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Olivia Bachert had no plans last summer. She hoped to spend time sleeping in and recovering after a demanding freshman season with Syracuse women’s rowing, in which she helped bring the Orange their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship. That was until Bachert was presented with some news.

The USA Under-23 women’s rowing team had a vacancy on its roster before the 2024 World Championships. A rower had recently dropped out of the varsity 4 due to injury, and Bachert was offered the spot. But, she was conflicted.

“I actually was not anticipating it at all, especially coming off my freshman season,” Bachert said. “I was super excited, but I had no idea if I wanted to take it because it was terrifying.”

While her emotions collided, Bachert called her parents, Michael and Michele, to discuss the opportunity. Michael told her to take some time to reach a verdict. But five minutes later, Bachert accepted and told her father to write a check so she could head to training camp at Dartmouth College in Vermont.

Despite starting late and competing in just two races, Bachert’s U23 experience — where her boat captured a silver medal — left a lasting impact. After coming off her freshman season with the Orange, where she primarily served as the six-seat for the second varsity 8, her time at U23s boosted her confidence to become the eight-seat for the V8 in 2025.

“When you go up against some of the best rowers in the country, and not only can you run toe-to-toe with them, but you can beat them, that’s going to give you some confidence that you can move the boat at a pretty fast speed,” Syracuse head coach Luke McGee said.

Bachert’s spot in the boat wasn’t guaranteed when she started, though. She competed in seat races, swapping with different rowers to experiment which combination produced the fastest time. But, the experience enhanced her confidence entering her sophomore year and she became one of the top rowers on the squad.

“I was the last person invited to camp, and I didn’t think I was gonna go very far,” Bachert said. “But then, I started winning seat races, and I was getting really excited about winning these races, seeing that I was getting better on the water and that I could come into Syracuse and help move the boats better.”

Her daily races during the summer allowed her to bond with some of the best rowers in the country. Bachert met rowers from No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Washington, Wisconsin and even ACC foe No. 12 Virginia. She put aside the rivalry for the summer, which only made her more motivated to bring home a gold medal.

“We’re not a big fan of Virginia, but at camp, you really see that these girls are so hardworking just like you, and it builds a lot of respect for all different programs,” Bachert said.

Both the relationships she built and the competitions she participated in refined Bachert’s game. But, from the moment she picked up a paddle, she had the necessary tools to be an effective rower.

Bachert grew up playing basketball with her three sisters, Sophia, Elsa and Claire, and was one of the strongest players on the court. But during her sophomore year in high school, Bachert couldn’t play due to the courts closing during COVID-19.

It was a blessing in disguise. As a sophomore, Bachert was just learning to drive. Her parents were giving her a driving lesson on Belle Isle at the Detroit River, near her hometown of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. She noticed a boathouse and people pulling boats out of the water. Bachert was intrigued, leading to her involvement in the sport.

Within weeks, Bachert was rowing for the Detroit Boat Club, a small program accepting rowers of any skill level. Her coach, Mike Gentile, knew she had immediate talent from playing basketball and believed in his newest rower’s potential.

“We’re looking for people who just have athletic ability and can pick things up quickly,” Gentile said. “Olivia definitely had that.”

Bachert enjoyed a successful three years with the club. In 2022, her squad placed fourth at Junior Nationals. But in her senior year of high school, Bachert’s boat finished on top.

“There was a cast of girls that were her age that all came together at the same time to make that club successful,” Michael said.

Bachert had enough pieces to prepare her for her U23 journey. It also helped draw serious attention from Division I schools. She wanted somewhere competitive that’d give her reps early. When the University of Kansas came calling, Bachert had an interesting message.

“Kansas loved her, and (it) wanted her,” Michele recalled. “(It was) offering everything, and she literally said, ‘Well, you’re not competitive enough.’”

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She eventually settled on Syracuse after McGee and former associate head coach Claire Ochal heavily recruited her, choosing it because it had the balance she wanted.

Bachert enjoyed her freshman year with SU. As the 2V8’s six-seat, she helped the boat set an ACC Championship record time of 6:19.406, part of the Orange’s eventual conference title. Still, she wanted more.

Her summer at the World Championships was all she needed. Bachert only raced twice in the semifinals and finals, but her performances stood out. The U.S. finished first ahead of eventual champions New Zealand in the semifinals. In the final, though, Bachert’s crew earned its silver medal with a 7:04.83 time, just shy of New Zealand (7:03:00).

The experience directly fueled her sophomore promotion as the stroke of the varsity 8. With athletes constantly swapping boats, her confidence built from U23s put her exactly where McGee had hoped.

“We put her in the stroke seat because she’s a really hard racer and a competitive racer,” McGee said. “I think her superpower is just that willingness to go hard and to compete.”

Bachert is peaking at the right time. With the ACC Championship on the horizon, her newfound confidence from her U23 races will be key to notching the Orange’s second straight title.

Published on April 29, 2025 at 11:27 pm
jaglick@syr.edu