Oct. 9, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s rowing team begins competition for the 2009-10 season when the Irish travel to Rockford, Ill. for the Head of the Rock on Sun., Oct. 11. In all, the Irish will be sending 11 boats to the water in the team’s first competition of the fall. The annual event will take place at the YMCA of the Rock River Valley.
Last season at the Head of the Rock, the Irish were able to claim the collegiate novice eight title with the Notre Dame “A” boat. Notre Dame also saw its Notre Dame “A” varsity four boat (fourth) and the “A” varsity eight boat (fifth) secure top-five finishes in their respective races.
Competition will get underway with Notre Dame placing three boats in the novice eight race, with all boats being comprised of first-year members of the Irish squad. Coxswain Abby Meyers, Kathleen Bracke, Joanna Poinsatte, Alyce Kanabrocki, Kate Monahan, Meghan Salomon, Sarah Thompson, Stephanie O’Neill and Stephanie Boggs comprise the first novice eight boat, while coxswain Lauren Peartree will lead the second novice boat with a crew of Sarah McShane, Kelly Brakora, Madeline Andersen, Caitlyn Kalscheur, Paige Aiello, Kelsey Murphy, Analisa LaMair-Orosco and Kelsey Haddad. Rounding out the third entry is the crew of coxswain Kerry Casey, Danielle Schneider, Kim Dunbar, Maura Newell, Camille Sharrow, Megan Vertovec, Anne Hart, Allisa Blumenthaler and Catherine Hermann.
Four collegiate four boats will be next in action for Notre Dame, with the top two performances from that race moving on to crew the first collegiate eight boat and the third and fourth place times representing the second collegiate eight boat. Coxswain Sarah Keithley, who missed all of the 2008-09 season, will lead the crew of Brittney Kelly, Christina Buckley, Stephanie Gretsch and Morgan Kelley. Coxswain Jacqueline Gilhooly, Braegan Padley, Casey Robinson, Katherine Linnemanstons and Emily Backer will comprise another of the four boats. The third crew will have Rachael Louie as the coxswain, Colleen McKenna, Katie Suyo, Valerie Brencher and Maria Lang. The final Irish four boat is led by coxswain Elizabeth Davis with the crew of Ching-Ting Hwang, Paige White, Carol Ann Michel and Megan Keegan.
Notre Dame will conclude the days races as it sends four boats into competition in the collegiate eight race. Brianna Krafcik, Andrea Archer, Joanna Poinsatte, Meredith Figg, Monahan, Salomon, Boggs and O’Neill with the coxswain to be determined will comprise the third eight boat. Bracke, Aiello, Kelsey Murphy, LaMair-Orosco, Haddad, Hermann, Blumenthaler and Sarah Thompson will comprise the fourth Irish eight boat, with a coxswain also to be determined. The second eight boat will be coxed by Alisha Elliot with her crew members again to be determined by the final results from the collegiate fours.
Irish Boating’s For Head of the Rock Regatta:
Novice Eight:
Abby Meyers (C), Kathleen Bracke, Joanna Poinsatte, Alyce Kanabrocki, Kate Monahan, Meghan Salomon, Sarah Thompson, Stephanie O’Neill, Stephanie Boggs
Lauren Peartree (C), Sarah McShane, Kelly Brakora, Madeleine Andersen, Caitlyn Kalscheur, Paige Aeillo, Kelsey Murphy, Analisa LaMair-Orosco, Kelsey Haddad
Kerry Casey (C), Danielle Schneider, Kim Dunbar, Maura Newell, Camille Sharrow, Meghan Vertovec, Anne Hart, Alisa Blumenthaler, Catherine Hermann
Collegiate Four:
Sarah Keithley (C), Brittney Kelly, Christina Buckley, Stephanie Gretsch, Morgan Kelly
Jacqueline Gilhooly (C), Braegan Padley, Casey Robinson, Katherine Linnemanstons, Emily Backer
Rachael Louie (C), Colleen McKenna, Katie Suyo, Valerie Brencher, Maria Lang
Elizabeth Davis (C), Ching-Ting Hwang, Paige White, Carol Ann Michel, Megan Keegan
Collegiate Eight:
Boat 1: TBD (comprised of top 2 finishers from collegiate four race)
Boat 2: Alicia Elliott (C), crew TBD (comprised of bottom 2 finishers from collegiate four)
Boat 3: TBD (C), Brianna Krafcik, Andrea Archer, Joanna Poinsatte, Meredith Figg, Kate Monahan, Meghan Salomon, Stephanie Boggs, Stephanie O’Neill
Boat 4: TBD (C), Kathleen Bracke, Paige Aiello, Kelsey Murphy, Analisa LaMair-Orosco, Kelsey Haddad, Catherine Hermann, Alisa Blumenthaler, Sarah Thompson
–ND–