June 10, 2008
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State rowing team has signed nine rowers to National Letters of Intent, head coach Jennifer Zebroski announced. All nine signees, and December commitments Vanessa Jones and Erin Rozema, will join the Aztecs in the fall.
The signing class comes after another successful 2007-08 season where the Aztecs had impressive showings at the San Diego Crew Classic, the WIRA Championships and the Dad Vail Regatta. The nine spring signees will have big shoes to fill as they will have to replace one of the strongest novice boats in recent memory. Last year, the first novice eight boat won seven of the 10 races it competed in.
This year's spring signees includes Hillary Beard, Bridgett Bottles, Michelle Boyer, Kristin Ingram, Rachel Millard, Tanya Ochoa, Emma Peck, Ali Schroeder and Mary Caroline Trawick.
"I am pleased to ink nine stellar student-athletes who have had great success in high school," Zebroski said. "I know each of the athletes will have an immediate impact on the success of our team next year. I look forward to coaching these athletes this fall and am very excited to have them join the Aztec Family."
Beard comes to SDSU from Long Beach, Calif., where she rowed for Long Beach Junior Crew the last two years. Beard also competed in basketball and softball in high school, and received the Spartan Award in basketball this past season. Beard was involved in the sports medicine club and plans to study kinesiology at San Diego State.
Bottles comes to The Mesa from Woodinville, Wash. Bottles rowed for two years with the Sammamish Rowing Association while attending Woodinville HS. Bottles is undecided on a major.
Boyer, a Santa Ysabel, Calif., native, comes to SDSU after spending one season at Washington State. Boyer, who attended Julian HS, participated in soccer and volleyball for the Eagles, serving as the team captain of the volleyball team. She also rowed for ZLAC on Misson Bay. Boyer will major in kinesiology.
A Scottsdale, Ariz., native, Ingram began her rowing career with the NorCal Crew and continued with the Tempe Town Lake Rowing after moving to Scottsdale. At NorCal, Ingram helped the novice four to a first-place finish at the Southwest Junior Regional Championships. Ingram, who also swam at North Canyon HS, is interested in studying either environmental science or sports medicine at SDSU.
Millard, a native of Gilbert, Ariz., rowed with Ingram on the Tempe Town Lake Junior Crew. Millard played two years of basketball and softball for Gilbert HS, and has over eight years of mixed martial arts experience. Millard, who has excelled in MMA and is a two-time world champ (2005 and 2006), plans to study business at SDSU when she arrives in the fall.
A transfer from CSU East Bay, Ochoa comes to San Diego from Alameda, Calif. Ochoa brings a well-rounded athletic background, including several years of participation in water polo, swimming, soccer and hockey at Alameda HS. Ochoa also coxed for the Oakland Strokes in Northern California. She intends to major in nursing at SDSU.
Peck, a native of Detroit, Mich., brings three years of coxing experience to The Mesa as a member of the Detroit Boat Club. Peck, who began her career as a rower and is now a coxswain, attended the US Junior National Development Camp in 2007. She led her boat to a first-place showing at the 2008 Cincinnati Invitational, a runner-up finish at the 2007 Midwest Championships and a fifth-place spot at the 2006 Head of Charles. Peck, who also participated in soccer, swimming, tennis and lacrosse while at Grosse Point South HS, plans to study either pre-med or public relations when she arrives at SDSU.
Schroeder, a Fair Haven, N.J. native, brings a host of athletic experience to San Diego State with a background in field hockey, lacrosse and sailing, along with crew. Schroeder rowed the past two years with Rumson Crew and attended the US Junior Women's ID Camp in New York. Schroeder has received a number of accolades for field hockey, was a member of the 2006 New Jersey Group II Field Hockey Championship team and was team captain in both field hockey and crew. An honor roll student, Schroeder plans to study political science and pre-law at SDSU.
Rounding out the nine-person signing class is Trawick, a San Marino, Calif., native. Trawick coxed with the Long Beach Junior Crew for the past two years and has participated in several summer rowing camps. Trawick was senior class President at San Marino HS, where she also participated in cross-country, soccer and swimming. A captain, Trawick earned a host of awards including the team's most inspirational, most dedicated and the coaches award. Trawick will study health sciences at San Diego State.