Cardinal Rowing Completes 2005-06 Recruiting Class
August 15, 2006 | Rowing
Aug. 15, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville rowing head coach Richard Ruggieri has announced the signing of coxswain Ashley Edwardson of St. Catharines, Ont., and rower Anastasia Prokopenko of Pskov, Russia to national letters-of-intent for the Cards' 2006-07 season.
Edwardson, a graduate of Governor Simcoe Secondary School, competed for the St. Catharine's Rowing Club and under the direction of coaches Tim Tope and Tim Dumont. As a coxswain, she led her crews to several strong finishes in 2006 including a gold medal finish in the senior men's 4+ event at the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association (CSSRA) Championships and a bronze medal finish in the senior men's 4+ event at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta.
In 2005, she led her crew to a second-place finish in the junior "A" men's 4+ event at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, a gold medal finish in the junior "A" men's 4+ race at the RowOntario Championships, a sliver medal finish in the senior men's 66kg 4+ event at the CSSRA Championships, a bronze medal finish in the senior men's 4+ race at the CSSRA Championships and a silver-medal finish in the senior men's 4+ event at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta.
"Ashley had a great deal of success coxing at the Canadian high school and club levels," said U of L head coach Richard Ruggieri. "Her experience and ability to lead is very important as she joins our varsity program. It's clear that she will help build a young, yet highly motivated group of coxswains at Louisville."
Prokopenko, a graduate of Pskov Lyceum for the Humanities, finished first in the U-18 2- and 2x events at the 2005 Russian Games and was second in Russia's U-18 national championship in the 2- event in 2005. In 2004, she was second in the U-16 4x event at the Russian national championships, and was third in the 4+ event at the 2003 national championships. She is also the daughter of Valerij Prokopenko, a highly honored coach of Russia and the former USSR at the 1980 and 1996 Olympic Games and the World Championships in 1979, 1981 and 1982.
"We're very pleased to welcome Anastasia to the University of Louisville," Ruggieri said. "Her rowing background, commitment and energy will be an asset to our varsity team. It's also exciting to bring in our first Russian recruit, who certainly will give our athletes another perspective of the world of rowing."
The Cards will open the 2006-07 rowing season on Sept. 2 against Murray State on the Ohio River in Louisville.
Players Mentioned
