FALL ‘25 COACHES REPORT — MEN
Ted Sobolewski, Farwell Family Director of Men’s Rowing
’26 Squad Makeup
For the first time in many years, Stanford will field a “Full Squad” of three 8+’s at the 2026 IRA and will compete for both the National Championship and the team points trophy. While both Covid and the ill-fated attempt to cut Olympic Sports at Stanford are, thankfully, distant memories at this point, it has taken patience and consistent, focused effort to rebuild our roster after a few trying years. I’m pleased to report that we once again have a roster comprised of 4 classes of exceptional young people who are committed to elevating Stanford among the top tier of U.S. College Rowing Teams.
Captains
The team has elected senior oarsman James Pullinger and junior coxswain Kannan Alford as team captains for 2026. The fall season has provided James and Kannan with the opportunity to establish and enforce clear standards around training, the way we intend to move the boat, and the team culture, which we will lean heavily on through the upcoming months of demanding training, as well as a very challenging racing season.
James is a senior oarsman from Oxford, UK, who is studying Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on energy systems and infrastructure. James rowed in the bow seat of the Varsity Eight last year and currently lives in suites with teammates. He is passionate about the clean energy transition and energy efficiency as a pathway to decarbonization. He is currently deciding between pursuing a master’s degree or going straight into industry, and can be found exploring Santa Cruz or Monterey on days off.
Kannan is a Junior from Wilmette, Illinois, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with an information systems and science track. He serves as a coxswain and co-captain of the Stanford Men’s Rowing team. A member of Naval ROTC, Kannan hopes to commission as a Marine Corps officer after graduating. He is driven to build and support high-performing communities and organizations — a pursuit rowing has enabled. Outside of the team, he has embraced Stanford’s wide range of opportunities, from exploring Green Library’s collections to studying abroad in Chile and working in India over summer breaks through Stanford programs.
Recruiting and roster development — Current Freshmen, Class of 2029
It’s been a real thrill to welcome this year’s frosh class to the Farm and to the Port of Redwood City. They have, individually and as a class, successfully jumped onto the SMC moving train and fully integrated themselves into the work we do together each day and into the culture of the squad that is taking shape for 2026.
Through action, this class is sending a strong message that they intend to make their 4 years on the Farm both successful and a lot of fun.
Your Stanford Men’s Crew Class of 2029:
Marcus Albrecht — Berlin, Germany, Brandenburg School / Berliner Ruderclub / GER u19, u23 National Team
Barron Celli — Charlotte, NC, Deerfield Academy
Tyler Murphy — Windermere, FL, Orlando Area Rowing Society / USA u19 National Team
Ginger Bernstein (coxswain) — Mill Valley, CA, Deerfield Academy
Chris Muehl — Kilchberg, Switzerland, Freies Gymnasium / Grasshopper RC Zurich / SUI u19 National Team
Danny Stephenson — Seattle, WA, Shorecrest HS / Green Lake Crew
Augie Freijo — Long Beach, CA, St. John Bosco HS / Newport A.C. / USA u19 National Team
Finn Lorgen — Oslo, Norway, Phillips Exeter Academy
Kalen Routley — Newcastle, Australia, Newcastle Grammar School / UTS Haberfield RC
Raph Hardwicke-Skottowe — Twickenham, England, Orleans Park Sixth Form / Molesey BC
Matteo Hanna-Amodio — London, England, Dulwich College / Thames RC
Beyond the recruited group, we are also pleased to report that novice walk-ons Braun Endicott (Freshman, Yakutat, AK) and Joshua Koo (Sophomore, Los Altos, CA) have cleared the walk-on tryout process and are full members of the team. Braun is rapidly gaining proficiency at both sweeping and sculling, while Josh is increasingly building his awareness of the feel of the rudder and taking command of his crew from the coxswain seat.
Recruiting — Fall ’26 Incoming Class
The recruited class that will arrive on the Farm in September of 2026 is as strong as any of the top 6 US College Rowing programs. We are fortunate that Stanford has caught the attention of many of the most promising young oarsmen — domestically and globally. We were given the opportunity to yield nine recruited athletes for the fall of ’26. Given the objectively high standards required for recruitment to Stanford — which are centered around character, athletic ability, and academic aptitude — we can be highly selective in recruiting. As a result, we can narrow our scope early in the process and spend meaningful time making sure the student-athletes we recruit are suited to Stanford and our team athletically, academically, and socially. This incoming class is comprised of 9 oarsmen who hail from three countries, each of whom has experienced objective success at both the secondary school, club, national, and international levels. More to come once sharing specifics is permissible! Thank you to all our alumni who continue to support our financial capacity to compete in an incredibly competitive recruiting landscape.
Use of technology and different boat classes
The underpinning of our “West Coast Offense” is maximization of our primary advantage, which is time on the water. We are committed to “no junk mileage,” and accurate biomechanics and boat-moving skills are essential to making certain that our on-water mileage is high quality. The incredible generosity of our friends, alumni, and the RA continues to enable us to use the 1x, the 2–, the 4+, the 4–, and the 8+ to train and develop the team. Our fleet now includes six late model Empacher 8+’s, three Empacher 4+’s, three Empacher 4’–s, ten 2–‘s, and ten 1x’s (a mix of Hudson and Empacher). Further, technology such as the Peach Powerline in-boat biomechanical measurement systems and the RowPerfect RP3 dynamic ergometer helps to ensure biomechanical accuracy and quality of training. The cost of this equipment is significant, and the team is committed to making sure we are capitalizing on these resources by using them consistently and effectively.
Culture
In any high-performance organization, culture is the most important thing and requires attention 24/7, all year long. As we continue to grow as a team, we are constantly reflecting upon and reworking our approach to internal communication, the effectiveness of how we work together, the way we row the boat, and the way we train — all in support of building clarity around the way we intend to race together. We believe that Through our Work Ethic, we build the Trust required to Race with Abandon. The athletes and coaches are working with intention, one day at a time, abiding by this mantra. We can’t wait to stress-test what we are building over the course of 2000m this spring!
