NEW LONDON, Conn. — 

Coast Guard men's rowing co-captain Nate Pokress (Arlington, Mass.) was revealed on Wednesday as an Empacher-IRCA Division III Second Team All-American selection.

"It's an incredible honor. Competing with the Men's Crew has been an absolute privilege," says Pokress. "I'm so grateful for all of my incredible teammates who have put in the hours with me and worked hard to achieve historic firsts for this program, and I can't wait to see what this team accomplishes in the future. Row Bears!"

The pick puts a cap on an impressive collegiate career for Pokress, who rowed for the Bears' Varsity 8 boat in all four of his years at the Academy. He was co-captain of the team this past season and was awarded the David Scot Kingrey Award for his contributions to the program during his time on the Thames; he also earned the Ross Oar Award during his freshman year as the team's best novice.

Athletes are nominated for All-American status by their institutions and are then selected by the IRCA Board of Directors to either First Team, Second Team, or Honorable Mention status based on the following criteria: the overall strength of their varsity boat's finish; their nomination rank within the institution; and coach comments, individual achievements, and erg score.

"This is a great way to recognize Nate's dedication to the Academy's rowing team and the sport of rowing as a whole," says head coach Bill Randall. Pokress, who is also a three-time Academic All-American, was a member of the Bears' V8 crew that placed sixth at the 2024 IRA National Championship. He was also a member of the 2023 NIRC-winning four-man boat.

Pokress was also recognized as an Empacher-IRCA Scholar Athlete alongside nine of his teammates: fellow seniors Ben Coutu (Juneau, Alaska) and James Chase (Greenbrae, Calif.); juniors AJ Buzzelli (Acworth, Ga.) and Zac Gamble (Waterford, Conn.); and sophomores Nick Salvati (Monroeville, N.J.), Ty Lauritzen (Issaquah, Wash.), Seth Pettis (Columbus, Ohio), Riley Ritter (Charlotte, N.C.), and Mike Lee (Cypress, Calif.).

To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete, one must meet the following criteria: second-year academic status at their institution; competed in one of their program's top three boats during the season; and a GPA of at least 3.50 through the fall semester. Pokress and Coutu both officially earned their third-straight Scholar-Athlete nods with their recognitions.