On a Sunday morning in June, an Oakland Strokes boat carrying Moraga teenagers Cole Grakauskas and Ryan Koray, both Campolindo High School students, powered to victory at the 2026 USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Rowing alongside Lafayette's Hawk Coulston of Head-Royce, they helped the Men's U17 8+ capture Oakland Strokes' 26th national title.

The victory was especially impressive because two-thirds of the crew were first-year rowers competing in their first season. Sitting second halfway through the race, the boat delivered the fastest second half in the field to win by more than two seconds.

The championship capped a historic spring for Oakland Strokes. At the USRowing Southwest Youth Regional Championships on Lake Natoma, the club won two gold medals and qualified 10 boats for Nationals. The U17 boys earned the club's first-ever regional title in that event, while the Women's Varsity 8+ captured Oakland Strokes' first Southwest regional championship in 12 years. The regatta serves as the varsity championship for California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, making qualification for Nationals highly competitive.

Lamorinda athletes played a major role throughout the season. Fourteen earned regional medals, and nine advanced to Nationals.

Among the women, Ingrid Flory of Lafayette, an Acalanes High junior, rowed in the club's top varsity eight and has committed to the University of Texas, the reigning NCAA champion. Four more Lamorinda athletes helped Oakland Strokes' third varsity eight finish 11th nationally: Harper Jaffe, Paige Sovocool, and coxswain Laila Shahsavari of Miramonte HS, along with Alexis Kolovyansky of Acalanes. Miramonte's Leela Grimaud coxed the second varsity eight to a 15th-place national finish.

Additional regional medalists included Campolindo's Wyatt Schmah, College Prep's Adam Fibrich, both of Moraga, and Acalanes sophomore Campbell Deane of Lafayette.

"What I'm most proud of is the culture this squad built - working hard, being coachable, and lifting up their teammates," said newly appointed Men's Head Coach Sean Gibel. "Different squads, one team."

Director of Rowing Allison Ray said the club's depth made the season possible. "Sending our top three women's eights to Nationals together is a first for our club," she said. "It happened because everyone felt part of the work."

Oakland Strokes also continues to develop athletes beyond high school. This fall, 15 seniors will row in college at programs including Yale, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Cal, Purdue, Boston University, and Tufts. Campolindo's Liam Dinwiddie will row at Purdue, while Flory heads to Texas.