Seven Badger Rowers Named CRCA National Scholar Athletes
May 24, 2005 | Lightweight Rowing
The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) released its list of 2005 National Scholar Athletes and seven members of Wisconsin women's rowing were honored, the most of any school in the nation.
The award recognizes student-athletes with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher that competed in 75 percent of her team's 2005 spring races. Also, the student-athletes selected were upperclassmen (2nd, 3rd, or 4th year) in terms of eligibility and their head coaches must be good-standing members of the CRCA.
Among the Badgers' recognized were senior openweight rowers Julie Quoss (Art Education - Naperville, Ill.), Shannon Gedman (Nursing - Waukesha, Wis.) and Leah Gordon (Psychology/Biology - Wausau, Wis.) as well as senior lightweights Eva Payne (Anthropology/Religious Studies - Madison, Wis.) and Sarah Liefke (Law School - Madison, Wis.), junior lightweight Claire Wallace (Nutritional Sciences - McLean, Va.) and sophomore lightweight Suzie Sagues (History/Political Science - Orlando, Fla.).
A total of 142 student-athletes from 49 schools were honored for their efforts during the 2005 season. The total number of recipients improved from the 2004 season, when 124 student-athletes were honored.
The Central Region produced 36 selections amongst 11 different schools to lead the nation, while Wisconsin led all schools with seven National Scholar Athletes. Villanova earned the second-most honorees with six selections. Brown, Cincinnati, San Diego, Texas, and UCLA were represented with five honorees each.
The 11th-ranked Wisconsin openweights return to the water this Friday-Sunday for the 2005 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships in Rancho Cordova, Calif. The No. 1 UW lightweights have the week off before defending their national championship at the 2005 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships in Camden, N.J., on June 3-4.
