Nov. 28, 2011
Tulsa, Okla. -
Kevin Harris, Head Coach of the Tulsa rowing team, announced the addition of seven lightweight rowers to its 2012 signing class, bringing the teams early signing commitments to 14 total rowers. The new student-athletes are Elizabeth Akin (Westerville, Ohio), Marissa Catalanotto (Northport, N.Y.), Madison Dutro (Issaquah, Wash.), Emily Loudenback (Long Beach, Calif.), Jasmine McGill (La Habra, Calif.), Sarah Ringler (Folsom, Calif.) and Emalia Seto (El Dorado Hills, Calif.). Lightweight rowers compete weighing in at 130 pounds or less.
"I can't say enough about the job the staff did to recruit these women to the program," Harris said. "This is a very strong group of women. Many teams around the country recruited them because of their intelligence and rowing ability. It's a tribute to the quality of the school and our team that they were attracted to TU. They may be directed toward the lightweight boats, but they are going to contribute to the speed of the entire team. I am looking forward to having them on campus next fall."
Elizabeth Akin (Worthington Christian School, Westerville, Ohio)
Akin is a rower for the Westerville Crew and is coached by Trish Chase. She has rowed at Westerville for four years and has garnered success in the Lightweight 4+ and Lightweight 8+. In 2010, Akin's Lightweight 8+ earned a silver medal at the Head of the Ohio and a bronze at the Head of the Hooch. She also had a stellar 2011 season finishing with a bronze medal at the Midwest Rowing Championships and was 15th in the nation at the Youth National Championships in the Lightweight 8+. During the summer, Akin rowed for the Southeast Junior Development Camp in the Junior "A" Eight and Four events as an open weight, and has been in a Lightweight 8+ that has won medals at the Speakmon and Columbus Classic Regattas this fall.
Why Tulsa?: "Everyone seems like they are part of a family. Also, everyone there shares an intense drive to win."
Marissa Catalanotto (Northport Senior HS, Northport, N.Y.)
Catalanotto is a rower for the Sagamore Rowing Association, and has also rowed for East End Rowing on Long Island, N.Y. Catalanotto has thrived as a sculler, finishing eighth at the Youth National Championships in the Lightweight Double in 2010. Rowing as an open weight, she finished fourth at the 2011 New York State Championships and fifth at the American Scholastic Rowing Championship in the Single Scull. Catalanotto also turned in an impressive mark at the 2011 Head of the Charles, finishing 20th in the Open Lightweight Single, while she claimed a first-place time at the Head of the Schuylkill in the Under 19 Quadruple Sculls. Catalanotto intends on studying biochemistry at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "The women at Tulsa seem to support each other in every aspect of each other's lives. The spirit of camaraderie at Tulsa is unlike anywhere else."
Click Here to view video of Marissa signing her NLI.
Madison Dutro (Issaquah HS, Issaquah, Wash.)
Dutro has had a lucrative career at the Sammamish Rowing Association where she is coached by Devon Carroll and Courtney Moeller. Dutro made Sammamish's Varsity Lightweight 8+ as a novice rower in 2010 and her boat won the Northwest Regional Championships and finished seventh nationally at the Youth National Championships. In 2011, Dutro helped her Lightweight 8+ earn a gold medal at the prestigious Brentwood Regatta in British Columbia, Canada. Recently, Dutro has moved over to the open weight side, where she sat stroke seat in Sammamish's Junior Varsity Eight at the Head of the Lake and Portland Classic garnering top-10 finishes in both regattas. Dutro wishes to study business at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "It has a great lightweight program."
Emily Loudenback (Woodrow Wilson HS, Long Beach, Calif.)
Loudenback is a rower for the Long Beach Junior Crew and is coached by Alfredo Montenegro. She had an outstanding 2011 as her Lightweight 8+ earned a gold medal at the Long Beach Invitational, San Diego Crew Classic and Southwest Region Junior Rowing Championships. She also turned in a fifth-place performance at the Youth National Championships. Loudenback wishes to study petroleum engineering at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "No other school really interested me except Tulsa."
Jasmine McGill (La Habra, Calif.)
McGill rows for the Long Beach Rowing Association and is coached by her father, Dan, who is a former member of the US National Team. In 2011, McGill won the Long Beach Invitational and finished second at the Southwest Junior Rowing Championships in the Lightweight Double. She continued on to the Youth Nationals where she won the silver medal in the same event. During the summer of 2011, McGill traveled to the USRA Club Nationals where she earned another silver medal rowing in the Intermediate Lightweight Double. She also competed in multiple events at the Canadian Henley, and most recently, finished third in the youth division of the Head of the Charles' Club Single, and won gold in the Junior Double and Lightweight Single at the Head of the American. McGill finished her fall with a bronze at the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival. McGill is on the 2011 USRA Academic Honor Roll and wants to study biology at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "I like the vision Coach Harris has for us in the future and I want to be a part of it."
Sarah Ringler (Folsom HS, Folsom, Calif.)
Ringler is a rower for Capital Crew in Gold River, Calif., and is coached by Toby Johnson. Ringler has had a rich career at Capital. Her team then won the Pacific Invite and earned a bronze medal at the Southwest Junior Rowing Championships in the Lightweight Four. Ringler's Four finished out their spring by finishing fourth at the Youth National Championships and this fall, earned a gold medal in the Lightweight 4+ at the Head of the American. Ringler will study business at Tulsa.
Why Tulsa?: "It had everything and anything I could need. The school also has a great team and coaching staff with whom I felt at home."
Emalia Seto (St. Francis HS, El Dorado Hills, Calif.)
Seto is also a four-year rower at the Capital Crew in Gold River, Calif. She rowed in Capital's Lightweight Four in 2011, as her boat finished first at the Pacific Invite and earned a bronze medal at the Southwest Junior Rowing Championships. Seto's boat went on to earn a fourth-place finish at the Youth National Championships. Rowing in a Lightweight Four this fall, her team won the Head of the American Regatta on their home course in Gold River, Calif.
Why Tulsa?: "I fell in love with the programs and academic opportunities TU has to offer and the rowing team is very close knit. I know at TU I will be an individual and not just a number."
