Women's Rowing 10/4/2019 9:07:00 AM Chris Brannick

Champs Return To The Water Saturday

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Central Oklahoma rowing team makes its anticipated return to the water Saturday for the first time since winning its second consecutive national championship last spring.

The annual Head of the Oklahoma gets the 2019-20 season underway this weekend. Central Oklahoma will put eight boats in the water this weekend as it opens the new year. Three eights (Varsity 8+ A & B, and the Novice 8+) will accompany five fours (Varsity 4+ A, B, & C, and Novice 4+ A & B).

V8 racing will open the festivities Saturday morning at 11 a.m. and Novice 8 will follow at 12:25 p.m. The novice fours go off at 2:50 p.m. while the V4s follow at 3:40 p.m. Night Sprints, which are determined by preliminary racing, will cap off the day-long event.

Central will race against Oklahoma, Kansas, Southern Methodist, Alabama, Tulsa, Texas A&M, and Texas Christian.

The Broncho rowing program won national championships in both 2018 and 2019. UCO's V8 boat has won three straight titles (2017-18-19) while its V4 boat won its first title last spring. Central Oklahoma has had 17 student-athletes earn All-American honors a combined 22 times since beginning the rowing program 11 seasons ago.

Here are the UCO lineups for this weekend:

V8A: Madisyn Kitchell (coxswain), Kiele Erickson, Kateryna Klymenko, Megan Dwarshuis, Eileen Anderson, Shelby Wackerly, Siobhan Quirke, Allison Staley, Bailee Thomas.
V8B: Josephine Boschert (coxswain), Elina Varmia, Indira Diaz, Mikala Brown, Madison Hartenstein, Lea Malezieux, Tristen Ramirez, Keondra Whisenhunt, Carly Koons.
N8: Lexi Mathena (coxswain), Aleah Dutton, Sage Kroeken, Kelsi Smith, Sarah Jackson, Greta Asmenaite, Kelsey Woellmer, Bre Brown.
N4A: Evelyn Withington (coxswain), Smith, Kroeker, Asmenaite, Woellmer.
N4B: Ashlee Norton (coxswain), Molly Koons, Jackson, Courtney Hopkins, Dutton.
V4A: Kitchell (coxswain), Erickson, Klymenko, Dwarshius, Thomas.
V4B: Boschert (coxswain), Wackerly, Anderson, Staley, Quirke.
V4C: Yesenia Gil Salazar (coxswain), Diaz, Varmia, Hartenstein, Brown.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Eileen Anderson: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Megan Dwarshuis: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Kiele Erickson: 5' 8"; Senior; Varsity

Madison Hartenstein: 5' 5"; Senior; Varsity

Madisyn Kitchell: 5' 6"; Senior; Varsity

Siobhan Quirke: 5' 3"; Junior; Varsity

Allison Staley: 5' 8"; Sophomore; Varsity

Bailee Thomas: 5' 9"; Senior; Varsity

Elina Varmia: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Shelby Wackerly: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Players Mentioned

Eileen Anderson
: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Megan Dwarshuis
: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Kiele Erickson
: 5' 8"; Senior; Varsity

Madison Hartenstein
: 5' 5"; Senior; Varsity

Madisyn Kitchell
: 5' 6"; Senior; Varsity

Siobhan Quirke
: 5' 3"; Junior; Varsity

Allison Staley
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; Varsity

Bailee Thomas
: 5' 9"; Senior; Varsity

Elina Varmia
: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity

Shelby Wackerly
: 5' 10"; Senior; Varsity