Ten local athletes from Southlake recently rowed their way into the national spotlight as part of Founders Rowing Club, a 15-member all-girls team based in Dallas. Under the leadership of Coach Matt Naifeh, these powerhouse teens took on the top youth rowing programs in the country at the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida — and came home with hardware.
Going up against much larger and longer-established clubs from states like California, Connecticut and New York, this crew didn’t just hold their own — they made club history. Founders Rowing earned a record number of national medals, with Southlake girls at the heart of the victory. Southlake Carroll team members are rising seniors Alex Evans, Caroline Vesey and Sarah Kostov; juniors Alli Boswell, Carolina Lotrean, Claire Elden, Fallon Dorney and Lauren Boswell; and sophomores Emerson Vu and Kaitlin Vesey. Other DFW team members include Afton Juracek, Lillian Sells, Elyana Brook, Jada Muhia and Mai Sharma.
Whether they were leading their boats to first place or pushing through to top national rankings, these athletes proved that Southlake's strength runs deep — even if they weren’t racing as official Carroll Dragons. Here’s how they placed:
2V-A Quad – First Place
Claire Elden, Fallon Dorney, Sarah Kostov, Elyana Brook
U17 Quad – First Place
Alli Boswell, Fallon Dorney, Lauren Boswell, Mai Sharma
2V-B Quad – Second Place
Alli Boswell, Caroline Vesey, Lauren Boswell, Jada Muhia
1V Quad – Third Place
Alex Evans, Carolina Lotrean, Afton Juracek, Lillian Sells
U17 Double – 12th Place in the Nation
Emerson Vu and Kaitlin Vesey