The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
O’Neill leads U.S. to three medals at 2014 World Rowing Under 23 Championships
07.27.2014 | Rowing
VARESE, Italy – Texas head coach Dave O'Neill led the United States Under 23 Women's Rowing Team to a pair of gold medals and a silver medal at the 2014 World Rowing Under 23 Championships that concluded Sunday.
"It is always an honor to represent the USA, and it's a great thrill to hear our national anthem played during the medal ceremony," O'Neill said. "I'm really proud of this group for what they did this summer. They worked really hard and had a great attitude throughout the training and racing. Each of them has a wonderful future in this sport."
O'Neill's 8+ boat collected the USA's third consecutive Under 23 Worlds gold medal and came away with the win Sunday in 6 minutes, 7.88 seconds. Great Britain claimed silver in 6:11.76 while Germany won the bronze in 6:12.74. Three of the boat's nine members - coxswain Lindsay Meltz, Aggie Nowinski and Kendall Chase – rowed under O'Neill at The University of California at Berkeley. An additional five rowers who rowed under O'Neill at Cal rowed for their home nations in Varese.
O'Neill's 4- boat, which featured the aforementioned Chase, won gold for the U.S. on Saturday in 6:43.24. New Zealand took the silver in 6:45.91, and Canada won the bronze in 6:47.42. O'Neill's 2- boat, or pair, featured Nowinski and won silver in 7:15.84 on Saturday.
Despite being the only athletes to row two events at the regatta, the U.S. women left Varese with three medals. The U.S. men will take home two medals.
"Now that this project is a complete success, I'm looking forward to moving to Austin and really getting to work with the Texas student-athletes," O'Neill added. "I fully believe there are athletes in our program who will be racing at the U23 level and beyond in the coming years."