May 4, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion head coach Dan Garbutt welcomes the newest members of the Lady Monarch rowing team.
The following Lady Monarchs will join the squad in the Fall of 2012 as Old Dominion begins its fifth year as a varsity program. The 10 members of the incoming class represent four states - New Jersey, Hawaii, Virginia and Washington, as well as Canada - with vast experience adding to the ODU program on the rise.
Lydia Cleveland - Woodbridge, Va./Gar-Field Senior
Member of the Gar-Field High School Rowing team with coach Jeannette Newman and Prince William Rowing Club with Pat Williams...Four-year varsity letter winner for Gar-Field Senior High School...For over two seasons has coxed with the competitive men of the Prince William Rowing club and also the Men's Varsity 4 at nationals in 2011... As a freshman coxed the Varsity Lightweight 8...Also rowed as a member of the lightweight women's 4 to help strengthen her coxswain skills...Sister Emily coaches the Gar-Field novices ...Major is undecided.
Keira Flanagan - Sidney, BC, Canada/Parkland Secondary
Rowed for Victory City Rowing Club under coach Jesse Hume...In 2011, took first place at the Royal Canadian Henley with the U19 Women's 4 and second place with the U19 Women's 2...Captured first place at the 2011 British Columbia Championships with the U19 Women's 4 and Women's 2...Most recently was a member of the first place Junior A 4 + at the Brentwood Regatta and captured first at the Open Women's 1x at the Head of the Elk...Helped the Junior A Lightweight Women's 4 to a first place finish at the Brentwood Regatta...Also placed first in the Junior A Lightweight event at the Monster Erg...Rowed with the Junior A 4 to first place at the Head of the Lake and also rowed with the Junior 4 to a first place finish at the Head of the Gorge...Took fourth at the 2010 Royal Canadian Henley with the U17 Women's 4...Was also the first alternate for Team British Columbia for the Western Canada Summer Games...Plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Marisa Fruetel - Mukilteo, Wash./Kamiak
Member of the Everett Rowing Association club...Participated in the 2010 US Rowing Junior Regional Championships sitting in the two seat and placed third ...Placed fourth with the Varsity 8 and first with the Jr. Varsity 4+ at the US Rowing Championships sitting at the bow...Was named the 2011-12 team captain...Placed seventh with the Varsity 4+ at the Head of the Charles and second place with the Varsity 8 at the Head of the Lake riding bow...Major Undecided.
Raven Howser - Kaneohe, Hawaii/La Pietra
Three-year member of Coach David Ahia's Outrigger Canoe Paddling ILH Pac-5 / Kamehameha Canoe Club Regatta...Sat in the seat 3 position (Power House)...In her senior season of canoe paddling, won gold at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Championship among the 92 schools and five league competing... Finished first at the Hui Wa'a Hamehameha Canoe Club Championship Regatta in 2011...In 2010 came in first place at the Pac-5 ILH Varsity High School Canoe Paddling Championships for the first time in the Pac-5's history...Also came in first place at the Hui Wa'a Kamehameha Canoe Club Championship Regatta in 2010 with a girls 15's and 16's season record of seven gold, four silver, and three bronze medals... Was the state runner-up in the Pac-5 ILH Varsity High School Canoe Paddling Championships and missing first by one second... Helped her girls 16's team record an undefeated season with a record nine gold medals...In 2009 placed first in the Pac-5 ILH High School Canoe Paddling Championship JV for the first time in Pac-5 history she also received the Most Inspirational Award... Finished as the runner up at the Hui Wa'a Kamehameha Canoe Club Championship Regatta...Set girls 15's all-time season record with ten gold, six silver, and two bronze medals...Plans on working with children in Child Developmental Psychology.
Meredith Kirby - Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge
Two-year member of the Great Bridge High School rowing team coached by Bryan Stambaugh... Placed first at Regionals two consecutive years, once with the women's second varsity boat and once with the women's lightweight double...First at states two consecutive years, once with the women's second varsity boat and once with the women's lightweight double... Placed fifth at the Stotesbury Cup senior year in the women's lightweight double as well as fifth at Nationals in the women's lightweight double...Finished her high school career with a 3.95 GPA while taking honors and AP courses...National Honor Society member from 2010-2012...Plans to major in Early Childhood Education.
Ashley Nardiello - Sea Isle City, N.J./Ocean City
Four-year varsity letter winner of the Ocean City High School rowing team coached by Jolene Tiz...As a freshman, helped the Varsity 8 place second at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, third at the Atlantic County Championships and fifth in the finals at the SRAA National Championships...Was invited to the US National Rowing Championship in Ohio... Was the freshman representative in the Championship boat at the Greenhead Sprint erg race... Was the first freshman in Ocean City crew history to receive a varsity letter, medal with an 8 boat, and to break 8:00 in a 2k...Received the hammer award... Was the first sophomore to row stroke in the Varsity 8...Won second place at the Garden State Games, third at the Atlantic County Championships, third in the Philadelphia City Championship, and fourth in the petite finals at the SRAA National Championships... Was the junior varsity representative at the Greenhead Sprint erg race...As a junior finished first in the Frostbite Regatta...Finished first in heat at the 2011 Crash B's... Was the varsity representative at the Greenhead Sprints and finished in second place in the individual championship...Named captain of the team as a senior...Has worked with the Ocean City Crew Boosters summer camp to help teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students the fundamentals of the sport of crew...Planning to major in Primary Education.
Colleen Rennie - Galloway, N.J./Absegami
Four-year member of the Absegami rowing team under coaches Terry Aucott, Dave Bird, Brad Young, and Chuck McGinnis...As a senior, took first place at the Mainland Row for Humanity Ergathon for the third straight year and also took first place at the Gami Sprints....As a member of the Varsity 8, won bronze medals at the Garden State Scholastic Championships and Cooper Cup Regatta....During her junior season moved up to become a member of the Varsity 8... Took first place in the Philadelphia Children's Foundation Race, Mainland Row for Humanity, and helped her squad to a first place win at the Brigantine Greenhead Sprints Erg competition, placing second overall...Took second at the Atlantic County Championships and Shoobie Cup Regatta and placed third at the Garden State Scholastic Championship...Also placed 11th overall at the SRAA National Championship...As a sophomore, rowed with the Junior Varsity 8...Was a bronze medalist at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, helping Absegami to its first Stotesbury medal in school history...Was a gold medalist at the NJ Scholastics Rowing Championships and Atlantic County Championships...Placed sixth in the grand final at the SRAA National Championships...Placed first at both the Mainland Row for Humanity Ergathon and Gami Sprints in the sophomore category...In her first year at Absegami, was in the championship boat and placed second at the Brigantine Greenheads....Took second at the Gami Sprints in the freshman category...Also placed third at the Atlantic County Championships...A member of the High Honor/Merit Roll, also a volunteer with Atlantic County Rowing Association, Habitat for Humanity, and joined her teammates in fundraising for the annual Shirley Mae Breast Cancer Foundation 5k.
Jenna Sterling - Galloway, N.J./Absegami
Four-year member Absegami High School rowing team coached by Terry Aucott, David Bird, and Brad Young...A 2011 Atlantic City Press All-Star with the Second Varsity 8... Helped the Second Varsity 8 to the NJ State and Atlantic County Championships...Captured a silver medal at the SRAA Nationals and a bronze medal at the Philadelphia Cities...In 2010, was named an Atlantic City Press All-Star with the Junior Varsity 8...Also captured the NJ State and Atlantic County Championships and were also national finalists...Rowed to a bronze medal at the Stotesbury Regatta and Philadelphia Cities...Children's Fund Regatta Champion...Member of the National Honor Society and Key Club...Served as a summer learning program assistant coach in 2011 with the Atlantic County Rowing Association...Traveled to Australia as a People to People Student Ambassador in the summer of 2007...Plans to major in speech pathology and audiology.
Brett Wolff - Mukilteo, Wash./Kamiak
Member of the Everett Rowing Association Club rowing for Padraic McGovern... Clocked in with a time of 1:46.80 on her best 500m erg time and 7:38.8 on her best 2,000 meter erg time...Average split for a 4k is 1:58.8...Works at the Everett Food Bank and also has volunteered her time working with the Everett Rowing Association...Plans to major in education...
Lauren Wright - Atlantic City, NJ/Egg Harbor Township
Three-year member of the Egg Harbor Township rowing team coached by Dan Welsh... Was the stroke of the novice 8 and freshman quad in 2009... In 2010 she rowed at the bow position of the JV4 and placed first at counties... In 2011 she rowed at the stroke of the JV double and bow of the varsity 4 placing second at counties with the varsity quad, second at states with the varsity 4, and fifth at the SRAA Nationals with the JV double... National Honor Society and Varsity Scholar member... Planning to major in Psychology