Four Badgers named to 2017 World Rowing Championships roster
August 29, 2017 | Men's Rowing, Women's Rowing
Two more part of team staff headed to Sarasota, Florida for championships
MADISON, Wis. – A pair of former Wisconsin men's rowers and a pair of former Badger women's rowers are part of the 2017 U.S. National Team, USRowing announced late Monday. The four Badgers will compete at the 2017 World Rowing Championships, set for Sept. 24-Oct. 1 in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida.
The squad for the Badgers is headlined by 2016 Olympian Grace Latz (Jackson, Michigan), who will race this year as part of the women's eight. She will be joined by 2016 Wisconsin graduate Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisconsin) in the same boat. Both were walk-ons for Wisconsin.
On the men's side, 2012 Wisconsin graduate and team captain Tim Aghai (Skokie, Illinois) was selected to row in the men's eight, while 2013 UW grad and team captain Ben Ruble (Minneapolis) will row in the men's four.
Latz will represent the United States for the fourth consecutive time at either a world championship or Olympic Games. The 2011 Wisconsin graduate returns to the national team after racing to a fifth-place finish in the women's quadruple sculls at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She won a gold medal in the women's four at the 2015 World Rowing Championships.
The Jackson, Michigan, native was part of UW's first Big Ten championship team in 2010, rowing in the varsity eight. That team also produced a program-best seventh-place finish at the NCAA championships.
Vitas makes her first U.S. national team with her selection to the women's eight. A three-year rower at Wisconsin after transferring from UW-Milwaukee, Vitas walked-on to the Badgers after earning high school letters in basketball, soccer, cross country and track and field.
During her UW career, Vitas won a Big Ten title with the second novice eight as a sophomore, rowed with the varsity eight to 13th at the NCAA championships in 2015 as a junior, then helped the second varsity eight to 10th at the NCAA championships as a senior in 2016, after the boat placed second at the Big Ten championships that season.
Aghai, who spent time as a graduate assistant coach with the Wisconsin women's program after rowing for the men's team, makes his fourth U.S. national team appearance, including his second one on the senior national team.
He placed ninth in the men's pair at the 2015 World Rowing Championships, after taking fourth in the men's at the 2012 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, and winning gold at the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
As a Badger, Aghai helped the 2011 varsity eight take fourth at the IRA national championships, and the 2012 eight place eighth. He was also part of the UW championship four that captured the 2009 Head of the Charles, and a Badger alumni crew in 2014 that also took home the championship four crown.
Ruble has been busy since his time as a Badger ended in 2013. He continued his schooling as a three-time competitor in The Boat Race for Cambridge, taking home a crown in 2016.
His national team selection this summer makes him a first-time representative for Team USA.
He finished his UW career with a 10th-place finish in the varsity eight at the 2013 IRA National Championships, after a second-consecutive third-place result at the 2013 Eastern Sprints. He also placed eight at the 2012 IRAs in the varsity eight. He took third at the 2011 IRA National Championships with UW's second varsity eight.
Former Badgers on the team staff include Matt Imes (1991 graduate), who serves as USRowing's High Performance Director, as well as Matt Smith (2000 graduate), a seven-time U.S. national team member and 2004 Olympian, who will coach the men's pair.
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The squad for the Badgers is headlined by 2016 Olympian Grace Latz (Jackson, Michigan), who will race this year as part of the women's eight. She will be joined by 2016 Wisconsin graduate Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisconsin) in the same boat. Both were walk-ons for Wisconsin.
On the men's side, 2012 Wisconsin graduate and team captain Tim Aghai (Skokie, Illinois) was selected to row in the men's eight, while 2013 UW grad and team captain Ben Ruble (Minneapolis) will row in the men's four.
Latz will represent the United States for the fourth consecutive time at either a world championship or Olympic Games. The 2011 Wisconsin graduate returns to the national team after racing to a fifth-place finish in the women's quadruple sculls at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She won a gold medal in the women's four at the 2015 World Rowing Championships.
The Jackson, Michigan, native was part of UW's first Big Ten championship team in 2010, rowing in the varsity eight. That team also produced a program-best seventh-place finish at the NCAA championships.
Vitas makes her first U.S. national team with her selection to the women's eight. A three-year rower at Wisconsin after transferring from UW-Milwaukee, Vitas walked-on to the Badgers after earning high school letters in basketball, soccer, cross country and track and field.
During her UW career, Vitas won a Big Ten title with the second novice eight as a sophomore, rowed with the varsity eight to 13th at the NCAA championships in 2015 as a junior, then helped the second varsity eight to 10th at the NCAA championships as a senior in 2016, after the boat placed second at the Big Ten championships that season.
Aghai, who spent time as a graduate assistant coach with the Wisconsin women's program after rowing for the men's team, makes his fourth U.S. national team appearance, including his second one on the senior national team.
He placed ninth in the men's pair at the 2015 World Rowing Championships, after taking fourth in the men's at the 2012 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, and winning gold at the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
As a Badger, Aghai helped the 2011 varsity eight take fourth at the IRA national championships, and the 2012 eight place eighth. He was also part of the UW championship four that captured the 2009 Head of the Charles, and a Badger alumni crew in 2014 that also took home the championship four crown.
Ruble has been busy since his time as a Badger ended in 2013. He continued his schooling as a three-time competitor in The Boat Race for Cambridge, taking home a crown in 2016.
His national team selection this summer makes him a first-time representative for Team USA.
He finished his UW career with a 10th-place finish in the varsity eight at the 2013 IRA National Championships, after a second-consecutive third-place result at the 2013 Eastern Sprints. He also placed eight at the 2012 IRAs in the varsity eight. He took third at the 2011 IRA National Championships with UW's second varsity eight.
Former Badgers on the team staff include Matt Imes (1991 graduate), who serves as USRowing's High Performance Director, as well as Matt Smith (2000 graduate), a seven-time U.S. national team member and 2004 Olympian, who will coach the men's pair.
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