Rowing Names Captains
February 05, 2021 | Rowing
Cardinals pick leadership as the schedule resumes
The University of Louisville rowing team got one step closer to the long-awaited start to the 2021 season this week when it named four captains to lead the Cardinals this season.
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The newly-named captains include seniors Grace Herbert and Violette Legrand, junior Michaela Dukes and sophomore Madison Cicha.
"The team selected this group because they were goal driven, provide honest feedback, and they know how to empower the tribe," UofL head coach Derek Copeland said of the group. "These qualities will drive the program forward through this Spring and beyond."
Herbert enters her senior season with high hopes after competing in five events in the 2018-19 season. She aided the Cardinals in earning a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championship in the @2V8+ grand final.
"To me, being in a leadership role means being a proponent of unifying the team and moving the program forward, together," Herbert said. "I think we're better as a team when we're honest with ourselves and with each other, and I think that's one of the most important things we can both do and advocate for as leaders. Being in a leadership role means lifting each other up and helping the team through challenges and struggles and making the program stronger as a whole."
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Legrand, the Parisian former ACC freshman of the year, hopes to finally break into first-team All-ACC status in her senior season after earning second-team in both her freshman and sophomore seasons.
In the 2018-19 season, she appeared in six events, rowing on the V8+ and V4+ boats, including a first-place finishes in both categories at the Head of the Hooch competition. With her help, the Cardinals' V8+ crew also earned a fifth-place finish in the ACC Championship grand final.
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"I am honored to be part of this special group for another year," Legrand said. "I am definitely very excited about what this season will bring to us. I can't wait to work with these new captains and the other leaders of the team. A lot of girls have the potential to step up and it is very exciting."
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Dukes serves as the resident Kentucky-native on the team of new captains. In her first and only season so far with the Cardinals, the then-freshman from Independence, Ky., competed in five events as a novice, and she finished second at the ACC Championship petite final of the 2V4+ race.
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"I'm very proud to be on a team of such strong and inspiring women, and to be elected captain is still surreal," Dukes said. "The past two years, I have been lucky enough to have leaders who have shaped me into the rower and person I am today. Now that I have the opportunity to lead, I'm excited to be that person for others and to give back to a program that has already given me so much."
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Finally, Cicha will serve as the only captain yet to compete as a Cardinal. A product of Cherry Hill, N.J., she had what would have been her freshman season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Prior to arriving in Louisville, she rowed for the South Jersey Rowing Club for whom she raced the double and quad at Youth Nationals in 2019.
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"To me, being in a leadership role on this team is a huge honor because every single one of us has the potential to lead and inspire the whole group," Cicha said. "Especially this year, there's a lot of responsibility on our leaders because we have such ambitious goals for the program. However, the amount drive and passion on the team for achieving those goals is really sky high, so I'm excited to get to work."
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The newly-named captains include seniors Grace Herbert and Violette Legrand, junior Michaela Dukes and sophomore Madison Cicha.
"The team selected this group because they were goal driven, provide honest feedback, and they know how to empower the tribe," UofL head coach Derek Copeland said of the group. "These qualities will drive the program forward through this Spring and beyond."
Herbert enters her senior season with high hopes after competing in five events in the 2018-19 season. She aided the Cardinals in earning a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championship in the @2V8+ grand final.
"To me, being in a leadership role means being a proponent of unifying the team and moving the program forward, together," Herbert said. "I think we're better as a team when we're honest with ourselves and with each other, and I think that's one of the most important things we can both do and advocate for as leaders. Being in a leadership role means lifting each other up and helping the team through challenges and struggles and making the program stronger as a whole."
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Legrand, the Parisian former ACC freshman of the year, hopes to finally break into first-team All-ACC status in her senior season after earning second-team in both her freshman and sophomore seasons.
In the 2018-19 season, she appeared in six events, rowing on the V8+ and V4+ boats, including a first-place finishes in both categories at the Head of the Hooch competition. With her help, the Cardinals' V8+ crew also earned a fifth-place finish in the ACC Championship grand final.
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"I am honored to be part of this special group for another year," Legrand said. "I am definitely very excited about what this season will bring to us. I can't wait to work with these new captains and the other leaders of the team. A lot of girls have the potential to step up and it is very exciting."
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Dukes serves as the resident Kentucky-native on the team of new captains. In her first and only season so far with the Cardinals, the then-freshman from Independence, Ky., competed in five events as a novice, and she finished second at the ACC Championship petite final of the 2V4+ race.
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"I'm very proud to be on a team of such strong and inspiring women, and to be elected captain is still surreal," Dukes said. "The past two years, I have been lucky enough to have leaders who have shaped me into the rower and person I am today. Now that I have the opportunity to lead, I'm excited to be that person for others and to give back to a program that has already given me so much."
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Finally, Cicha will serve as the only captain yet to compete as a Cardinal. A product of Cherry Hill, N.J., she had what would have been her freshman season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Prior to arriving in Louisville, she rowed for the South Jersey Rowing Club for whom she raced the double and quad at Youth Nationals in 2019.
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"To me, being in a leadership role on this team is a huge honor because every single one of us has the potential to lead and inspire the whole group," Cicha said. "Especially this year, there's a lot of responsibility on our leaders because we have such ambitious goals for the program. However, the amount drive and passion on the team for achieving those goals is really sky high, so I'm excited to get to work."
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