05/14/2026
Thank you Brevard Sports Network!
BSN ROWING: MEL HIGH CREW’S FRESHMAN 8+ QUALIFIES FOR NATIONALS AFTER THRILLING BRONZE-MEDAL FINISH AT SOUTHEAST REGIONALS
For the second straight year, Melbourne High Crew is headed back to the biggest stage in youth rowing.
And this time, it’s the next generation leading the charge.
Mel High Crew’s Freshman Men’s 8+ secured a berth in the USRowing Youth National Championships after capturing the bronze medal at the USRowing Southeast Youth Championships on Sunday at Nathan Benderson Park.
In a race that came down to fractions of a second, Mel High crossed the line in 6:27.48, finishing just 0.50 seconds behind silver medal position while narrowly holding off the fourth-place boat by only 0.59 seconds in a dramatic near photo finish.
That finish punched their ticket to Nationals next month, where they will compete against the top 24 boats in the country, representing the best crews from all six USRowing regional championships across the United States.
And perhaps the most impressive part of all?
This wasn’t a veteran-loaded crew.
This was a boat built around freshmen and middle school athletes.
The Men’s U17 8+ lineup featured eighth grader Max Ferrera of DeLaura Middle School serving as coxswain, followed by freshman Micah Feldmeier in the stroke seat alongside Everett Gilchrist, James Ferguson, Mark Talaia, Haiden Frye, Grayson Scott, eighth grader Andrew Kerschensteiner, and freshman Alexandros “ChuChu” Ramsaran in the bow seat.
Together, they delivered one of the biggest moments in recent program history.
The bronze medal performance also continued a remarkable postseason run for the young crew, which has now earned bronze medals at both major championship regattas entering nationals.
That consistency matters.
Because rowing at this level is about far more than raw speed. It’s synchronization, endurance, composure, mental toughness, and the ability to stay technically sharp while your body is screaming at you to break form.
Mel High’s freshmen showed all of it.
And now they’ll carry that momentum into the most prestigious youth rowing event in America.
The success at regionals wasn’t limited to the freshman boat either.
Senior standout Maylin Kabaservice placed 17th overall in the women’s single division against some of the top competition in the Southeastern United States, capping off another outstanding season for one of the program’s most accomplished athletes.
Meanwhile, West Shore freshman Izzy Pejic continued to establish herself as one of the emerging young talents in Florida rowing. Pejic placed fourth in her semifinal and finished seventh overall in the Southeast in the Women’s U17 single division—a phenomenal accomplishment for a freshman competing at this level.
If this weekend proved anything, it’s that Mel High Crew’s future pipeline is very real.
The Men’s Varsity 4+ also battled adversity in one of the more heartbreaking moments of the regatta. The boat, consisting of senior Kristian Chavez, junior Owen King, and sophomores Wyatt Channer, Brayton Thomas, and Gio Ramsaran, advanced to the semifinals and ultimately placed 10th overall in the Southeast.
However, disaster struck early in the semifinal race when an underwater buoy ripped off the boat’s skeg—the steering fin underneath the shell—making it nearly impossible to properly control the boat for the remainder of the race.
Despite the setback, the crew still fought through the conditions and represented the program with toughness and resilience.
That grit has become part of the identity of Mel High Crew.
A year ago, the program broke through nationally with a historic Varsity 4+ run that earned a national bid and placed Mel High among the elite rowing programs in the country.
Now in 2026, they’ve proven that wasn’t a one-year story.
This program is sustaining success.
And with the team preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary next season, the timing couldn’t feel more fitting.
Under the guidance of coaches Bojana Pejic, Caelan King, Jocelyn Little, and Billy Feldmeier, Mel High continues to grow not just in results, but in depth, development, and belief.
The standard has changed.
Mel High Crew is no longer trying to prove it belongs among the Southeast’s best.
It already does.
BSN SAYS
Back-to-back national bids tell you everything you need to know about where this program is headed.
The scary part for the rest of the region? This latest breakthrough came from freshmen and middle school athletes.
That means this isn’t the peak.
It’s the foundation.
Mel High Crew has built a culture that now expects to compete at the highest level, and when young athletes begin achieving this kind of success this early, it changes the entire trajectory of a program.
The green and white aren’t just rowing fast anymore.
They’re building something that looks sustainable for years to come.
Mel Hi Crew
Krissy Knows
