the rest of the guys in your boat, putting on a show for the time trial and race that we can be proud of, and turning some heads on the international stage along the way."

NK Sports: How did you mentally prepare yourself for the race, and then also how did you prepare your crew for it as well?

Luke Joseph: "We'll start with the crew. I think for them, especially this year, we talked a lot about personal accountability. When a race day comes around, everyone knows where they must be and what they must do. I think that was a good step for this year compared to previous years, especially in an environment like Henley where things can get a little crazy. We worked out the logistics of where we have to be, when we have to be there, when we have to shove, when we have to meet with coach all the night prior which helped really bring some nerves down and help put trust in me that I know what they have to do. So now we can just go, show up, and the only thing I must worry about is my performance. I feel like if you make it simple for the rowers, you'll get a better result than making it all complicated. It's about just bringing simplicity to it all.

For me, I would say I did the same thing I've been doing since high school. I wake up, have a cup of apple juice, go to the course, and play the same playlist I've had since my sophomore year of high school, a mix of genres of course. I make sure the boat is all good even though I know the coaches will check, and rowers will check; it just gives me a sense of clarity.

I feel like I'm a very calm person. So, when this type of high-pressure stuff happens it's fine for me. I feel like I could just show up and go. I'm of the mind let's just show up, race and leave, just go get the job done."

NK Sports: How do you feel about your personal performance and the crew's performance at Henley?

Luke Joseph: "I think one of the things that was good was that we showed up well, especially for being a younger crew/team in general. We really made sure every boat had a chance to go out there and do something special by trusting the training and supporting one another.

In terms of performance I feel as though for the time trial we executed exactly what we wanted to even though it was the first time in that lineup. We did a scrimmage the week before against a club team, but that's a scrimmage; it's a different vibe. I thought it was great to see how people perform in the time trial setting and assess where you fall. It's only 14 spots out of 69 and you need to make sure you're in that upper echelon of Top 14. You have no idea what time you go because they don't tell you if you get in. We had to go into it with confidence and composure to execute a good piece and trust what's going to happen.

After the time trial, we met with the coaches, and everyone had a feeling that we were going to be fine, and then they made the announcement, and it was like, 'Ok, we're good.' I wouldn't say anything negative about the performance overall; I view it more in terms of information for improvement. There's a lot to take away from racing on an international stage with all the externalities of people shouting at you from the bank, other boats going by, and the presence of barges and yachts making all these waves. It's an atmosphere we aren't used to. I think it puts you in a way better headspace going back to the U.S. and thinking we just handled all of that, this looks significantly easier now."

Planning For the Future

With Scarlett Pringle

Scarlett Pringle is a rising sophomore coxswain at the University of Miami originally from Prahran, Melbourne, Australia. She is a dedicated and motivated leader who has a proven capability to excel. She is excited to be a part of the continued upleveling of the UMiami rowing program in the coming years.

NK Sports: How would you compare your experience racing in Australia to the transition to racing in the United States, and then at Henley this year?

Scarlett Pringle: "In Australia, I rowed for two years then transitioned to coxing. It was a nerve-wracking change, and the first crew I ever coxed, the previous year, they had won the trophy at Henley in the Prince Philip Challenge. So, I was stepping into a boat and lacking a little bit of confidence, but those girls were able to show me that I should have confidence and had an attitude of, 'You can do this, this is what we can achieve when we all believe and hope together.' That was the foundation of my coxing, which was accompanied by a great coach behind me, who was harsh, but he got me to where I am today which included competing for the Australian national team for under 19s in Canada.

As far as the transition was, it's funny because in Australia we have so much lingo in the sport that I didn't even realize we use. For example, we call our sides bow and stroke and in America its port and starboard. I had to relearn how they talk about the strokes and basically relearn how to cox; it was just a whole new world for me. There was no point me saying all this stuff that I could say to my Australian crews because my new crew had no idea what I was saying. I really leaned on my fellow coxswains and tried to strike a balance between leading with confidence and not overstepping any lines as a freshman. I spent a lot of time with the head coach, James, and all the assistant coaches. I would go through the data; I think almost every week with coach Nick to really understand it and make sure that the girls understood what I was saying."

NK Sports: With the adaptability you demonstrated transitioning from Australian to American rowing, how did you and your crew adapt to prepare yourselves to go into Henley?

Scarlett Pringle: "Going into Henley we were so stoked after the year we had, I mean we made NCAA's this year! When we found out, we were all sitting down watching the TV and the vibes were insane. It was crazy. So, heading into Henley we had a very open mind. We just thought, okay, we're here and we're going to have fun. There were no expectations for us to go out there and win it all, which allowed us to really take a step back and just do the best that we could out there."

NK Sports: What about the 2025-2026 season do you believe prepared you guys for Henley and the success you had in the spring so well?

Scarlett Pringle: "There were a couple of things. Coming in as a freshman, our recruitment class was insane. We had people from eight different countries. We had girls coming in from the World Championships who had won first, second and third place. During my talks with all the coaches before I was signed and onboarded onto the team, I could see they had a very clear plan of where the program was going. Originally, there were a lot of comments when I committed, people were confused and asked, 'Why Miami?' I would respond, 'We've got a plan.' The plan wasn't necessarily getting these times on an erg, doing this on a bike, maxing out this watt count, or hitting these splits on water.

It was more based on cumulative mental focus every single week. We had our big goal of making NCAAs. When it came down to every session, we would have a goal of what we wanted to get off the water and make sure we achieved that first. Sometimes we didn't hit the goal and that's okay, but it was important to recognize that we didn't hit it and think about what we were going to do next session to make sure that we get it next time. I worked closely with James to make training as efficient as possible and clear and transparent with the girls. With that, I did a lot of journaling including notes before and after sessions regarding what calls and drills worked for the girls."

NK Sports: Coming off incredible performances from the spring season, how do you feel you and your crew performed at Henley?

Scarlett Pringle: "It's funny because we took our top two boats and those two boats are incredibly international, I think there's only two Americans. A lot of those girls have competed on world stages. So, we weren't scared. Obviously, it was a new course, which I think put a lot more pressure on the coxswains considering all the history behind it. We do always have natural nerves because we care about the race. However, overall, we were sitting at that start line and there was nothing going through our heads resembling, 'I've never been in a situation like this before.' We just made sure to just have trust and faith in ourselves.

It was great that we got to do the qualifiers because that was a race where we just got to hone in and do what we know we do best. I jockeyed them the whole way down the course and made sure that they gave 100%, and they responded well to short, sharp, motivational things. Not in a way of a negative connotation, but regarding the 'what if' aspect. I always try and twist it: 'Hey what if this one stroke is getting that bow across the line?' The girls in the boat really responded to that. We ended up posting a really good time, clearly, because we got seeded straight into the quarterfinals.

When we saw our draw against the composite Molesey and London crew, we knew they were the favorites. They had four Olympians in the crew, so they had a stacked lineup. After that we thought we've got to put our heads down, don't look out of the boat. We're just going to do what we know we do best and just throw the kitchen sink at them. You know, they were amazing; they won the whole thing. They were strong and they knew what they were doing out there. They were no strangers to the course."

NK Sports: What was your favorite part about going to Henley?

Scarlett Pringle: "To give a bit of context, in Australia, there's not a lot of support around rowing. The rowing team I competed for in high school was not funded within itself. In Australia, you just don't get funded like you do in America. So, all our equipment was from our parents' money that they put into the program. Coming to Henley and seeing all these people supporting rowing, it was insane to me. The fact people were willing to make a whole week of this event five days in a row and come and watch people row down a course was crazy.

I've never seen so much support, and they make a whole day of it. They get dressed up. It was like going to horse races. To row with that level of energy and support, it was special. I remember taking in the atmosphere around me before our final race and seeing people on the boats spectating, having lunch, chatting with their friends made me feel like a top-tier professional athlete."

NK Sports: How do you think you're going to take those feelings of like excitement and professionalism and channel them into the upcoming 2026-2027 season?

Scarlett Pringle: "After Henley my coach told me, 'Don't be too disappointed. Look at what we've done. We've done well. If we wanted to win, we would have gone and sent quads out. We've got gold medalists and silver medalists, and quads. This was supposed to be a learning experience. I remember thinking, yes, you're right, but I love to win. It's addictive. So, I told him, 'This is just set so much fire under my behind.' It's going to be Groundhog Day as soon as I get back to Miami. We're ranked 13th, so let's bring it on top 10. It's only three places, but these are tough crews, so we've got work to do and it's not going to be easy.

Coming into the fall, there is that feeling of just continuous training. Sometimes you feel like you must ask, 'Have we even made progress?' It can get frustrating and hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My goal is to always keep that light in sight and give tangible products to the rowers that they can reach to make it so much easier to achieve a goal.

I'll see you next year when we're in that top 10."

Sources

Cantor, D. (2022, May 17). 8 great moments in Collegiate rowing history. Rowing Pad. https://rowingpad.com/8-great-moments-in-collegiate-rowing-history/

Student events - trophies. Henley Royal Regatta. (2022, May 13). https://www.hrr.co.uk/about/trophiesandprizegivers/student-events-trophies/