One member of the West Seattle High School Class of 2026 who missed last night’s graduation ceremony had an understandable reason. Claire Gordon was busy rowing, on a boat whose crew just won sixth place in the nation! Claire Gordon‘s proud mom Stephanie Jordan catches us all up:
West Seattle High School senior Claire Gordon raced in the Green Lake Crew Women’s Youth 8+ that earned a sixth‑place finish at the USRowing Youth National Championships — this was the capstone race for junior crews throughout the US and took place last weekend at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL.
To reach the national A final, Claire’s boat won the Northwest Youth Regional Championship in May, advanced through the time trials in Sarasota, and placed third in their semifinal. The Green Lake women also had to contend with conditions very different from Seattle — triple‑digit heat, 90% humidity, and knowing that the course at Nathan Benderson Park is home to actual alligators. The ranking closing out a standout season for Claire’s crew. Along with their regional title, they won the Husky Open and Head of the Lake. Green Lake was edged out at the Windermere Cup by Brentwood College — a loss softened by Brentwood’s Canadian national championship win last week.
For those unfamiliar, an 8+ is a racing boat with eight rowers and a coxswain, all working in sync to move the shell as fast as possible. Each rower controls one oar on either the port or starboard side of the boat, a technique called “sweeping.” Rowers face backward, relying on their coxswain to steer, strategize, and give them directions. The sprint course stretches 2,000 meters with lanes slightly wider than twice the boat with oars extended – the crew balances power, precision, and rhythm to hold a straight line at race pace. Faster junior women can finish a sprint in under seven minutes.
Claire just completed her senior year at West Seattle High School but missed both graduation and signing day to race with her boat. She began rowing in middle school, encouraged by her older brother William, also a Green Lake alum. After Nationals, Claire and her teammates traveled to England, where they are currently training to race at the Henley Royal Regatta. They are excited to test themselves against some of the best junior boats in the world. Claire will join the University of Washington women’s rowing team as a freshman this fall.
Green Lake Crew, along with Mount Baker Crew, operates through Seattle Parks and Recreation and draws athletes from schools across the city. Claire encourages other West Seattle kids to try the sport through one of the program’s Learn to Row classes.
As noted here in 2023, both Claire and her brother have been on national-champion teams.