Small but Mighty: Seminole County Rowers Make Big Waves at State Championships

Name: Florida Scholastic Rowing Association Sculling State Championships
Location: Sarasota

Corby Morrison
Apr 13
2 min read

Updated: May 24

SCAR rowers and Head Coach Michelle Hill pose with medals on the shoreline after the FSRA Sculling State Championships. Athletes from Seminole, Lyman, and Lake Mary High Schools stand together in racing uniforms under a bright blue sky.

Every senior from community-based Sanford club medals at elite FSRA Sculling State Championships

On a lake most people drive past without a second thought, a small group of Seminole County rowers is quietly building a powerhouse.

At the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association Sculling State Championships in Sarasota, every senior representing Seminole County Area Rowing earned a medal, a rare and remarkable achievement for a modest, community-based club competing against much larger and better-funded programs from across the state.

The results were impressive across the board.

Leading the way was Bryan Gracia Lopez of Lyman High School, who captured gold in the Boys Lightweight Single (1x).

Elenor Chapman and Baylee Hart, seniors representing Seminole High School, earned bronze in the highly competitive Girls Varsity Double (2x), while Lucy Stepp, from Lake Mary High School, claimed bronze in the Girls Varsity Single (1x).

All four athletes train on Lake Jesup in Seminole County, often in early morning hours, with limited resources, and sharing the water with wildlife instead of grandstands.

The team is led by Michelle Hill, an experienced Level 3 USRowing head coach, whose leadership has helped turn the small club into one of Florida’s most consistent rowing programs. Under Hill’s guidance, Seminole County Area Rowing has now won state championships three consecutive years, an extraordinary feat for a small club open to any middle or high school student in the county willing to commit to the work.

“We’re not the biggest program, and we don’t try to be,” Hill said. “What we have is commitment. These athletes show up every day, trust the process, and race with confidence.”

Seminole County Area Rowing brings together students from multiple high schools, offering access to elite-level training regardless of prior rowing experience. Many athletes first sit in a rowing shell as beginners in 8th or 9th grade and finish their senior seasons standing on a state podium.

In a sport often dominated by large, legacy programs, Seminole County Area Rowing continues to prove that grit, coaching, and community can propel a small team to the top of the state.