The American Canoe Association’s Sprint racing community gathered at Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park from July 27 through August 1 for the 2026 ACA Sprint National Championships, bringing together 212 paddlers from 17 clubs for four days of racing across the Bantam, Juvenile, Junior, Senior, Masters, and Para divisions.
Athletes raced everything from 200-meter sprints to 5000-meter distance events, with team boats, individual races, and a full slate of Masters age categories filling the schedule from morning heats through afternoon finals. By the time racing wrapped on Saturday, clubs across the country had turned in strong performances at every level of competition, setting up a closing banquet and awards ceremony at Elite Athletics Sports Complex in Batavia to cap off the week.
Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club Tops the Team Standings
Among the many storylines of the week, Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club’s (LCKC) team performance stood out. LCKC’s 53 paddlers claimed the Yonkers Canoe Club Trophy, awarded to the club with the most combined team points across all divisions, marking the 13th time in club history that LCKC has brought the trophy home. LCKC finished with 1,360.75 points, more than 200 points ahead of second-place Southeast Paddle Sports (SEPS), who closed the regatta with 1,155.25. Gig Harbor Canoe/Kayak Racing Team (GHCKRT) rounded out the top three with 1,153.75 points, keeping the chase for the top of the leaderboard tight even as LCKC pulled away for the overall title.
A Deep Field of Masters Competition
Photo courtesy of Dale Edwards Photography
Masters racing was another highlight of the week. Masters attendance was up across the regatta, and Southeast Paddle Sports put together one of the strongest masters showings in the field, finishing atop the masters points standings with 829.5 points.
“It was wonderful to see such a spirited masters competition with masters attendance up, and an especially strong masters showing from Southeast Paddle Sports!” said Steve Kelly, ACA Special Projects Coordinator.
Award Winners
The 2026 ACA Sprint National Championships also recognized standout individual and crew performances through its full slate of named awards:
| Award | Event | Winner(s) | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francine Fox Award | K1 500 U16 (Juvenile) Women | Lynne Kato | Southeast Paddle Sports |
| Mimi LeBeau Memorial Award | K1 500 U18 (Junior) Women | Azza Azzam | Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club |
| Andy Toro Award | C1 500 U18 (Junior) Men | Graham Leith | Washington Canoe Club |
| Greg Barton Award | K1 1000 U18 (Junior) Men | Soren Ogle | Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club |
| Donald Dodge Memorial Award | K1 1000 Senior Men | Jesse Lishchuk | Keystone Paddlers |
| Eugene & Henry Krawczyk Award | K2 200 Senior Men | Walker Peck; Arseni Mashko | Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club; San Diego Canoe Kayak Team |
| The Barton Bellingham Award | K2 1000 Senior Men | Igor Kalshnikov; Jesse Lishchuk | UA_US; Keystone Paddlers |
| Eric Feicht Memorial Award | K4 500 (was 1000) Senior Men | Humberto Perez; Ivan Kozoroz; Andrii Monastyrskyi; Andrew Surles | Cojimar Fire Paddle Club; Keystone Paddlers; Keystone Paddlers; Southeast Paddle Sports |
| Marcia Smoke Award | K1 500 Senior Women | Alyson Mrozinski | Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team |
| K4 500 Senior Women National Champion | K4 500 Senior Women | Alyson Mrozinski; Brynn Collins; Kitsy Nipper; Erin Rhodes | Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team; Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club; San Diego Sprint Paddle Club; Washington Canoe Club |
| Frank Havens Award | C1 5000 Senior Men | Fernando Jorge Enriquez | Cojimar Fire Paddle Club |
| Debbie Page Award (most Para points) | — | Deva Ramireddy | American Canoe Association |
| Nancy Kalafus Burgee | C1 500 U16 (Juvenile) Women | Molly Shields | Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team |
| Debby Smith Page Award Burgee | C1 500 U18 (Junior) Women | Malia Terry-Voisard | San Diego Sprint Paddle Club |
| Jim Terrell Burgee | C1 500 Senior Men | Fernando Jorge Enriquez | Cojimar Fire Paddle Club |
Thank You to Our Host
The ACA extends its sincere thanks to the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau for hosting this year’s championships. For more than 40 years, Clermont County has helped bring world-class water sports events to Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park, and that experience showed throughout the week — from a well-run race course and venue layout to a warm welcome for athletes, coaches, officials, and families from across the country. The Bureau also hosted the closing banquet and awards ceremony at Elite Athletics Sports Complex, capping off a memorable week of racing just east of Cincinnati.
From first-time Bantam racers to veteran Masters paddlers, the 2026 ACA Sprint National Championships once again showcased the depth and growth of the American paddlesports community — and set the stage for another exciting season ahead.