Beach Crew Buzz — June 2026
Apologies for the late arrival of this issue. The past few months have been a busy stretch for Beach Crew, and just as busy personally for several of the people who help put the Buzz together. Thank you for your patience.
Beach Crew — A Program on the Rise
For the first time in program history, Beach Crew placed three boats into Grand or Petite Finals at the ACRA National Championships. Director of Rowing and Head Men's Coach Scott Erwin is “incredibly proud of what this team is becoming” and credits the achievement to the athletes, coaches, alumni, and supporters who continue to invest in the growth of the program.
This season's success was fueled in part by one of the strongest recruiting classes Beach Crew has brought to Long Beach in many years, and the impact was evident throughout the championship: the Men's Varsity 4+ climbed from last year's Petite Final to a B Final win, in a time that would have placed fifth in the Grand Final (the full story is below). That kind of progress demonstrates how important recruiting is to the future of the team, especially when combined with consistent, long-term coaching and athlete development. At the end of the championship weekend, a couple of coaches from programs around the country stopped by to introduce themselves, congratulate the athletes, and acknowledge the growth and success of Beach Crew. Those moments were particularly meaningful because they reflect the reputation these student-athletes are building through their work ethic, sportsmanship, and competitive results.
What makes these accomplishments even more impressive is the context in which they occurred. The athletes balanced final exams, traveled overnight on a red-eye flight to Tennessee, unloaded and prepared equipment, and then, one day after arriving, competed against some of the top collegiate rowers in the nation. They represented Long Beach State with class every step of the way.
The program's sights are already set on the future: keep recruiting outstanding student-athletes and build a program where Beach Crew boats dictate races rather than simply react to competition as racing unfolds. As Coach Scott put it, “The future of Beach Crew is bright, and this year's team has laid out an important foundation for what comes next.” He added, “We couldn't be prouder of these student athletes.”
Thank you to all of the alumni, parents, donors, and supporters who continue to make these opportunities possible. Go Beach!
ACRA National Championship — A Record Number of Beach Crew Athletes
After the overnight trip east on May 13th, the team went straight to the race course in Oak Ridge and started practicing for the American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta, more commonly known as ACRA. All the effort these rowers put in this season had been building toward this weekend, and Beach Crew sent a record five boats to the national stage: a MV4+, a WV8+, a MN8+, a MN4+, and a men's 1x.
The team wants to personally thank the coaches who got them this far: thank you for carrying this team, for being so understanding and supportive, and for always putting the athletes first as people and students while pushing them to new levels and records daily. Every coach's dedication, spirit, and ability to put up with the team (every single day) is admired. Each of the coaches was given a platform to speak on how the boats they coached fared at ACRA, beginning with Head Coach and Director of Rowing Scott Erwin (MV4+, 1x).
Coach Scott opened his report to the Beach Crew alumni, supporters, and friends: “The 2026 ACRA National Championships in Oak Ridge, Tennessee marked another significant milestone for Beach Crew and demonstrated the continued growth of our program on the national stage.” This year's regatta featured some of the strongest collegiate club rowing programs in the country, and the student-athletes represented California State University, Long Beach with determination, professionalism, and pride.
Men's Varsity 4+ Battles Through the Nation's Deepest Field
Lineup: Cox – Morgan Purdy, Vaughan Popp, Jacob Hunter, Daniel Gibbs, Colin Reilly
The Men's Varsity 4+ entered one of the most competitive events at the championship regatta, facing a field of 33 entries from across the country. Three members of the crew returned from last year's Varsity 4+: Vaughan Popp, Daniel Gibbs, and Colin Reilly. They were joined by Jacob Hunter, racing his second ACRA, whose addition strengthened an already competitive lineup. In Friday's heat racing, the crew finished second behind the University of Texas, the defending national champion. Texas ultimately went on to win the event again, underscoring the level of competition the four faced throughout the weekend.
The advancement format sent the top two crews from each heat forward, along with the eight fastest remaining times. Saturday's semifinal proved to be one of the most exciting races of the regatta. With only two Grand Final berths on the line, Long Beach found itself locked in a fierce battle while sitting in third or fourth position midway through the race.
Throughout the season, the crew had practiced a unique race-management strategy involving Daniel Gibbs in the two-seat. Because a bow-loaded coxswain has limited visibility of the boats behind them, Daniel was entrusted with calling specific tactical moves when the crew needed them most. As the semifinal unfolded and a Grand Final berth hung in the balance, Daniel made the call. The response was immediate and powerful: the crew surged forward, rowing through competitors and but Long Beach fell short of a Grand Final berth.
Sunday's B Final still drew a strong field. From the opening strokes, the race was remarkably tight, with virtually every crew in contention. The Long Beach four battled throughout the course and won the B Final in 6:56.7 — ahead of USC, Michigan RA and Chicago, in a time that would have placed fifth in the Grand Final. Given the depth and quality of the field, Coach Scott could not be prouder of their performance, preparation, and resilience.
Eli Vance Makes a Statement in the Men's Varsity Single
Graduating senior Eli Vance represented Beach Crew in the Men's Varsity Single, competing at the ACRA National Championships for the first time in his collegiate career. While his opening heat did not produce the result he was hoping for, Eli demonstrated the mental toughness that defines great competitors. Between races, he and Coach Scott settled on one simple strategy: go row the race the way they both knew he was capable of rowing. He did exactly that.
In the C Final, Eli raced aggressively and confidently from start to finish, winning in commanding fashion and making a statement against a highly competitive national field. His performance highlighted not only his talent, but also the strength and competitiveness he brought to Beach Crew throughout his collegiate career.
Men's Novice Eight and Four
Novice 8+ Lineup: Cox – Jack English, Ryan Webb, Anton Schultz, Rigo Rodriguez, Alex Wheeler, Ben Zurla, Luis Hernandez, Donovan Reilly, Ryan Boyle
Novice 4+ Lineup: Cox – Natalia Toher, Mason Hammill, Aidan Cantrell, Zack Curtis, Ming Kuon Li
The Beach Crew novice men were impressive in Friday's ACRA heat, placing third in a field of six and beating UC Irvine, Fordham, and the University of Massachusetts. They lost to Rutgers by one second and the University of Minnesota by three seconds, margins close enough to carry them into the semifinals the following day. Saturday's and Sunday's racing did not mimic Friday's. While the boys made it to the B Final, they did not have the same quality of race the team saw on Friday, and in Sunday's final they fell to UC Irvine, Rutgers, and Minnesota, a tough result for a crew that had penciled in a second-place finish at Saturday night's team meeting.
For Men's Novice Coach Kelly Hurley, the takeaway was simple: the stars just did not align that day. Each component of a race must be close to perfection, and the team must believe in themselves. This group has that second quality in abundance. As Coach Kelly always tells this boat, they row with confidence and believe they can beat anyone!
The novice men's four faced schools that row only small boats all year, and the Beach Crew four had rowed together for the first time just a few weeks before the championship race. While they did not reach the A or B Final, they rowed with passion and grit. Coach Kelly's message to the crew: “To each of these gentlemen and Natalia, you were impressive in your desire to race and race hard.”
Coach Kelly closed the season with gratitude: “Hands down, this was a great year to coach such a wonderful group of young men.” He looks forward to seeing the returning novices' growth and success in the upcoming year, and thanks those who graduated for their commitment, passion, and hard work.
Women's Varsity Eight
Lineup: Cox – Brenda Torres, Bailey Hartman, Celeste Reynoso, Audrianna Downard, Mia Monsour, Ruby Bogonovich, Brylie Wolfe, Nadiana Hernandez, Avril Ho
The varsity women raced their way to the B Final and finished fifth with a 7:42. Women's Coach Riley Hobbs saw the weekend as proof of how far this boat has come:
“I'm so incredibly proud of the girls for what they did at ACRA. It is so crazy to have gone from not getting much attention from anybody to everyone saying, ‘wow Long Beach is scary, you guys are coming out of nowhere!’ All the major improvements and progress that we have made up to this point really goes to show how much effort these girls have put in to succeed. They are doing really well, and I cannot wait to see what we are capable of next season! To come from losing miserably to UC Davis, OCC, and UC Irvine, then to be coming up neck and neck with them at WIRA and now beating UC Davis and OCC at ACRA while being so close to being competitive with UCI is just an incredible thing for these girls to experience. I'm so glad we all had fun and we are representing this team in a way I wanted to, so I am more than excited to see what's to come, and to catch UCI next.”
Alumni Race, Boat Christening & Breakfast — This Fall
This fall, Beach Crew will christen the new women's eight, the 80's Lady, at the Pete Archer Rowing Center. Exact date and time to be announced. All donors are invited, and Beach Crew will recognize them at the christening with a special gift in thanks for their generous support.
Also coming this fall is an alumni race: a dual against the varsity men's and women's eights, raced over a maximum of 500 meters in Marine Stadium, the 1932 and 2028 Olympic rowing venue, with the finish line just past the boathouse. The goal this year is to put four men's and women's alumni eights on the water. To claim a seat, contact Men's Novice Coach Kelly Hurley at Khurley1258@gmail.com.
A sit-down breakfast to meet the 2026–2027 team is in the works as well, and the team hopes to bring back the same awesome Master of Ceremonies from the 2025 alumni luncheon. More information on all of these events to follow in August.
Go Beach,
LBSU Rowing
Women's & Men's Teams
Race photos: row2k.com
