Tulsa Rowing Signs Eight for 2019
12/28/2018 4:53:00 PM | Rowing
Tulsa rowing head coach Kevin Harris announced the signing of eight student-athletes for the 2019 signing class. Mimi (Mary) Birthisel, Julia Knowles, Johanna Kristof, Madlen Markova, Ella Stanhope, Katherine Stenning, Kyra VanderWeele and Kelsey Viane will all join the Golden Hurricane roster in August of 2019.
"This is an outstanding group of women," Harris said. "They are strong and fast, and I am really pleased with our recruiting results. Kerry Hassall and Michelle Goodwin put together a really talented and diverse group for the Golden Hurricane. Many of them have already been successful on the national and world stages of competition. There is a lot of good to say about each of these women, but I think their rowing will speak for itself. I look forward to them being in Tulsa and helping to make us faster."
Birthisel (James River HS, Midlothian, Va.) is a coxswain for James River High School under Coach Chuck Alexander. She has also coxed at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach and comes to Tulsa with a breadth of experience under her belt. Birthisel has coxed at all club levels from juniors to masters in various regional regattas. She has also competed in the Virginia State Championships and has earned a first-place finish at the Head of the James Regional Regatta. She will study speech pathology at TU.
Knowles (Shelton School, Dallas, Texas) is a rower for the Founders Rowing Club under Coach Matthew Naifeh. Knowles has regularly distinguished herself as a sculler having won multiple gold medals at the Texas State Rowing Championships in the quadruple and double sculls. She has also won many of the same events at the USRA Central Youth Championships. Knowles finished fourth overall at the 2017 USRA Youth National Championships, racing against future teammate Kyra VanderWeele in the lightweight double. She has also competed at the USRA Under 23 Worlds Trials in the lightweight single finishing second and fourth while still a junior rower. Knowles, rowing in the youth single, earned two-straight silver medals at the Head of the Charles in 2017 and 2018. She is focused on earning a degree in exercise and sports science at Tulsa.
Kristof (HTL1 Lasentrasse, Klagenfurt, Austria) is a rower for Volkermart Sektion Rudern and is coached by Anton Mischensky. She has excelled at the national and international level as a single sculler. Kristoff has finished with either a gold or silver medal in the Austrian National Championships every year since 2015. Most recently, she earned a gold medal in both the women's senior quadruple sculls and coxless four in the 2018 event. Kristoff had her best international finish rowing the single at Junior Worlds in 2017, finishing 11th. In 2018 Kristoff moved up to the Under 23 level finishing fifth at the U23 European Championships and 15th at the U23 Worlds in the single. She will pursue a major in mechanical engineering while attending TU.
Markova (General Vladimir Stoychev Sports School, Sofia, Bulgaria) is a rower for Electron Rowing Club where she is coached by Vasil Radev. She has been an excellent regional rower throughout her junior career, winning gold medals in the single in 2017 and 2018 at the Bulgarian Republican Rowing Championships. Markova has competed internationally in events ranging from the Bled International Regatta to the Junior World Championships. In 2017 Markova rowed the pair (finishing 15th) and in 2018 she competed in the single (16th) at the Junior World Championships. She finished her 2018 season winning the Balkan Championships for Bulgaria in single. Markova will study exercise and sports science at Tulsa.
Stanhope (Lymm HS, Warrington, UK) is a rower for Warrington Rowing Club under Coach Richard Sinnott. She has competed successfully for her club all around the UK earning many top marks, most recently in the single at the 2018 Agecroft Head. Stanhope also travelled to the United States for the 2018 Head of the Charles where her crew earned an eighth-place finish in a strong youth double event also contended by future TU teammate Kyra VanderWeele. In July, Stanhope earned a silver medal at the 2018 British Rowing Junior Championships in the Junior 18 single. She will earn a degree in exercise and sports science during her time at TU.
Stenning (Guilford HS, Guilford, UK) is a rower with the Walton Rowing Club and is coached by Neil West. She is a well-rounded student-athlete competing in fencing and swimming, as well as rowing. As a British junior she has earned top finishes at many head races, including the Hampton Small Boats and the Scullers Head of the River. Stenning finished seventh at the British Rowing Junior Championships racing in the Junior 18 single in 2017. In 2018 she raced the double scull to "A" final appearances at the National Schools and British Junior Rowing Championships. She also earned a first-place finish at the National Junior Sculling Regatta. Stenning will seek a degree in psychology while attending Tulsa.
VanderWeele (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) is a rower for the Y-Quad Cities Rowing Club under Coach Peter Sharis. Rowing primarily as a lightweight, she has earned multiple top finishes in regional regattas including medals at the USRA Midwest Youth Championships. VanderWeele's lightweight double earned a bronze medal at the 2017 USRA Youth National Championships racing against future teammate Julia Knowles. Recently, she finished 15th at the 2018 Head of the Charles in the youth double event racing against future teammate Ella Stanhope. VanderWeele plans to study nursing while at Tulsa.
Viane (Edina HS, Edina, Minnesota) is rower with the Twin Cities Youth Rowing Club and is coached by Rebecca Newman. Viane has raced and had success regionally at the Milwaukee River Challenge, Head of the Mississippi, NWIRA Regatta and the Chicago Sprints. Her four with coxswain made the "A" final at the USRA Midwest Youth Championships. Viane most recently stroked the Twin Cities Youth Four with coxswain entry at the 2018 Head of the Charles and will be joining former Twin Cities teammate, Helen Casselius on the Golden Hurricane squad. She intends on studying a major in psychology with a sport management minor while at Tulsa.
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