For the first time in its 10-year history, Sem rowers are bringing home the gold.
Upper School juniors Gemma Ciravolo of Shavertown, and Arthur Domby, a boarding student from Hungary, captured gold medals at the 2026 US Rowing MidAtlantic Youth Championships on May 10 in West Windsor, New Jersey, marking a milestone moment for a program that continues to grow in both competitiveness and camaraderie.
Gemma Ciravolo and Arthur Domby won gold medals for the rowing team
For Head Rowing Coach Kathryn Brown, the partnership between Ciravolo and Domby seemed natural from the beginning.
“They are quite the dynamic duo who I thought would work well in a boat and found the opportunity to make it happen,” Brown said. “I did not know what to expect and they surpassed all expectations.”
The achievement represents far more than medals. It reflects years of growth for a program that has become one of Wyoming Seminary’s distinctive offerings; one that combines athletic discipline, teamwork, resilience, and opportunities that can open doors at the collegiate level.
Domby and Ciravolo with rowing coaches Kathryn Brown and Peter Froehlich
Unlike many regional schools, Wyoming Seminary offers students the opportunity to train and compete in rowing, with practices held daily at nearby Harveys Lake and regattas stretching across the Northeast. For students like Ciravolo and Domby, the demanding schedule has become a defining part of their Sem experience.
“Most of my weekends have been taken up by waking up at 5 a.m. to get on the van,” Ciravolo said. “But honestly, I don’t even mind waking up because I get to hang out with my friends the whole day.”
That sense of connection and shared commitment surfaced repeatedly throughout both students’ reflections on the season.
“It’s obviously way more teamwork than your average sport because you have to be perfectly in sync with people,” Ciravolo said. “It certainly builds lifelong connections.”
“You need to push as hard as possible to get anywhere in this sport,” Domby said. “At the end of every race, you feel so tired – but it’s all worth it.”
He also credits rowing with teaching discipline, resilience, and time management – lessons that extend well beyond athletics.
“The discipline part from rowing flows into school,” he said. “You need to be there. You need to help everyone. You need to be on time.”
Both students emphasized the close-knit culture that has developed within the rowing team over the past several seasons. Long van rides, early mornings, rigging boats together before races, and traveling to regattas have created strong bonds among teammates.
“I think rowing is the best way to make friends,” Ciravolo said. “Practices are the best part of my day.”
That culture has helped fuel the program’s recent success. Domby recalled the realization that the team was making history. “Sem hasn’t had a gold medal, so I’m pretty happy about that,” he said.
Domby and Ciravolo rowing for gold at the US Rowing MidAtlantic Youth Championships.
The pair will be heading to Florida on June 11 to compete in the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota Florida.
For both students, rowing has also become part of their future aspirations. Ciravolo hopes to continue rowing at the collegiate level, particularly at schools along Philadelphia’s historic Boathouse Row. Domby has already completed a college rowing interview during his first year in the sport.
As Wyoming Seminary’s rowing program celebrates a decade of growth, the accomplishments of Domby and Ciravolo signal what may be just the beginning for a program built on perseverance, trust, and teamwork – one stroke at a time.
About the Sem Rowing Program:
The Wyoming Seminary rowing program was founded as a club in 2016 by Scott Meuser, a member of the school's Board of Trustees, and his wife, Susan. To establish the team, the Meusers commissioned the Harveys Lake Rowing Club.
Elevated to varsity status in 2018, Sem Rowing offers student-athletes the opportunity to participate in one of the nation’s oldest and most dynamic interscholastic sports. It remains the only scholastic rowing team in the region.