Kenneth Coplan, Montclair High School Rowing alumnus and member of the Montclair High School Class of 2018, was selected to row for Cambridge University and claimed victory over Oxford in The Boat Race on Saturday, March 30
in London.
The Boat Race, one of the oldest and most famous amateur sporting events in the world, is an annual rowing competition between crews from two of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious universities and rowing institutions, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Synonymous with British tradition and rowing excellence, The Boat Race has established itself as the pinnacle of amateur sport, combining academic rigor with elite physical prowess by carefully curating boats of 36 of the finest, most skilled, men’s and women’s scholastic rowers and coxswains in the world. The race takes place on the famous Championship Course in London that stretches over 4.25 miles of the Thames River and is regularly attended by over 250,000 spectators and broadcast to millions worldwide.
Montclair’s own, “Kenny” Coplan, is a well decorated oarsman and scholastic athlete with a rich connection to the sport on a global scale. As a member of the championship Montclair Rowing High School Team from 2014-2018, he celebrated many great achievements and program firsts. As a team Captain and record holder for the fastest Freshman 2k erg time (to this day), he and his Varsity 8 teammates had a storied high school career as consecutive 2017 and 2018 Scholastic National Champions, New Jersey State Champions, Stotesbury Cup Champions and bronze medalists at Youth Nationals in 2017. He was also part of the semi-finalist team at the Henley Royal Regatta and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Junior World Championships as part of his men’s four. Upon graduation from Montclair High School, Kenny was recruited to row at Harvard University where he enjoyed great success as a member of the Harvard Heavyweight Rowing Team as well as the U19 and U23 National Teams, winning bronze at the 2019 IRA National Championships and silver for Team USA at the 2021 U23 World Championship in his men’s eight.
Jeremy Michalitsianos, Kenny’s Coach at Montclair High School states, “Kenny was a member of our team for four years and always a standout rower and superb athlete. His work ethic was unparalleled and while with us, he won many championships and medaled for Team USA in the U19 World Championship. He continues to be a tremendous role model for our athletes and community, and we are extremely proud of his successes at Harvard, Cambridge and beyond."