NCAA Referee Liz Jenista to Chief the 2026 Lenny Peters Cup

The Race Committee is pleased to announce that Liz Jenista will return to Chair the USRowing Referee corp for the 2026 Lenny Peters Cup & North Carolina Rowing Championships in High Point on April 18. 

The highlight of the regatta will be a series of match races between Team USA and a World Team of Olympians. Each team will comprise 4 male and 4 female rowers. The winning team is presented with the Lenny Peters Cup. 

Liz Jenista has served as the Chief Referee for the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships and the ACC Rowing Championships in the past and brings a wealth of experience to the regatta.

A former competitive rower, beginning at Berkeley High School and continuing on to the University of Notre Dame, Jenista is currently an active Masters rower based in Durham, North Carolina as well as referee.

"It is a privilege to lead this exceptional officiating team. With two World Rowing umpires and a group of highly seasoned USRowing officials, we are fully committed to providing a fun, safe, and fair environment for all competitors."

"Liz brings a career-long perspective of the sport to her work on the water,"" says regatta director Gene Kininmonth. "She has served as Chief Referee at a variety of regattas and we are grateful that she is returning to the Lenny Peters Cup with an experienced team of referees under her helm."

Beyond active officiating, Liz Jenista contributes to the professional development of the corps as a member of the Julian Wolf National Referee Training School and as a referee Clinician.