Photo by: USRowing
July 26, 2023 | Women's Rowing, Lightweight Rowing
Three women, one man will compete for Team USA in September so far
MADISON, Wis. – The long tradition of Wisconsin rowers competing on the international stage continues this year with four Badgers named to boats that will compete for the United States at the 2023 World Rowing Championships slated for Sept. 3-10 in Belgrade, Serbia.
Scheduled to race in Serbia are Maddie Wanamaker (Neenah), Lauren O'Connor (Belleville), Grace Joyce (Northfield, Illinois) and Jimmy Catalano (Greenwich, Connecticut). Additional Badgers can still make the team beginning this Thursday at the 2023 USRowing Senior National Team Trials on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.
Leading the way for the Badgers is 2020 Olympian Maddie Wanamaker, who will compete in the women's four, like she did at the Olympics in Beijing, China in 2021.
Last year at the 2022 World Rowing Championships, Wanamaker won bronze in the women's pair, then also helped Team USA place fourth with the women's eight.
This will mark her fifth senior national team appearance. She won gold at the 2018 event in the women's four, as well. She also won a silver medal at the 2017 World Under 23 Championships in the women's eight and competed in the women's quadruple sculls at the 2016 World Under 23 Championships.
She also won gold in the women's four at World Cup II in Italy this past June.
At UW, Wanamaker was a three-time racer at the NCAA championships, including twice with the varsity eight and once with the second varsity eight. She earned recognition as 2017 Second-Team CRCA All-Region and a 2017 Second-Team All-Big Ten rower. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten rower also earned 2017 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.
Both Lauren O'Connor and Grace Joyce will race in the women's quadruple sculls.
O'Connor, who rowed at World Cup II in both the women's quadruple sculls and women's double sculls in June, makes her senior national team debut this year. She got a taste of international rowing back in 2019 when she was invited to USRowing's Under 23 Women's National Team Selection Camp.
At UW, O'Connor raced her junior year in the varsity eight, and was on track for a repeat performance as a senior before the COVID-19 pandemic cut her racing season short. She did compete in UW's fall 2019 championship eight entry at the Head of the Charles.
She was an Academic All-Big Ten rower, as well.
Finally, Grace Joyce, who rowed for both the openweights and lightweights during her time at UW, and who was a Badger teammate with O'Connor, makes her second consecutive senior national team.
The two-time U.S. Under 23 Team-member also raced in the quadruple sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Championships and placed ninth. At those under 23 events, she earned a pair of sixth-place finishes in the lightweight double sculls.
As a Badger, Joyce rowed her first two seasons with the lightweight program, taking fourth at the IRA national championships in the lightweight eight as a frosh, then seventh as a sophomore. She made the switch to the openweight program for the 2018-19 season and raced in the second varsity eight at the NCAA championships. After rowing at the 2019 Head of the Charles in the championship eight as a senior, her season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the classroom, Joyce was both a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and an Academic All-Big Ten rower.
Making his second consecutive world championships appearance is Jimmy Catalano, who will serve as the men's eight coxswain. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships, Catalano's men's eight placed fourth.
Catalano owns international hardware from the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, where he coxed the men's four with coxswain to a bronze medal in the Czech Republic.
As a Badger, Catalano coxed the varsity eight during his last three seasons, including his year as a graduate student in 2022, when the boat placed 11th at the IRA national championships, UW's best result since 2015.
In the classroom, Catalano earned recognition as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and an Academic All-Big Ten team member.
2023 World Rowing Championships
Sept. 3-10, 2023
Belgrade, Serbia
Women's Four
Maddie Wanamaker
Women's Quadruple Sculls
Lauren O'Connor
Grace Joyce
Men's Eight
Jimmy Catalano
Scheduled to race in Serbia are Maddie Wanamaker (Neenah), Lauren O'Connor (Belleville), Grace Joyce (Northfield, Illinois) and Jimmy Catalano (Greenwich, Connecticut). Additional Badgers can still make the team beginning this Thursday at the 2023 USRowing Senior National Team Trials on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.
Leading the way for the Badgers is 2020 Olympian Maddie Wanamaker, who will compete in the women's four, like she did at the Olympics in Beijing, China in 2021.
Last year at the 2022 World Rowing Championships, Wanamaker won bronze in the women's pair, then also helped Team USA place fourth with the women's eight.
This will mark her fifth senior national team appearance. She won gold at the 2018 event in the women's four, as well. She also won a silver medal at the 2017 World Under 23 Championships in the women's eight and competed in the women's quadruple sculls at the 2016 World Under 23 Championships.
She also won gold in the women's four at World Cup II in Italy this past June.
At UW, Wanamaker was a three-time racer at the NCAA championships, including twice with the varsity eight and once with the second varsity eight. She earned recognition as 2017 Second-Team CRCA All-Region and a 2017 Second-Team All-Big Ten rower. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten rower also earned 2017 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.
Both Lauren O'Connor and Grace Joyce will race in the women's quadruple sculls.
O'Connor, who rowed at World Cup II in both the women's quadruple sculls and women's double sculls in June, makes her senior national team debut this year. She got a taste of international rowing back in 2019 when she was invited to USRowing's Under 23 Women's National Team Selection Camp.
At UW, O'Connor raced her junior year in the varsity eight, and was on track for a repeat performance as a senior before the COVID-19 pandemic cut her racing season short. She did compete in UW's fall 2019 championship eight entry at the Head of the Charles.
She was an Academic All-Big Ten rower, as well.
Finally, Grace Joyce, who rowed for both the openweights and lightweights during her time at UW, and who was a Badger teammate with O'Connor, makes her second consecutive senior national team.
The two-time U.S. Under 23 Team-member also raced in the quadruple sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Championships and placed ninth. At those under 23 events, she earned a pair of sixth-place finishes in the lightweight double sculls.
As a Badger, Joyce rowed her first two seasons with the lightweight program, taking fourth at the IRA national championships in the lightweight eight as a frosh, then seventh as a sophomore. She made the switch to the openweight program for the 2018-19 season and raced in the second varsity eight at the NCAA championships. After rowing at the 2019 Head of the Charles in the championship eight as a senior, her season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the classroom, Joyce was both a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and an Academic All-Big Ten rower.
Making his second consecutive world championships appearance is Jimmy Catalano, who will serve as the men's eight coxswain. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships, Catalano's men's eight placed fourth.
Catalano owns international hardware from the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, where he coxed the men's four with coxswain to a bronze medal in the Czech Republic.
As a Badger, Catalano coxed the varsity eight during his last three seasons, including his year as a graduate student in 2022, when the boat placed 11th at the IRA national championships, UW's best result since 2015.
In the classroom, Catalano earned recognition as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and an Academic All-Big Ten team member.
2023 World Rowing Championships
Sept. 3-10, 2023
Belgrade, Serbia
Women's Four
Maddie Wanamaker
Women's Quadruple Sculls
Lauren O'Connor
Grace Joyce
Men's Eight
Jimmy Catalano
Saturday, October 25
Tuesday, May 14
Monday, May 06
Thursday, March 14
