Maroney commits to Dartmouth
Lucas Maroney is heading to the Ivy League.
The Grade 12 student at Notre Dame has committed to attend Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H., and compete for that school’s rowing program.
Like all Ivy League schools, Dartmouth doesn’t offer athletic scholarships but Maroney will receive financial assistance from the school.
The 17-year-old Welland resident was sold on the institution after making an official visit in October.
“I loved the feel on campus, the location around campus and the crew there. It had a great sense of family that I really admired. And, of course, they have a really great rowing program and amazing schooling.”
The factor that put Dartmouth over the top was how it felt.
“It almost felt homish. I grew up going to my grandparents’ house in Muskoka (Lake of Bays) and I got a similar vibe. It felt comfortable and somewhere I could see myself for the next four years.”
The gold medalist in the quad at the 2022 Canada Summer Games also made official visits to Princeton and Brown University.
“I enjoyed all of them equally and they were all so different. It was really just finding what is best for me and my needs.”
He is planning to study engineering sciences or general science.
On the water, he has no specific target in mind.
“My goals are to get to know the team really well and try and thrive the best I can throughout the crew. I want to figure things out and how stuff works there. I am looking forward to it because they have a lot of good programs and activities that I can do in my free time.”
He is most excited about getting to train with a large group of people.
“I have been training with the ONGPC (Ontario NextGen Performance Centre) for years now. It is a great group of people but it is not a big crew and I have never really experienced that. And I’m excited to hop into eights which I have never really done before and experience what a rowing crew is like.”
To prepare for Dartmouth, he will continue to train year-round at the centre in Welland. He has been at the centre since starting Grade 9.
“They have built me to what I am today as a rower and as a person. It’s a consistent training plan, the coaches are great and they are always on us, and there’s great equipment with our partnership with Hudson,” he said. “It has allowed me to be the best I can possibly be in the sport of rowing. Without it I wouldn’t have been even able to talk to these Ivy League schools and none of it would have been a possibility. I am really grateful.”
Maroney, who placed 11th in the double at the junior worlds in 2022, is coming off a season where he placed 10th in the single at the under-19 world championships in Paris, France.
“That was the big, main goal of 2023 for me to go out there and do what I could against the world-class levels. I was really happy with how that went and I am excited to go back next year because it is at home in St. Catharines which is super exciting.”
For his efforts, he was named Rowing Canada’s Junior Athlete of the Year.
“I was really happy about that. It was kind of unexpected but it was nice to receive that.”
He is hopeful that he will get to race once again in the single.
“I am aspiring to go back in the single because I just find that there’s never anyone to blame but yourself for anything that may happen during a race. You want to hold yourself accountable and trust the training that you’ve done. I enjoy that and it is a bit of a downside not having a partner to go through it with but it’s definitely an art that you have to learn to love.”
Maroney would love to take the next step internationally in the single.
“What would take me to the next level is winning a medal this year at U19 worlds. I am aspiring to prove that I can do that.”
