Women's rowing signs five
May 04, 2010 | Women's Rowing
May 4, 2010
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin women's openweight rowing head coach Bebe Bryans has announced the signing of five student-athletes to national letters of intent. All five are expected to attend the University of Wisconsin beginning in the fall.
The five student-athletes include Heidi Voelker (Winnetka, Ill.), Soley Pitre (Stoney Creek, Ontario), Emma Allmann (Mosinee, Wis.) Maggie Fitzgerald (Champaign, Ill.) and Ciera Mead (Montclair, Va.).
"The Wisconsin coaching staff is very excited about the incoming class of 2014 and what they bring with them to the team," said Bryans. "While they have varied backgrounds in rowing, they all are tremendous competitors and we are really looking forward to bringing them into the Badger fold and helping them achieve their dreams."
Heidi Voelker
Voelker, a Winnetka, Ill., native, attends New Trier High School and captains the varsity rowing program. Stroke of the team's second varsity eight, Voelker raced in last year's National Scholastic Championship in New Jersey. Her performance in New Jersey got her an invite to the National Junior Women's Identification Camp.
"I am so incredibly excited to become a Badger!," said Voelker. "To be a part of UW-Madison's rowing team is such an honor and I am really looking forward to it all - the school, the team, Madison, Everything!!"
"Heidi comes to us from New Trier's successful rowing program," said UW assistant coach Karen Rigsby. "We are excited about the enthusiasm and athleticism that she will bring to UW-Madison from her high school coach, UW alum Rose Marchuk."
Soley Pitre
 Soley Pitre  | |
Pitre, a Stoney Creek, Ontario native, coxes for St. Catherine's Rowing Club. Attending Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School, Pitre is certified by the Canadian National Team's Coaching Alliance.
"Soley impressed us with her initiative, her natural leadership, and her competitiveness," analyzed Rigsby. "She comes from the St. Catharine's area of Ontario, Canada, and we look forward to her sharp eye and her coxing skills. We believe she will make a big difference in developing the skill level of our athletes."
"Becoming a Wisconsin Badger completely defines the phrase `triple threat'," said Pitre. "I'm surrounded by a great group of people that I know will help me grow as a person. I'll be a part of a strong and devoted rowing team, and I will get to absorb an infinite amount of knowledge through the strong academics at UW."
Emma Allmann
Allmann, a Mosinee, Wis., native, will join Wisconsin rowing as an all-conference cross country runner. Cross country Team MVP in 2009, she also qualified in events at track sectionals last spring for Marathon High School. Allmann has also competed in Nordic skiing.
 Emma Allmann | |
Rigsby said, "We became interested in Emma when she came to our summer rowing camp last year. Freshman Coach Megan Cooke was impressed with Emma's coachability, her enthusiasm for learning the fundamentals of the sport, her athletic maturity and her excitement about UW-Madison."
"I've only got good things to say about the people I've met and the experiences I've had related to UW-Madison," explained Allmann. "I am so far beyond excited about becoming a true Badger and adding to these amazing memories while studying, rowing, and living there."
Maggie Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, a Champaign, Ill., native, joins Wisconsin after successful basketball and volleyball careers at The High School of Saint Thomas Moore. Fitzgerald is a two-time basketball team captain and a 2009-10 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 1A/2A First-Team All-State player. As a volleyball player, she was named special mention all-conference.
"Maggie is a fierce competitor on the basketball court," stated Rigsby. "She was first-team All-State and won a regional championship in Champaign, Ill. She was appointed captain based on her athleticism, leadership and consistency her senior year, and we are excited to teach her to row this summer and have that fierceness on our side."
"I am really looking forward to being a Badger and competing with the best at a world-class university," said Fitzgerald.
Ciera Mead
 Ciera Mead | |
Mead, a Montclair, Va., native, will arrive in Madison with much rowing experience. She placed first in both the youth single and youth double at the Head of the Occoquan last fall and placed second in the Prince William Erg Sprints last winter. A Forest Park High School attendee, she is a former News & Messenger Rower of the Year.
"Ciera is a mature rower with clear leadership qualities," Rigsby said. "She is an excellent athlete, extremely competitive, and very engaged in her academic studies. We hope that our other athletes will look to the example she sets both on the water and in the classroom."
"I'm so unbelievably excited to be rowing at the University of Wisconsin next year," exclaimed Mead. "I know without a doubt this is where I want to be for the next four years."
