UCF WomenÊs Rowing 2007 NCAA Championships Melton Hill Lake * Oak Ridge, Tenn. May 25-27, 2007 2006-07 Schedule & Results Race/Location Date Opponent V8+ Finish 11/4 Head of the Hooch 3rd, 15:54.80 11/12 Rivanna Romp 10th, 13:58.14 Longhorn Invitational 3/16 vs Iowa 1st, 6:40.50 3/17 vs Kansas State 1st, 6:59.90 vs Duke 1st, 7:00.10 3/18 at Texas 1st, 6:56.20 3/24 Petrakis Cup 1st, 6:36.60 Virginia Duals 4/7 vs Duke 1st, 6:37.90 at (7) Virginia 1st, 6:31.86 Windermere Real Estate Classic 4/14 (14) Washington St. 1st, 6:56.55 (8) UCLA 1st, 6:54.19 4/15 (19) Washington 2nd, 6:43.53 SIRA Championships 4/22 Grand Final 1st, 6:38.20 South/Central Sprints 5/12 Grand Final 6th, 6:40.76 5/24-27 NCAA Championships UCF Varsity Eight Lineup C: Katie Chapman (So., St. Catharines, Ontario/St. Francis Secondary) 8: Caitlin Pauls (Jr., St. Catharines, Ontario/Sir Winston Chruchill Secondary) 7: Brittney Kusner (Sr., Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota HS) 6: Stephanie Pauls (Sr., St. Catharines, Ontario/Sir Winston Chruchill Secondary) 5: Krystina Sarff (Sr., Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale HS) 4: Tanis Franchuk (Victoria, British Columbia/Claremont Secondary) 3: Melissa Westhoff (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny HS) 2: Stephanie Adams (So., Calgary, Alberta/William Aberhart HS) 1: Erin Riegel (Jr., Columbia, Md./River Hill HS) Spares: Robin Capers, Tara Rogers Wednesday, May 23 3-8 p.m. Course Available Thursday, May 24 7-11 a.m. Course Available 2-4 p.m. 6 p.m. Championship Banquet Schedule of Events Division I Saturday, May 26 6-7 a.m. Course Available 8 a.m. I Eights - Semifi nals 8:15 a.m. I Eights - Semifi nals 8:30 a.m. Fours - Repechage 8:45 a.m. Fours - Repechage 9 a.m. II Eights - Repechage 9:15 a.m. II Eights - Repechage 2-4 p.m. Course Available Sunday, May 27 7:30-8:30 p.m. Course Available Friday, May 25 6-7 a.m. Course Available 8 a.m. I Eights - Heat 1 8:15 a.m. I Eights - Heat 2 8:30 a.m. I Eights - Heat 3 9:45 a.m. II Eights - Heat 1 10 a.m. II Eights - Heat 2 10:45 a.m. Fours - Heat 1 11 a.m. Fours - Heat 2 1 p.m. Eights Repechage 10:15 a.m. Fours Petite Final 10:30 a.m. Fours Grand Final 10:45 a.m. II Eights Petite Final 11 a.m. II Eights Grand Final 11:15 a.m. I Eights Places 13-16 11:30 a.m. I Eights Petite Final 11:45 a.m. I Eights Grand Final 12:15 p.m. Awards Ceremony * All Times Central * 2-4:30 p.m. Course Available
WomenÊs NCAA Division I Varsity Eights Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Weekly Poll (as of May 16, 2007) 1. Southern California 2. Yale 3. Virginia 4. Brown 5. Ohio State 6. Notre Dame 7. Stanford 8. California 9. Princeton 10. Tennessee 11. Minnesota 12. Harvard 13. UCLA 14. UCF 15. Dartmouth 16. Oregon State 17. Louisville 18. Michigan 19. Washington 20. Wisconsin Receiving Votes: Northeastern 22, Washington State 10, Michigan State 5, Gonzaga 3, and Pennsylvania 1. UCF in the Poll Week Rank Preseason RV March 28 RV April 4 RV April 11 12 April 18 9 * April 25 9 May 2 11 May 9 11 May 16 14 * UCF s highest ranking in program history. The UCF women s rowing team makes its fi rst ever appearance at the NCAA Championships in 2007. The Knights varsity eight made school history after qualifying for the grand fi nal at the Aramark South/Central Sprints on May 13. UCF fi nished sixth in the race and took third among the South Region teams in the overall rankings at the event. HOME AWAY FROM HOME This weekend s trip to Oak Ridge, Tenn. marks the third consecutive time this season that UCF has visited the site. The Volunteer State has been good to the Knight thus far this spring. During their fi rst trip, the Knights varsity eight took home gold and helped the team take the women s overall trophy at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championships. The second trip was two weeks ago for the Aramark South/Central Sprints, where the varsity eight advanced to the grand fi nal for the fi rst time in program history. IN THE POLLS After receiving votes during the fi rst three weeks of the season, UCF made its fi rst offi cial appearance in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eight Coaches Poll on April 11 when the Knights grabbed the No. 12 spot. The following week, they jumped three spots to No. 9 the program s highest ever ranking and stayed there for two consecutive weeks. UCF was No. 14 in the latest poll released on May 16. EARLY SUCCESS One of the reasons that UCF received such high rankings is due to its early success against other ranked teams. After kicking off the season by going undefeated in four races at the Longhorn Invitational in Texas and capturing the Petrakis Cup, the Knights continued their winning streak in Virginia the fi rst weekend in April. They beat Duke in the fi rst race then upset the No. 7 Cavaliers in the afternoon. The following weekend, UCF traveled to California where it defeated No. 14 Washington State and No. 8 UCLA before dropping its fi rst race of the season against No. 19 Washington. ALL IN THE FAMILY For Knights Stephanie and Caitlin Pauls, rowing is a family affair. The sisters grew up around the sport and they are third generation rowers. Although Stephanie attended Eastern Michigan her fi rst three years, the pair were reunited at UCF in the fall of 2006 as members of the UCF varsity eight. Younger sister Jordynn also just fi nished her freshman year rowing in UCF s varsity four. UNITED NATIONS The UCF varsity eight boat features fi ve Canadians and four Americans. Even more unique to the dynamic is the arrangement of the line-up. The Canadians row port, while the Americans row starboard. Sophomore coxswain Katie Chapman tips the scales in the Canadians favor. SUMMER PLANS Both Krystina Sarff and Stephanie Adams will train with their respective national teams this summer. Sarff was invited to USRowing National Team Summer Selection Camp. As a participant in the Princeton 4- Camp, she will join the athletes currently training at USRowing s National Training Center to compete for positions in the women s four that will travel to the 2007 FISA World Championships. In June 2006, Sarff attended the USRowing Under-23 National Team Selection Camp. Adams, meanwhile, was selected to train as a member of the Rowing Canada Under-23 National Team. HISTORY IN THE MAKING Rowing was elevated from a club to a varsity sport at UCF in the fall of 1995, becoming the school s 16th intercollegiate sport. However, the team dates back to 1972, making it one of the fi rst athletic teams on campus. The Knights arranged to use the boathouse at Rollins College during their fi rst year of competition before moving to their current home at Lake Pickett in 1973. UCF purchased the property in 2002 and began planning for a new state-ofthe-art rowing facility. Construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2007. 2...UCF WomenÊs Rowing
Head Coach Leeanne Crain Fourth Year (UCLA, Â88) Quick Facts General Information School...UCF (University of Central Florida) Location... Orlando, FL Enrollment... 47,000 Founded... 1963 Affi liation... Division I Nickname... Knights Colors...Black and Gold President...Dr. John C. Hitt Athletics Director... Keith R. Tribble Associate AD/SWA... Jessica Reo Facility... Lake Pickett Oars Colors/Design... Solid Vegas Gold Leeanne Crain was hired as head coach of the UCF rowing program in the summer of 2003. In a short time at the helm, Crain has already set new standards for the rowing program and continues to build upon UCF s established tradition of success. In the spring of 2007, Crain coached the varsity eight to nine consecutive victories, was named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2003. Her athletes enjoyed numerous individual and team honors. Fifteen of her athletes received WCC All-Conference honors, six received Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) All-Conference honors, 16 were named to WCC All-Academic including wins over Virginia, UCLA and teams, 13 received the CRCA Division Washington State during dual competition. I National Scholar-Athlete Awards, two Team Information Ranked as high as No. 9, the Knights were were named All-Americans by the National Head Coach... Leeanne Crain (UCLA, 1988) rewarded for their hard work when they Strength and Conditioning Association, Years at School...Four earned the program s fi rst bid to the NCAA two were selected to the CRCA All-Region Assistant Coaches... Championships. Team and one was named a Division I All- In her fi rst season with the Golden American by the CRCA....Becky Frost (Dartmouth, 2000) Knights, Crain guided the varsity eight to One of Crain s former USD athletes is... Kim Cupini (San Diego, 2003) silver medal performances at the Florida four-time US National Team member Ali...Corrie McGrath (Washington State, 2003) Intercollegiate Rowing Association (FIRA) Cox, who won a silver medal in the women s Championship and Southern Intercollegiate eight at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens,... Andy Derrick (Washington, 2004) Association (SIRA) Championship. The lightweight eight fi nished third at the San Greece. As a member of the NCAA Division I Athletic Trainer... David Bruce Diego Crew Classic and earned a spot in Women s Rowing Committee from 2001- Strength Coach... Harry Meyers the grand fi nal of the Intercollegiate Rowing 2005, Crain served as chair of the NCAA Association (IRA) Championship. Four Regional Advisory Committee for the West Equipment Manager... Liz De Felice athletes received the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National from 2001-2003 and South from 2003-2005. She is currently a member of the Board of Boatman... Ryan Ludick Scholar-Athlete Award. Directors for SIRA. Team Captains... Krystina Sarff In 2004-05, the program continued Crain rowed for UCLA from 1985-88. to rise, kicking off the fall season with a In 1988, she served as team captain and...melissa Westhoff second-place fi nish in the championship was selected to the PAC-10 All-Conference... Robin Capers eight race at the Head of the Hooch. In the ranking in the NCAA South Region Poll. Team. Crain trained with the U.S. National medal for the U.S. in the women s four spring of 2005, UCF received its fi rst team The team won the Petrakis Cup and Metro Team in 1988 and 1990. She won a gold at the Cadbury International Regatta in...anne Marie Rossi Rowing History Cup regattas, and brought home the overall Australia (1988) and was a grand fi nalist in First Season...1995-96 points trophies from the FIRA and SIRA the women s pair at World Championship NCAA Championship Appearances... 1/2007 Championships. Two athletes received the Trials (1990). CRCA National Scholar-Athlete Award and In 1990, Crain joined the UCLA coaching CRCA All-Region Honors...Four two received all-region honors. staff as an assistant. The Bruins won the CRCA All-Americans... One UCF received national recognition in fi rst top-20 ranking in the CRCA/USRowing PAC-10 title that season. in psychology in 1988. She received her 2005-06 when the varsity eight earned its Coaches Poll. The team won its ninth FIRA Crain graduated from UCLA with a degree Level III USRowing Coaching Certifi cation CRCA National Scholar-Athletes... 14 Athletics Communications Information Championship title, swept Clemson and in 2001 and continues to participate in the Sports Information Contact... Cheryl Flesch Syracuse in regular-season duals and USRA Advanced Coaching Series. Offi ce Phone... (407) 823-2464 fi nished fourth in the region at the South/ Central Regional Championships. Seven Cell Phone... (407) 405-5821 Golden Knights were honored as National E-Mail... cfl esch@athletics.ucf.edu Scholar-Athletes (the most of any Division Offi cial Website...www.UCFAthletics.com I program in the country), two received allregion awards and Krystina Sarff became the rowing program s fi rst All-American. Prior to arriving at UCF, Crain spent a decade as head coach at the University of San Diego. During her tenure at USD, she UCF WomenÊs Rowing...3
Katie Chapman So. * Coxswain St. Catharines, Ontario Caitlin Pauls Jr. * Port St. Catharines, Ontario I began rowing in ninth grade. Growing up in a city with two recognized rowing clubs, large international races and the Henley in my backyard made it hard not to be involved in rowing. Also, two of my cousins were coxswains. When I came on my offi cial visit, I fell in love with the campus. The coaches and team were also very welcoming. I wanted to be a part of a team that was up and coming and make history. I love the chemistry that our team has. We are friends outside of rowing and always have fun. I also love that we have so much trust in each other and motivate one another every practice. Being able to travel around the country is a plus, too. That it is easy. They have no idea how much work we put into it and how competitive Division I rowing really is. Beating Virginia, making the grand fi nal at South/Centrals and hearing our name announced on the NCAA Championship conference call as an at-large eight. We have fun with it. With all the Canadians on port and the Americans on starboard we sometimes have competitions in the boat. We joke about it a lot, but when it comes down to race day, nationalities don t matter. The caliber of racing. To be sitting at the starting line with teams like Southern California and Yale is something that I had never imagined possible before this year. It s also a good way to be recognized as a team. It s going to be an amazing experience. Either Caitlin [Pauls] or Tara [Rogers]. Caitlin because she is so competitive and would do anything to win. Tara because of her strength. She would be able to easily make an alliance. Relaxing with my friends and family and traveling. Relax! I ll probably work and maybe cox for my club. I m also going to the Bahamas. I learned to row when I was 10 but I have grown up in the sport. My grandpa, dad and uncle all row so I grew up spending summer weekends at the rowing course. The team chemistry was awesome and who can pass up living in Florida and rowing all year? Everyone works so hard for each other. The chemistry throughout the entire team is amazing. That it is easy because it s an Ivy League sport. Rowing defi nitely uses every muscle in your body and there is no high like a rower s high at the end of a race. The whole year has been memorable, but qualifying for the grand fi nal at south/central Regionals was amazing. We didn t know if we had qualifi ed until we were rowing back. All of our parents were jumping up and down holding up three fi ngers, saying we had done it. It s fun to joke about and we do all the time. When it comes down to race time, we are all UCF Knights and we re pulling for each other. We have nothing to lose. It s great going into races where your competition doesn t know what to expect from you. I m looking forward to surprising some top boats. Melissa Westhoff. She s so nice that everyone would always want her around, yet she is also so competitive that she would win a lot of the immunity challenges. Hobbies? What s a hobby? No just joking. I love to read and cook. I ve also started scrapbooking. I ll be racing at home for my club in the single and possibly a double and quad. I also plan on relaxing. 4...UCF WomenÊs Rowing
Brittney Kusner Sr. * Starboard Sarasota, Fla. Stephanie Pauls Sr. * Port St. Catharines, Ontario I began rowing during the spring semester of my senior year in high school. I was attracted to the sport because I love to work out and sweat. that is something you do a lot of in rowing. It was in Orlando and only two hours from my hometown of Sarasota. Being with a bunch of girls who are so alike due to their love of the sports and the commitment we have to each other. People think it is a n upper body sport when actually it involves all muscle of the body especially the legs. Being with the rest of the team when UCF was named on the conference call for the NCAA Championship. Both nationalites are able to work very well together. Just being there with all of the other teams. Krystina Sarff because no one would kick off the sweetest person in the world. Traveling reading, weightlifting and getting massages. I also like to watch movies and hang out with my family, my boyfriend and my friends. Traveling around the U.S. I also will be doing my physical therapy observation hours for graduate school, applying to graduate school and studying for the GRE. I started learning from my grandfather when I was about nine-yearsold. I was brought up around the sport. My whole family rows, so it seemed natural to give it a try. I spend my fi rst three years rowing at Eastern Michigan. For my last year, I wanted something with more competition. I called up my sister, Caitlin, and asked her to talk to Coach Crain for me and here I am. The atmosphere. It s like one big family. Everyone supports each other even during intersquad racing. That it s an easy sport. People don t understand the amount of hours we put in each week plus the extra hours that we do on our own. It s a full-time job. Beating Virginia. We were underestimated and we proved that we are one of the fastest teams in the country that weekend. It s fun. In our boat all the ports are Canadian. The starboards are American and our coxswain is Canadian. It s an inside joke that the Canadians outpull the Americans, but really everyone is working their butts off. Being the fi rst varsity eight from UCF to go. We are really starting to make a name for ourelves and this is the fi rst step. This is history in the making. I d say Robin [Capers]. She is very quiet, strong and observant. I think she d fl y in under everyone s radar and catch us all by surprise. I am a huge music buff. I love to sing, play instruments, go to concerts and what-not. Also I love working with kids. I m going to do one more summer of competitive rowing, hopefully with my sister Caitlin. I m also working at the city pools as a head lifeguard. UCF WomenÊs Rowing...5
Krystina Sarff Sr. * Starboard Valrico, Fla. Tanis Franchuk So. * Port Victoria, British Columbia I began rowing in 2004 at the University of Florida. I was attracted to the sport because of the awesome team atmosphere and the fact that I can stay close to water. I used to swim and I love water sports! I decided to attend UCF because of the amazing team. On my offi cial visit, the girls were so friendly and made me feel at home right away. Going fast! It has been great getting to know and being friends with the most awesome people I ve known in my life. The team is the best. That it is easy and we only use our arms. When we found out we were third in the semi-fi nal and knew we would be in the grand fi nal at the South/Central Regional. Basically, the Americans rock!! Our personalities blend really well to make an awesome North American combo. The Americans are always trying to convince the Canadians that they ll become U.S. citizens eventually. Racing against the top competition in the nation and being able to row with the best boat and teammates in the world. Katie Chapman because she is super competitive. She could also hide from us because she is so small. We wouldn t be able to function with out her. Reading Harry Potter, swimming and hanging out with my roommates. I began rowing in seventh grade. I was attracted by the teamwork, competitiveness and camaraderie the sport involved. I liked the campus, coaches and team and the weather. I wanted to be part of a rising program. I love setting goals and helping accomplish them. The team is also made of amazing people. That we don t use our legs at all while rowing and that erging is easy. Beating Louisville in the semifi nals at South/Centrals by fi ve-tenths of a second. All the Canadians are on port and the Americans are on starboard. The porst love to pull around the starboards especially on starts. Just being there and being able to row against the big dogs. Tara Rogers. She knows everything you need to know about anything. I like being with my friends and family, traveling and snowboarding. I also like listening to music. I am going home to British Columbia and will row with my university team (University of Victoria). I will be training with the U.S. National Team, trying to make the world championship team. 6...UCF WomenÊs Rowing
Melissa Westhoff Sr. * Starboard Jacksonville, Fla. Stephanie Pauls So. * Port Calgary, Alberta I started rowing four years ago. Coach Becky Frost gave me a fl yer at the student union to tryout I love water sports. My sister and brother went here as well. I loved the campus. Being a part of a team that really cares for each other. We show so much love and support. We defi nitely have a few good laughs along the way. That it is easy. It s a lot of hard work. This is the hardest sport I ve ever done. Beating Virginia and UCLA and pulling a 7:17 on a 2,000m erg test. All the starboards are American and the ports are Canadian. Needless to say, the Americans pull the Canadians around. Making a name for UCF. We are a part of school history and we want to represent our school with pride. Krystina Sarff. She is so good at everything and she s really nice. Biking, running and going to the beach. I m going backpacking across Southeast Asia. I began rowing when I was 13 years old. At the time, I was a competitive synchronized swimmer and was looking for a crosstraining sport. I was tall sorrowing looked like a fun thing to try. The team was really friendly and the coaching staff was very supportive. Our team is very cohesive. We re all friends and act as each other s support system. We re a family. That rowing is easy. It s a full body workout that takes not only physical but mental toughness. When our boat beat Virginia at their home course. It was the fi rst time we had ever beaten a top 10 team. It s friendly competition. The Americans only wish they were as cool as us! Going fast. Caitlin Pauls because she s on of the most competitive people I know. Playing tennis with my mom, dad and little brother and playing with my dog. I was invited to the Canadian Under-23 Rowing Camp. UCF WomenÊs Rowing...7
Erin Riegel Jr. * Starboard Columbia, Md. Robin Capers Sr. * Port Winter Park, Fla. (Alternate) My freshman year of college three years ago. It was 1 a.m. and I watched the U.S. National Team win gold at the Olympics. I thought, Hey, that could be fun! I went online emailed the UCF coach, tried out and made the team two weeks later. The rest is history! I was accepted into the fi lm program, which is highly competitive, and decided it was a good fi t for me I also wanted to get out of Maryland. The fact that it is really a family. We all are there for each other and can offer support. That it is easy. I thought that soccer was the hardest sport, then I found rowing. You work so hard. You have to have technique and skill to go along with power or the boat won t go anywhere. Making it onto the varsity eight and winning at Virginia. Everyone is so fast and it was an honor to be a part of it, helping us go out and grabbing a win my fi rst time out in the boat. We joke about it a lot, but at the end of the day, we are all a part of a whole. We work together to represent UCF. Just being there. This time last year, I was a lightweight at the IRA National Championships. I never in a million years imagined that I would be in the NCAA s. It s amazing. Caitlin Pauls. She is obsessed with winning and always has to be fi rst in everything. She s fast. She s strong. She d kick everyone s butt. I started rowing eight years ago as a freshmen in high school. I decided on UCF because it had a lightweight rowing program that was competitive and it was close to home. Being able to competed with a great group of people. People think rowing is easy but it takes time, mental and physical strength and dedication. Hearing UCF s name on the conference call for the at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. It creates an interesting in boat rivalry that is all in good fun. Hearing the UCF name used with all the other teams. Erin Riegel. I think she might be overlooked at fi rst but she is a strong girl who could play mind games. Spending time with my friends and family. Working and going on vacation. Film making is a major part of my life. I am constantly trying to balance the two. East, sleep, row, get to set! I am doing some freelance fi lm editing in June before heading out to Utah for two months to work as art director on an independent feature fi lm. I will also be starting on pre-production for my thesis fi lm. The fun never stops! 8...UCF WomenÊs Rowing
Tara Rogers So. * Starboard Longwood, Fla. (Alternate) My father rowed in high school and college. I really wanted to try an off the beaten path sport. He suggested rowing. I tried it and fell in love. I came on an offi cial visit and the team was so nice. I also wanted to go to a school that was up and coming, so I could be a part of making history. We are like a family. We all support each other and work as one to be the best. That it is all upper body. Making it to the grand fi nal at South/Centrals and knowing we had a chance at making NCAA s for the fi rst time in school history. The Americans are all starboards and the ports are Canadian. We like to joke about one side being better or stronger than the other. In the end, we re all working toward the same goal. Racing some great competition and making a name for UCF. Caitlin Pauls. She competes at everything walking to class, jumping rope in the weight room, even yoga. She can t lose. Listening to music and watching movies. I plan on vacationing at the beach and training for next year. UCF WomenÊs Rowing...9