This summer, Saint Joseph's rising senior Evie Holder kept busy on the water as she has rowed as a member of the Conshohocken Rowing Center. This July, the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team honoree won gold in the U23 Women's 2x at the 2025 Independence Day Regatta, and also captured national titles in the U23 2x and 4x at the 2025 USRowing Rowfest National Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

As she readies for her next major competition, the 141st Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, Evie took time to share her experience at the 2025 USRowing Rowfest National Championship.

How did you and your teammates qualify for the 2025 USRowing Rowfest National Championship?
It's not a qualification regatta, so any team can go. It's held in a different state every year, this year being Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

How were your events set up? 
It was set up in heats where the top four (boats) in each heat advance to the finals. In the U23 2x, there were only eight boats entered, so all boats advanced to the finals. In the U23 4x, there were two heats where only eight boats (four from each heat) advanced. With both events, Conshohocken Rowing Center (CRC) won by a large margin, giving us lane 5 (the priority lane).

What were the conditions like, and did they factor into your race plan?
With both days of competition, the conditions were pretty windy, causing us to alter the race plan. We decided to keep the stroke rate lower (34 instead of 36-38) and make our moves and sprint only when and if we felt  it was necessary. Luckily, we pulled ahead early and used this lead as motivation. Typically, I would be nervous in a headwind as lighter crews (as CRC is) are often at a disadvantage. We had dealt with conditions similar to this at the 2025 Independence Day Regatta and adapted our technique to the conditions. 

What was your mentality competing in the Grand Finals, and what were your emotions upon crossing the finish line and capturing gold?
With both the 2x and the 4x, we all felt very confident going into the Grand Finals. We still had those pre-race jitters, but we raced the final similar to how we raced our heat. In the 4x race, we wanted to keep the margin between first and second place around 10 seconds, which we successfully did.  In the double, we knew that a halfway move was needed since we were down at the 1000m. This move allowed us to take the lead and finish five seconds ahead of the second-place boat. 

How has St. Joe's rowing helped you prepare for an event like this?
St. Joe's has helped me build the endurance and strategy behind each of these races. I have learned how to race multiple times a day, still bringing in great results. We prioritize consistency, and our results show this. 

What's next for you? 
My next race is the 141st Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario. I will be racing in the U23 1x, 2x, and 4x. I am very excited as this race is one of my favorites. After this, I will take some much-needed family time before coming back to Hawk Hill.