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My ESJ

Rowing – Club Rowing – Coed

Julia Downes, Head MS Rowing Coach

 

The Episcopal Rowing team practices at the Walton Boathouse, a premier facility for the sport located on the banks of the Arlington River at the Knight Sports Campus. At the Middle School level, rowing is at the forefront of athletic development — a place where Episcopal students learn technique, build basic conditioning, and discover the teamwork that defines the sport.

Middle School rowers practice four days a week, developing the fundamentals that prepare them for success at the Upper School level and beyond. The program also gives athletes Wednesdays off, allowing them to stay on top of academics or take part in other after-school activities alongside rowing.

More than skills on the water, Middle School rowing introduces students to the discipline, camaraderie, and commitment that make the Eagles’ program one of the region’s most respected — laying the foundation for rowers to reach their potential both on and off the water.

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Mike Alton

Program Director, Boys and Girls Rowing

Mike Alton has led Episcopal rowing for more than a decade and has coached the sport for over three decades. He guided the boys’ team from 2012 to 2014 before directing the girls’ program from 2015 to 2024, building one of the region’s most decorated scholastic programs.

Under Coach Alton, the Eagles have earned Team City and North Regional Championships and a deep collection of scholastic state titles across sweep and sculling events. On the national stage, he qualified multiple boats to the USRowing Youth National Championships — reaching the grand finals in 2015 and 2016 and earning a silver medal in the Varsity Single at Scholastic Nationals in 2021. His work has been recognized with the John Ryan Award of Excellence in Coaching (2016) and the Senior Choice Award (2013).

Before Episcopal, Coach Alton led Hobart College to six consecutive Liberty League Championships (2006–2011) and served as head coach at Vassar College and an assistant at Drexel and Wichita State. He rowed at Temple University on scholarship, where he earned Rookie of the Year, made the Varsity 8 as a freshman, won three Dad Vail Championships, and competed at the Henley Royal Regatta in England.

 

If you would like to learn more about the Episcopal rowing program, reach out to coach Alton at altonm@esj.org