Louisville Rowing Announces Three Signees
January 09, 2009 | Rowing
Jan. 9, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville rowing head coach Laura Fogt announced the signing Ellen Fawcett, Lauren Proctor-Brown and Rebekka Thumhart to National Letters-of-Intent during the early signing period. All three student-athletes will enroll at U of L in the fall of 2009.
"The three ladies we signed this fall will bring great depth, enthusiasm and speed to the program," said Cards' second-year head coach Laura Fogt. "All of the ladies possess the desire, passion and competitive spirit we look for in our athletes, and they are extremely excited about becoming Cardinals. We look forward to continuing to build on our incoming freshmen class and these three ladies have provided the base for our incoming freshmen class."
Fawcett is a native of St. Catharines, Ont., and is a coxswain for the St. Catharines Rowing Club. She has coxed for every type of crew from lightweight women to Master's men, including former Canadian National Team members. She's been a coxswain since eighth grade and has coxed more than 60 regattas, including the Head of the Charles, the Royal Canadian Henley and the Stotesbury Regatta. She also coxed for the same club as current Louisville junior coxswain Ashley Edwardson and Louisville sophomore rower and 2008 CRCA All-American Kristin Falovo. She currently attends Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
"Ellen has proven to be a great coxswain at the junior level and has shown great success in the crews she has led down the course," said Fogt. "Ellen is extremely competitive, highly organized and I have confidence in her ability to come in and be a leader from the get-go. Coming from St. Catharine's Rowing Club, she has been exposed to a very high level of rowing and racing, which will be a great asset to the continued development of the program."
Proctor-Brown is a native of Glendale, Wis., and she rows for the Milwaukee Rowing Club. She took third in the women's eight at the Royal Canadian Henley in 2008 and finished 12th at the 2008 Head of the Charles, only one second from the top 10. Along with rowing, her other passion is horses and she's very interested in the opportunities of being involved in one of the multiple horse farms in the Louisville area. She currently attends Nicolet High School.
"Lauren is an extremely talented athlete that is busting at the seams with potential," said Fogt. "Lauren comes from a great club that has produced great results as well as great athletes. Lauren is thrilled about focusing the next four years on rowing and seeing how far she can push her limits. We are excited about Lauren's addition to the Cardinal Family and we look forward to watching her excel in her new environment."
Thumhart is a native of Galloway, N.J., where she rows for Absegami High School. Along with being a true leader and earning MVP honors for her high school crew, she has also raced and competed for multiple clubs throughout the East Coast. She also has extensive race experience at the national level and competed at the Club Nationals in 2008. She knew she made the right decision to attend UofL when a Cardinal flew into the bagel shop where she works on the day she signed her National Letter-of-Intent.
"Rebekka loves rowing and she loves to race; that was evident from the moment we met her," Fogt said. "As an incoming freshman, this excitement and enthusiasm will play a critical role in her development and success at the Division I level. Rebekka has a clear understanding of what is required to compete at a high level and we know that will be a great help to the program throughout her four years as a Cardinal."
The Cards will open the spring season with a training trip to Oak Ridge, Tenn., on March 14-20, which will include races against Duke and Buffalo on March 15.
Players Mentioned
