Beach Crew Buzz — April 2026
Beach Crew Spotlight
The month of March has Beach Crew going up against the best in Southern California competing against UCLA, Orange Coast College, UCSB, UCD, SDSU, UCI and USC. Our novice men finished fourth at the San Diego Crew Classic, the women raced through a mid-race collision to finish 4th out of 8, and we took delivery of a new Hudson eight for the women's program.
More information regarding the Christening will be in the next newsletter.
Our annual Beach Crew fundraiser is Saturday, April 18. Please see below for information how alumni and parents can donate and/or volunteer to the program.
Thank you for reading and your continued support of the program — Go Beach!
Beach Crew Erg-O-Thon Fundraiser
On April 18, our Beach Crew student-athletes will take on a 6-hour Erg-O-Thon at the Pete Archer Boathouse, with a goal of rowing nearly one million meters in a single day. As a collegiate club program, Beach Crew operates primarily through student dues and fundraising. The Erg-O-Thon is one of our most important efforts to support the costs of travel, equipment, race entries, and overall team operations throughout the season. This year, our goal is to raise $30,000, and thanks to the early support from our community, we are already on our way. So far the team has raised over $7,000.00.
Our top donors are as follows:
Women’s Team - Ruby Bogonovich - $1,000.00 raised
Men’s Team - Aiden Cantrell - $800.00
Men’s Team - Luis Hernandez - $400.00
Alumni 1990's - Bjorn Petter Garder - $1,000.00
During the event, our athletes will be sponsored based on the distance they row — allowing supporters to directly connect their contribution to the work being done on the erg. We invite our Beach Crew alumni, family, and supporters to follow along and consider supporting an athlete or the team as a whole. Every contribution, large or small, plays a meaningful role in helping our athletes train, compete, and represent Long Beach State.
If interested in volunteering, we need parents or alumni to cook pancakes and serve our athletes on that day. If volunteering, please reach out to Coach Kelly Hurley at Khurley1258@gmail.com
Update on Beach Crew Men’s Varsity
The Beach Crew Men’s Varsity recently made a decision to move away from racing an eight man shell to a four and double. This decision puts our varsity men in position to medal in both events. The four is currently turning times in practice that should prove to place them well at WIRA (West Coast Championship Race) in Sacramento and ACRA (National Championship Regatta) in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, the varsity double which raced last year and did quite well at WIRA as novice rowers racing in a varsity race are now entering the varsity double as true varsity. With a full year of experience, Scott Erwin believes both teams will do quite well. We're excited to see the results in a few weeks!
Beach Crew Novice Men - Highs and Lows of Racing
The Novice Men had their first scrimmage of the year against UCSB and Cal Poly SLO at the picturesque Lake Cachuma. While this was only a scrimmage, let’s not fool ourselves and pretend the team was going for a casual workout. Both CSULB novice crews fared well against the competition, and the event showcased the spirit and intensity that defines this team. A special thanks goes to Mason Hammil’s family for providing a fabulous lunch after the scrimmage.
Beach Crew Novice Men: Newport Regatta
Coming off our win at the Gruenberg Cup, the novice men were looking forward to racing against teams from across Southern California Universities. Unfortunately, the novice men’s first boat had breakage in a practice racing start which cracked two riggers with no means of repairing before the race. While the team was extremely disappointed, they knew future races will see the same teams. Our novice men’s second novice boat continues to race the same teams, OCC and UCLA. While the Beach Crew 2 Novice Boat fares well against most other schools, they are no match for these two top teams.
San Diego Crew Classic: Securing Our Place with Top Teams
The San Diego Crew Classic is one of the largest regattas in the country. Universities from the Midwest, East Coast, and Puerto Rico, along with schools from Washington and California, traveled to San Diego to compete.
Our Beach Crew novice men held their own against extremely fast crews from USD, UCLA, and OCC. In a tight, hard-fought race, the first novice boat from Beach Crew finished fourth.
Facing tough competition, they outpaced teams from SDSU, UCSB, USC, and UCD. The race was intense, but the Beach Crew showed solid teamwork and technique, reflecting the work they’ve put in all season.
The second novice boat also finished third overall, behind only OCC and UCLA.
Looking Ahead
As you recall, the Beach Crew Novice Men lost to UCI at the Cal Challenge by 1.3 seconds. An upcoming dual race against UCI will occur on Sunday, April 12 at UCI. The novice men will put on the water both boats to go up against UCI. Please wish us luck in the upcoming dual race.
Beach Crew Women - It Is Only Getting Better!
Berg Cup
Our ladies did a great job at the Berg Cup regatta on March 14th in Newport. Berg Cup is an annual women’s only regatta and an important early season race for us. It gave us a clear look at where we stand against the crews we will be competing against for the rest of the season. Our novice women’s eight showed a lot of power and determination, especially with two athletes racing in their first regatta! They stepped up and fought through the reach with strong effort the whole race. The varsity women’s eight also had a close race. They stayed composed and pushed through a tight race, with a close finish and intensity. Overall, it was a great step forward for the team. We built confidence and saw the potential we have for the rest of the season.
San Diego Crew Classic
That’s a wrap on the San Diego Crew Classic. Our varsity women’s eight raced March 27–28 in Mission Bay, and as always, SDCC proved to be one of the toughest regattas of the season. It pushes us to compete at a high level and gives a clear picture of where we stand and where we need to improve.
Conditions this weekend were no joke. Strong headwinds and crosswinds forced us to stay locked in and row as one from start to finish. Training at Marine Stadium doesn’t always expose us to that kind of environment, so this was a real test of how quickly we could adapt and keep the boat composed.
Saturday’s race was a strong example of the team’s resilience. Around the 1,000-meter mark, our boat was hit by a crew in the adjacent lane and had to come to a complete stop. Instead of letting it derail the race, the crew reset quickly and fought all the way through, finishing 4th out of 8. That result says a lot about the grit and teamwork in this boat.
Races like SDCC are where we grow the most. They give us a chance to push our limits, build our reputation, and keep moving the program forward. Proud of this team. We’re just getting started. Go Beach!
Beach Crew Women Receive New Hudson Eight Racing Shell at San Diego Crew Classic
At the San Diego Crew Classic, our women's team took delivery of a brand-new Hudson eight. A special thanks to the Ladies of the Eighties, two anonymous alumni donations and BCA for their generous donations in order to make such a valuable purchase.
This is a real racing shell, and it puts our women on equal footing with the programs we're chasing. We can't wait to get it christened and on the water.
FROM FIRST TO NOW: BEACH CREW’S ALL-AMERICAN LEGACY CONTINUES
Four of our athletes earned ACRA All-American honors this year. That puts Beach Crew among a small group of club programs with multiple All-Americans in the same year.
WHAT IS AN ACRA ALL-AMERICAN?
The ACRA All-American is one of the top honors in collegiate club rowing. Athletes are nominated by their coaches and selected based on performance at major regattas, academic standing (typically 3.5+ GPA), and leadership within their program.
THE FOUNDATION: SEAN GRILEY (2019–2022)
In 2022, Sean Griley became Beach Crew’s first ACRA All-American (1st Team). Sean rowed from 2019 to 2022 and served as Team President in 2020. He set the standard that this year’s class is building on, and he continues to support the program through the BCA.
2026 ACRA ALL-AMERICANS – BEACH CREW
This year’s All-American class represents more than individual success—it reflects a program built on leadership, accountability, and shared standards.
Vaughan Popp - Men’s Team President | Varsity Captain
Ruby Bogonovich - Women’s Varsity President
Celeste Reynoso - Women’s Team Vice President
Morgan Purdy - Men’s Team Treasurer
Together, this group represents the leadership core of Beach Crew.
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHTS: LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Every one of this year’s All-Americans holds a leadership role in the program. That’s not a coincidence.
Vaughan Popp – ACRA All-American
Men’s Team President | Varsity Captain
Vaughan leads the men’s program as both president and varsity captain.
GPA: 4.0
A 4.0 GPA while captaining the varsity boat speaks for itself.
Ruby Bogonovich – ACRA Academic All-American
Women’s Varsity President
Ruby leads the women’s varsity program.
GPA: 3.77
Major: Political Science
Year: Junior
Despite facing injury this season, Ruby has remained fully engaged with the team, continuing to lead and support the program’s direction. She earned Academic All-American honors while leading the team through her injury.
Celeste Reynoso – ACRA All-American
Women’s Team Vice President
Celeste runs the day-to-day as Vice President. GPA: 3.8 Major:
Applied Mathematics
As Vice President (and former Secretary), Celeste has demonstrated sustained leadership within the program. She is an Honors student at CSULB, a campus math tutor, and has contributed academically through leadership in student organizations.
Morgan Purdy – ACRA All-American
Men’s Team Treasurer
Morgan keeps the books as Men’s Team Treasurer.
GPA: 3.684
Major: Business Administration (Finance & International Business)
Minor: Political Science
Year: Junior
As Men’s Team Treasurer, Morgan plays a key role in supporting the operational side of the program. President’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, and Port of Long Beach Scholarship recipient. She also volunteers with Priceless Pets Animal Shelter.
MORE THAN RESULTS
These four lead their teams, excel in the classroom, compete at a high level, and give back to their community.
LOOKING AHEAD
From Sean Griley setting the foundation in 2022, to this year’s All-Americans leading the program forward, Beach Crew is establishing itself as a program defined by both performance and purpose. With championship season ahead, the expectation is clear:
Continue to build.
Continue to lead.
Continue to raise the standard.
