Xavier University of Louisiana's rowing team traveled from New Orleans to Boston this past weekend to become the first squad from a historically Black college or university to compete at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the world's largest three-day rowing event. The 61st edition of the regatta ran from Friday, October 16, through Sunday, October 18, 2026, drawing 2,671 race entries from 842 rowing clubs around the world.
According to WBZ NewsRadio 1030, reporter Kendall Buhl's coverage captured Xavier rowers reflecting on what it meant to show up on the Charles River as the program's first varsity team. Kamryn Days, a member of the squad, said the team wanted to do its best, represent, and show people it was there to compete like everyone else. The appearance capped a rapid build for a program that began as a club team just three years ago and only recently gained varsity status, per the The EDU Ledger.
From a Club on Bayou St. John to Varsity Status
Xavier's rowing program traces back to September 2023, when the university partnered with the New Orleans Rowing Club. History department chair Dr. Elizabeth Manley and a member of NORC's outreach team, Chloé Jobin, helped lead Xavier's rowing program, according to JL Athletics. Novice student rowers first trained on Bayou St. John before the program built toward something bigger. In January 2025, Xavier announced the team would transition from club status to become the nation's first co-ed varsity rowing program at an HBCU for the 2025–26 academic year, The EDU Ledger reported, after three seasons operating as a club.
To lead that transition, Xavier hired Tamara Clayton as its inaugural head coach for both the men's and women's varsity rowing programs in September 2025, per Crescent City Sports. Student-athletes also received direct mentorship and on-water instruction from prominent figures in the sport, including Olympic rower David Banks, former Division I coach Kevin Harris, and rowing pioneer Arshay Cooper, The EDU Ledger reported.
Equipment From National Rowing Backers
Getting a brand-new program onto the water at a national level required outside support. The team received support from USRowing, Arshay Cooper's A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, Concept2, Vespoli USA, and HUDSON Boat Works. HUDSON provided equipment for Xavier, and its FIN Forward program gifted a fleet of boats to A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund for sharing with programs. Xavier received shells through the fund, according to Hudson Boat Works.
Xavier's presence in Boston carries weight beyond one weekend of racing. Xavier's program is a varsity rowing effort at an HBCU, while St. Augustine's University had a club team in 2022.
Team Members Reflect on Representation
For some Xavier rowers, the regatta was personal as much as competitive. Taylor Kentish, a senior studying biochemistry, has heard from Black rowers who told her they have felt out of place in the sport. Kentish said Black rowers should not let being a minority stop them from doing something they love, and she said the team had touched many people in that way, according to WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
Co-captain Diamond Smith, a political science and sociology student, said she hopes to see more Black rowers in the sport. Smith said people should reach out to the Black community, get them into boathouses, and introduce them to waterways, per the same WBZ report.
Building a Pipeline Back Home
Xavier's rowers have already started working to widen access to the sport in New Orleans. In January 2026, team members partnered with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission during National Girls and Women in Sports Day to introduce local youth to rowing, according to New Orleans Data News Weekly. NORD's work includes youth sports and mentoring.
National grants and corporate equipment donations got Xavier's team to the Charles River, but long-term funding, local youth recruiting, and facilities development in New Orleans remain areas to watch as the program completes its inaugural varsity season.
