June 15, 2012
Tulsa, Oklahoma -
Head Coach Kevin Harris announced the signing of an additional eight women to The University of Tulsa Women's Rowing Team today, bringing its 2012 signing class of rowers and coxswains to 21. Jerusha Blankenship (Tulsa, Okla.), Madison Crane (Little Rock, Ark.), Lauren Delucchi (Stockton, Calif.), Elizabeth "Betsy" Govig (Phoenix, Ariz.), Elizabeth "Lizzy" Keane (Gloucester, Va.), Kiren Koshal (Surfside, Fla.), Kaitlyn Schneider (Lake View, N.Y.) and Leah Suleski (Buffalo, N.Y.) all signed during the spring signing period and will be attending Tulsa in the fall of 2012.
"This is a unique group of women who bring a lot of different talents to our rowing team," Harris said. "Even though they have different levels of experience, they all bring athleticism and a commitment to Tulsa that is impressive. I'm glad that so many of these women see the value in what we are doing and have committed to help make us faster. We are looking forward to the speed they will help create on our team."
Jerusha Blankenship (NOAH, Tulsa, Okla.) is a four-year basketball player for the NOAH consortium of homeschooled students in Northeast Oklahoma. While playing for the NOAH Jaguars, Blankenship averaged 11.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in her career. As a senior, she tallied 13.4 points per game and was a Tulsa World all-metro honoree. Blankenship comes from a long line of athletes and TU enthusiasts. Her brother, Malachi, is a reserve quarterback for the Golden Hurricane football team, while her father, Joe, is a high school football coach, and her uncle, Bill, is the TU Head Football Coach. Blankenship is a recruited walk-on and will study sociology and psychology at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "I always have looked forward to carrying on the Blankenship athletic tradition at TU and the rowing team gives me that opportunity. I instantly loved the dynamic of the team and the staff, and am excited to be a part of it."
Madison Crane (Parkview Magnet, Little Rock, Ark.) is a rower for the relatively new Arkansas Boat Club in Little Rock, Ark. She is coached by Phillip Yates and comes to rowing with an athletic background in gymnastics and dance. She will be a recruited walk-on for the lightweight squad and will study psychology at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "When I visited TU I loved it so much, everyone was friendly and I felt like I belonged."
Lauren Delucchi (St Mary's HS, Stockton, Calif.) is a two-year rower for Stockton Rowing Club, where she is coached by Leslie Sexton, and is a swimmer for St. Mary's High School. Delucchi has rowed in quite a few local regattas in California, and is also an accomplished high school and open water swimmer. Her swim team at St. Mary's was the league champion in 2012 and she finished first in her age group at the Santa Cruz Rough Water Swim. She will study philosophy at Tulsa.
Betsy Govig (Xavier College Prep, Phoenix, Ariz.) is a four-year coxswain for Xavier Prep in Phoenix, Ariz., and is coached by Kelly Vanek and Dana Ryan. Govig has had a very successful career at Xavier winning state championships in three of her four years on Tempe Town Lake. This spring, Betsy steered an impressive race at the USRA Southwest Junior Regional Championship where her Varsity 4+ finished third, qualifying the boat for Xavier's first trip to the Youth National Championships, where her team finished fifth in the C-Final. Govig will study economics at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "I choose Tulsa because I felt at home there. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and I feel as if I have a real family there."
Elizabeth Keane (Gloucester HS, Gloucester, Va.) is a five-year rower for Gloucester High School and the Mobjack Rowing Club. She is coached by Matt Hudson at GHS and Tim Ulsacker at MRC. Keane has won a silver medal and, most recently, a gold medal at the Virginia State Championships in the Varsity 4+ event. She has also helped to propel boats to the Grand Finals at the SRA Nationals and Stotesbury Cup Regattas, and finished in the top three at the Cooper Cup. Keane is also a member of the US Rowing Academic Honor Roll for 2012 and will study exercise sports science at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?": "I fell in love with the team's camaraderie and dedication to rowing."
Kiren Koshal (N. Miami Beach HS, Surfside, Fla.) is an accomplished rower for the Miami Beach and Hollywood Rowing Clubs. She has been coached by both Paul Mocha and Francisco Viacava. In 2011, she and her partner won the Florida State Championships in the Pair and competed at the Youth Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Koshal is also an accomplished swimmer who works as a lifeguard during the summers in North Miami Beach. She plans to study chemical engineering while at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "From my visit, I knew almost instantly that The University of Tulsa is the place for me and that I really wanted to attend."
Kaitlyn Schneider (Frontier HS, Lake View, N.Y.) is a four-year coxswain for the West Side Rowing Club in Buffalo, N.Y. She is a teammate of TU signee Leah Suleski and will join WSRC alums
Rosie McCarthy and
Puja Sztorc at TU. Schneider is coached by John Haumesser and has had many top finishes in local regattas and the New York State Championships. She also has competed at the Head of the Charles, USRA Club Nationals and the Canadian Henley among other major regattas. Schneider will study accounting at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "I love the passion that the athletes and coaches share for the sport and competing."
Leah Suleski (City Honors, Buffalo, N.Y.) is a four-year lightweight rower for the West Side Rowing Club. She is a current teammate of Schneider, and will also join WSRC alums McCarthy and Sztorc as rowers on the lightweight squad at Tulsa. Suleski is coached by John Haumesser and has had a great career rowing for City Honors and West Side over the last four years. She has medaled in various categories and events including the New York State Championships, the Canadian Secondary Schools Championship and the Canadian Henley. In 2011, her team competed at the USRA Youth Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Suleski will pursue a degree in communications while at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "The whole team atmosphere. Everyone made me feel like a part of it, like they wanted me there."
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