Women's rowing unveils 2012-13 signing class
May 09, 2012 | Women's Rowing
May 9, 2012
MADISON, Wis. — Women’s rowing head coach Bebe Bryans announced the addition of nine student-athletes for the upcoming rowing season. Alexa Callahan (Verona, Wis.), Merritt Denham (Winnetka, Ill.), Emilie Johnston (Delmar, N.Y.), Jordan Weiss (Wilton, Conn.) and Taylor Vande Zande (Oconomowoc, Wis.) signed National Letters of Intent. Additionally, Nicole Brandt (Austin, Texas), Katherine Faulkner (Boxborough, Mass.), Jennifer Kapinus (Madison, Wis.) and Emily Swift (Kenilworth, Ill.) have accepted offers of admission to Wisconsin.
“Our strength has been, and will continue to be, the combination of the great recruits that we get and the strength of our walk-ons,” Bryans said. “This class is shaping up to be the best combination of those two things, so we are really excited about the recruits that we have coming in, they are really going to help compliment the strength of our walk-ons.”
Alexa Callahan
A native of Verona, Wis., Callahan was a member of the Camp Randall Rowing Club. Novice coach Megan Cooke Carcagno visited a practice and was impressed with Callahan’s competitive drive and agreed that she would be a great fit. Alexa’s work ethic in practice is outstanding and her coach emphasizes her appreciation for her intrinsic desire to win races, regardless of the cost or the work involved.
“She’s got the physical presence of an elite rower as a high school athlete,” Cooke Carcagno said. “I can’t wait to see how she transforms into a NCAA-caliber competitor. We look forward to having Alexa as a Badger next year.”
Merritt Denham
Merritt comes to Wisconsin from Winnetka, Ill. She has attended UW’s junior rowing camps every summer for the past three years. She was chosen last summer for the U.S. National High Performance Selection Camp and is an excellent student who has manifested a deep dedication to the Badger rowing program.
“Her rowing talent has given her much success in high school, but we expect even greater things here because of her strong work ethic and desire to win races,” Cooke Carcagno said. “She was coached by former Badger Rose Marchuk at New Trier High School and we believe she will hit the ground running when she arrives this summer for our U.S. National Development Camp.”
Emilie Johnston
Hailing from Delmar, N.Y., Johnston made an impression on the UW coaches when she rowed at the 2011 Head of the Charles. Though she is a bit smaller in stature than average collegiate rowers, Johnston has already surpassed many of the quantitative fitness standards required of current varsity rowers at UW.
“She exemplifies how important it is to have a lot of intrinsic fight and she shows that one doesn’t have to be a certain size to be successful in this sport,” said assistant coach Karen Rigsby. “We are excited for her to lead that attitude in our freshmen next year.”
Jordan Weiss
A native of Wilton, Conn., Weiss joins the heavily walk-on populated coxswain group at Wisconsin as a recruited freshman. She impressed the Badger coaches with her maturity, intellectual curiosity and ability to handle new and difficult situations with composure, poise and good choices. She will have a significant impact on the future successes of the Badgers in the years to come.
“She has an old soul; the accountability of someone beyond her years,” Rigsby said. “That is exactly what the young group will need.”
Taylor Vande Zande
From Oconomowoc, Wis.,Vande Zande is a multi-sport athlete with success in basketball, soccer and track. She attended both summer and winter rowing camps at Wisconsin and stood out as a very competitive athlete.
“Her enthusiasm for becoming a Badger impressed me and her positive team leadership qualities are an added bonus with such a talented athlete,” Cooke Carcagno said. “She’ll be in the front of the pack and we are excited to see how far she can take rowing, the newest addition to her sports successes.”
Three other junior rowing additions to the class of 2016 roster will be Emily Swift, Nicole Brandt, and Katherine Faulkner.
Nicole Brandt
A native of Austin, Texas, Brandt rowed at the 2010 Club Nationals. She made an impression on the coaches with her mechanics of the sport, abilities as a student and her natural athleticism. She brings with her a positive attitude and a goal-setting mindset.
Katherine Faulkner
Faulkner, from Boxborough, Mass., also chose Wisconsin to pursue her rowing and academic goals. She is an excellent student and an experienced rower.
Jennifer Kapinus
A local from Madison, Wis., Kapinus was at this year’s winter rowing camp. A little experience goes a long way and the coaching staff believes she will be a great addition to the incoming class with a fresh perspective on the sport.
Emily Swift
From Kenilworth, Ill., Swift is another New Trier High School rower and has committed to Wisconsin. Her enthusiasm, competitiveness and academic achievement will set an excellent example for her class. She has won gold medals with New Trier at the 2011 Midwest Championship and the 2011 Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championships.
Each year the team holds open tryouts for potential walk-on student-athletes. This last fall season began with over 200 interested students. Every year, incredible athletes from track, cross-country, swimming, soccer, volleyball, basketball and many others sports walk-on to the women’s rowing team and race at the NCAA Championships in the spring.
“We are very fortunate to have catalysts like this incredible recruiting class to lead the walk-ons and to find their own successes as well,” Bryans commented.
