Student-Athlete Feature: Blake Vogel – True Grit
February 08, 2024 | Men's Rowing
Visitors to University of Washington athletic facilities may come across signs and posters listing the department's four "core values:" growth mindset, committed service, humility and grit.
Clearly, all of those would be positive traits for a collegiate rower and you could reasonably argue which may be more important than the others and who among a given group best personifies the various values.
When it comes to "grit," current members of the UW men's rowing team might likely point to one particular oarsman who exemplifies that attribute the best: Blake Vogel.
Raised in the small town of Mars, Pa., north of Pittsburgh in the heart of the Rust Belt, Vogel walked on to the Washington rowing team. Despite having no ties to the Pacific Northwest or the program, he leapt at the opportunity to come to Seattle.
"I knew that I wanted to go to one of the best programs in the country and win a lot of big races," he explains. "UW was the only one that stuck out to me. I made the right choice. I love U-Dub. It's a great place. I couldn't be more happy.
"When I came to look at the campus, it was my first time on the West Coast," he continues. "I love it here."
Blake made an immediate impact. In his first year on campus in 2022, he spent most of the year in the freshman crew before stroking the varsity four that finished second at IRAs.
Last spring, he was a stalwart in the second varsity eight all season, winning another silver medal in that shell at IRAs before earning a trip to the Henley Royal Regatta, where he helped the UW crew advance to the semifinals of the Temple Challenge Cup.
Blake took up rowing at the suggestion of his mother, as a way to remain in shape for other sports. It didn't take long for rowing to become his primary athletic interest, and it didn't hurt that the Central Catholic High School program has been a very successful one – two U.S. National Team rowers in the 2020 Olympics had rowed for Central Catholic.
Despite being new to the sport and (by his own account) not built for it, Blake's gritty attitude helped him succeed.
"I come from a very hard-working family," he says. "My dad was a farmer and my mom had to work very hard to put herself through college, so I definitely got those traits from my parents and from where I grew up. A lot of people where I'm from don't have very much and have to work hard for what they want. Pittsburgh is a blue-collar, 'get-your-hands-dirty' type of place. I'm really proud of the traits I picked up from my parents and from where I grew up."
Since arriving at Conibear Shellhouse, his hard work has continued to pay off.
"I came in as one of the slowest rowers, but I've really developed through the program," he says. "I wasn't really a top prospect out of high school, because I wasn't fast enough or big enough. But I've stuck with it, worked really hard and really pushed to be in the higher boats. It's really paid off."
In the meantime, Vogel has earned recognition from USRowing. In 2019, he made the U19 National Team and, in 2023, rowed in the American coxed four that won the bronze medal at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. The decision remains to be made as to whether he'll pursue rowing after graduation.
"I'm trying to decide if I want to go on after college," Blake explains. "That's a decision I'll make my senior year. Of course, I want to row for the national team, but that will depend on my development."
Blake and his teammates have a lot to look forward to before then, however. He sees the successes of the program in the spring of 2023 as having the team headed in the right direction.
"We had a great year last year," he says. "We had a lot of dedication to our team values of working hard and working together. I think it was a good stepping stone for this year. I think we're going to be really motivated."
The above feature originally appeared in UW Rowing's "SWEEP" Magazine. To read the most recent edition, click the link at the top-right of this page.
Clearly, all of those would be positive traits for a collegiate rower and you could reasonably argue which may be more important than the others and who among a given group best personifies the various values.
When it comes to "grit," current members of the UW men's rowing team might likely point to one particular oarsman who exemplifies that attribute the best: Blake Vogel.
Raised in the small town of Mars, Pa., north of Pittsburgh in the heart of the Rust Belt, Vogel walked on to the Washington rowing team. Despite having no ties to the Pacific Northwest or the program, he leapt at the opportunity to come to Seattle.
"I knew that I wanted to go to one of the best programs in the country and win a lot of big races," he explains. "UW was the only one that stuck out to me. I made the right choice. I love U-Dub. It's a great place. I couldn't be more happy.
"When I came to look at the campus, it was my first time on the West Coast," he continues. "I love it here."
Blake made an immediate impact. In his first year on campus in 2022, he spent most of the year in the freshman crew before stroking the varsity four that finished second at IRAs.
Last spring, he was a stalwart in the second varsity eight all season, winning another silver medal in that shell at IRAs before earning a trip to the Henley Royal Regatta, where he helped the UW crew advance to the semifinals of the Temple Challenge Cup.
Blake took up rowing at the suggestion of his mother, as a way to remain in shape for other sports. It didn't take long for rowing to become his primary athletic interest, and it didn't hurt that the Central Catholic High School program has been a very successful one – two U.S. National Team rowers in the 2020 Olympics had rowed for Central Catholic.
Despite being new to the sport and (by his own account) not built for it, Blake's gritty attitude helped him succeed.
"I come from a very hard-working family," he says. "My dad was a farmer and my mom had to work very hard to put herself through college, so I definitely got those traits from my parents and from where I grew up. A lot of people where I'm from don't have very much and have to work hard for what they want. Pittsburgh is a blue-collar, 'get-your-hands-dirty' type of place. I'm really proud of the traits I picked up from my parents and from where I grew up."
Since arriving at Conibear Shellhouse, his hard work has continued to pay off.
"I came in as one of the slowest rowers, but I've really developed through the program," he says. "I wasn't really a top prospect out of high school, because I wasn't fast enough or big enough. But I've stuck with it, worked really hard and really pushed to be in the higher boats. It's really paid off."
In the meantime, Vogel has earned recognition from USRowing. In 2019, he made the U19 National Team and, in 2023, rowed in the American coxed four that won the bronze medal at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. The decision remains to be made as to whether he'll pursue rowing after graduation.
"I'm trying to decide if I want to go on after college," Blake explains. "That's a decision I'll make my senior year. Of course, I want to row for the national team, but that will depend on my development."
Blake and his teammates have a lot to look forward to before then, however. He sees the successes of the program in the spring of 2023 as having the team headed in the right direction.
"We had a great year last year," he says. "We had a lot of dedication to our team values of working hard and working together. I think it was a good stepping stone for this year. I think we're going to be really motivated."
The above feature originally appeared in UW Rowing's "SWEEP" Magazine. To read the most recent edition, click the link at the top-right of this page.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Rowing
2025 Husky Hall of Fame | Bob Ernst
Monday, October 13
Washington Men's Rowing: IRA Championship 2025 Third Varsity 8+ | Huskies Highlights
Sunday, June 01
Washington Men's Rowing: IRA Championship 2025 Second Varsity 8+ | Huskies Highlights
Sunday, June 01
Washington Men's Rowing: IRA Championship 2025 Varsity 8+ | Huskies Highlights
Sunday, June 01
