Louisville Rowing Announces 2010 Recruiting Class
June 11, 2010 | Rowing
June 11, 2010
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville rowing head coach Laura Aubrey has announced the Cardinals' 2010 recruiting class. The class is comprised of 11 newcomers, including eight from the United States, one from Australia, one from New Zealand and one from Russia, set to join the program for the 2010-11 season.
"We couldn't be more excited about the group of ladies that we having joining the team this fall," said Aubrey. "They are all extremely excited about becoming the newest Cardinal members and will take great pride in representing this university to the best of their athletic abilities. This is the largest recruiting class in the program's history as well as the most competitive. This class comes in with great experience and even greater potential. They will provide great depth to the program and they will all have an immediate impact on the team."
2010 Louisville Rowing Recruiting Class
Morgan Dunham
Te Puke, New Zealand
St. Peters
Coach Aubrey on Morgan: "Morgan has had great success competing for New Zealand's Junior National Team and we can't wait for her to bring that experience to Louisville. She has worked extremely hard this past year and I know she will be a great contributor to the team."
Kirsten Elliot
Culver, Ind.
Culver Academies
Coach Aubrey on Kirsten: "Kirsten is going to be a great addition to the team because of her strong athletic background, her commitment to academic excellence and her desire to become a strong leader and teammate. I'm excited to see her continued growth throughout her first year."
Brittany Knaszak
Orchard Park, N.Y.
West Side Rowing Club
Coach Aubrey on Brittany: "Brittany comes from a very competitive club and that has helped her become a very competitive rower and athlete. She loves big time athletics and her excitement for attending the University of Louisville will undoubtedly be contagious to her teammates."
Elyse Kortier
Toledo, Ohio
St. Ursula
Coach Aubrey on Elyse: "Elyse has shown great athleticism in rowing and we see many great things coming from her throughout her collegiate career. She completed her rowing season with a strong finish and can't wait to get her collegiate rowing career started."
Ekaterina (Katya) Monchenko
Moscow, Russia
Coach Aubrey on Katya: "Katya has a very strong rowing resume and is honored by the opportunity to come and compete in the U.S. for the University of Louisville. Katya has an immense amount of racing experience at the International level. Most notably, she was the stroke for Russia's Junior National team in the 2009 Junior World Championships. This racing experience, combined with Katya's natural strength and ability, will have an immediate impact on the team."
Kelly O'Conor
Potomac, Md.
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Coach Aubrey on Kelly: "Kelly had a great spring racing season and will continue to provide us with the depth we need to put together the best BIG EAST squad possible. I love Kelly's excitement about becoming a Cardinal and I know she will be a great addition to the team."
Amanda Ritter
St. Charles, Mo.
St. Louis Rowing Club
Coach Aubrey on Amanda: "Amanda is coming from one of the top clubs in the Midwest and brings outstanding race experience along with an extremely high level of academics."
Alexandra Roberts
Reedy Creek, Queensland, Australia
Somerset College
Coach Aubrey on Alex: "Alex had an extremely successful season and she is excited about competing at the next level. Alex has been training very hard so that she is fully prepared for the season and I know she is going to do great things for the program."
Shelby Stafford
Enon, Ohio
Greater Dayton Rowing Association
Coach Aubrey on Shelby: "Shelby is new to the sport of rowing but has already proven to have unbelievable strength and power. We will use the fall to help her develop her stroke so that power is used effectively and efficiently. Outside of the boat, Shelby has shown to be a strong leader and a great teammate, which will be important for the large group we have coming in this fall."
Amy Van Syoc
Milford, Ohio
Claremont Crew
Coach Aubrey on Amy: "Amy is an outstanding athlete who excels in the classroom. Although she is new to rowing, she has had great success in her short career and we believe she has tremendous potential to excel in our environment."
Ali Woods
Oliver Springs, Tenn.
Atomic Rowing
Coach Aubrey on Ali: "Ali has proven to be a great coxswain and will be a great asset to any boat she sits in. Ali comes from a strong club that has provided her with a solid coxing foundation. I know she is eager to continue learning how to become the best coxswain she can be to help make the fastest boats possible."
