Kate Rickers

Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
St. Catharines, Ont.
Prev School:
Ridley College

2006-07: Red & Black Scholar ... Spent most of her first collegiate spring racing season in the one-seat of the Cards' 2nd Varsity 8+ boat ... Key component in Louisville's first-place finish in the 2V8+ Grand Final at the BIG EAST Championships ... Also contributed to the Cards' sixth-place finish in the 2V8+ Grand Final at the NCAA South/Central Region Sprints and the win over Stanford ... Started the spring in the three-seat of the Cards' Varsity 4+ boat in the win over Minnesota.

Prior to UofL: Earned three years of rowing experience with the St. Catharines Rowing Club, the Ridley Boat Club and Ridley College ... She earned gold medals in the youth eights and youth fours events at the 2005 Head of the Ohio, a gold medal in the women's U17 Double at the 2004 Ontario Summer Games, and a third-place finish in the junior "B" women's quads at the 2004 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta ... While competing for the Canadian Junior National Development Team in 2005, she won silver in the eights event and bronze in the doubles event at the CanAmMex Camp in Oak Ridge, Tenn. ... As a prep rower at Ridley, she won gold in the senior quads at both the 2006 and 2005 Canadian High School Rowing Championships, and silver in the junior 4+ race in 2004.

Personal: Born Katelyn Elizabeth Ruth Rickers on Jan. 15, 1988 in Hamilton, Ontario ... Daughter of Don and Karen Rickers ... Majoring in exercise science with a minor in Spanish ... Post-college ambition is to attend graduate school and chiropractic school, to travel and to eventually start a family ... Hobbies and outside interests include camping, guitar, piano, hanging with friends and facebook ... Chose the University of Louisville because she was inspired and motivated by all of the hard work and love each girl had for this team and she wanted to be part of it ... Says the best thing about the city of Louisville is the support for every sports team and the people are amazing ... Believes the best thing about U of L rowing is walking into lockerroom at the crack of dawn every morning to see 30 of her best friends and teammates with smiles on their faces who are ready to work their hardest ... Says her best race came at the 2007 BIG EAST Championships.