Meet Weston rowers Siena Flanigon and Jackie Stjernfeldt

WESTON, Mass. — Siena Flanigon and Jackie Stjernfeldt, both seniors at Weston High School (WHS) this year, competed at Nationals this summer, topping off an incredible spring season rowing in separate boats with the Wayland-Weston (WW) Crew team. Since Jackie’s straight 4 (four rowers and no coxswain) placed 2nd and Siena’s 3rd at Regionals, they were guaranteed a spot at Nationals, coming in 5th and 11th, respectively. This is an amazing feat for a truly incredible program that has had Olympians and collegiate and high school championship athletes throughout its many years.

Siena has rowed with the WW Crew team since freshman year, both fall and spring seasons, and rows during each summer and winter to continue her training. Jackie joined WW Crew during the spring of her sophomore year and spent the summer of 2022 rowing for Stockholm’s Roddförening team in Sweden and this past summer with the USRowing Selection Development team, racing at the Summer Nationals, coming in 3rd place in U23 4+ (with coxswain).

They each have had many other rowing accomplishments. Siena’s straight 4 (4-) WW Crew team won States three years in a row from 2021-2023, and she won 1st place at States three times in an eight and double in the fall of 2021 and in a quad in the spring of 2022. Jackie’s 8+ team came in 23rd at the world-renowned Head of the Charles in 2023, and she was part of the 1st place 4+ and 8+ teams at the New Hampshire Championships 2022, the 1st place 8+ team at the Textile River Regatta 2022, and the 2nd place 8+ team at the New England Championships 2022.

Both women also compete in other sports. Siena swims for the WHS Girls Swim/Dive team; and Jackie is Captain of WHS’ Alpine Ski team and also played on the Varsity Field Hockey team her sophomore year.

Let’s get to know these incredible women better!

What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?

Siena Flanigon: My ultimate goal is to master my technique. My coach likes to tell us that, when everyone in the boat is rowing with perfect technique, rowing becomes effortless. However, rowing a perfect stroke is like walking on a tightrope. The boat must be completely stable, and each rower has to exert power at exactly the same time. It is not an easy thing to master.

Jackie Stjernfeldt: I plan to continue my career at the collegiate level, and it is my goal to try to either qualify a small boat for the World Championships or earn an invitation to the National Team Selection Camp.

What do you think are the attributes/skills that you have that help you excel in your sport(s)?

Flanigon: I am very determined. Even though I am not as tall as some of my teammates (height is a large advantage in rowing), I do extra workouts at home so that I can keep up in strength. I also am a team player and push myself hard in races, knowing that everyone in the boat relies on each other.

Stjernfeldt: Rowing requires mental toughness, something which I have spent lots of time building through different sports. A good attitude helps tackle challenging pieces on the water. Additionally, I have spent lots of time building the necessary muscles to succeed, so that I am able to maximize my watt output on the water.

How do you support your rowing off the water?

Flanigon: We practice six days a week for 2.5 hours. When we have regattas, we may be spending 10-20 hours of our weekend at the race course. So when I’m not on the water, I supplement my training with erging and lifting often in the mornings before school.

Stjernfeldt: Because we put so many hours in at practice, I need to keep a balanced lifestyle outside of rowing. I stretch, spin my legs out on the bike and make sure to catch up on my academic work on my days off the water. In addition to recovery, I maintain a strict, healthy diet and lift three times per week.

What is your biggest challenge in rowing, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Flanigon: My coach always tells me that I need to think less. Overthinking and being tense slows the boat down. It is easier to find speed when I feel the movement of the boat and relax.

Stjernfeldt: Since I started later than many of the girls in my boats, my technique is not yet as good as some of theirs. I spend hours every week working on my technique on the water in small boats, which holds me accountable for using my power to move the boat and not wasting watts.

What do you love about crew?

Flanigon: Everyone at crew is totally committed, and we happily spend countless hours together at the boathouse each week. Everyone puts 100% effort into the sport.

Stjernfeldt: I love finding good strokes. There is no feeling better than when the boat finally “clicks” and it starts to run efficiently, which makes the load lighter. It is also amazing to spend so much time with the same people, as you form real bonds, which in turn help on the water.

What has being a member of a team taught you?

Flanigon: I’ve learned to be self-aware, not let my ego get ahead of me, and always put the team before me.

Stjernfeldt: It has taught me how to think about the bigger picture. Crew seems individual, since it is a relationship between your body and the oar. However, your personal power is irrelevant if the boat chemistry is off.

How do you work to develop team synchronicity?

Flanigon: The team is a family. We often have team dinners or do team bonding activities, such as going to an escape room or doing the Harvard Stadiums.

Stjernfeldt: Team synchronicity comes from team chemistry. If the girls aren’t happy with each other, the boat will never move well, regardless of how talented all the individual rowers are. If things aren’t moving well, Coach Mike has us work out any issues so we are all happy and work well together.

What do you like to do outside of rowing?

Flanigon: I like to ski, run, play piano and spend time with friends and family.

Stjernfeldt: I love skiing, spending most winter weekends skiing with my family at Sunday River Resort. I also grew up sailing competitively and have been coaching sailing in Sweden for the last couple of summers. So, whenever I get the chance, my brother and I will spend quality time in our small sailboat.

What makes rowing in a 4 different from other races?

Flanigon: Fours are typically more challenging to keep stable than other boats. The straight four is especially difficult because we do not have a coxswain, so one of the rowers has to steer the boat by moving their foot back and forth. (The shoe in the boat is attached to the rudder, which controls the steering.) Further, since we don’t have a coxswain, there is no one making calls, so we have to work together to decide when to speed up and pull ahead of another boat.

Stjernfeldt: The fours hold you accountable, especially the straight four, since we are all in charge of the typical roles of a coxswain, like steering, motivation and organization. In the straight, each person has a different task that they need to perform in order for the boat to move smoothly. In the eight, my job is just to throw down big watts.

How do you like being on a combined school team?

Flanigon: I am so thankful to be combined with Wayland. I have become great friends with people I wouldn’t otherwise have met. It’s funny because Wayland is our biggest rival during the swim season, and my rowing teammates suddenly become my competitors. But, it’s always friendly competition!

Stjernfeldt: I love making new friends from other schools that I can see in my free time!

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