Eleven student-athletes sign to join Wisconsin women’s rowing
May 24, 2016 | Women's Rowing
Badgers ink 11 to Class of 2020
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's rowing team, led by head coach Bebe Bryans and assistant coach Nancy LaRocque, has announced its 11-member signing class that will join the Badgers for the 2016-17 season, bringing in a wealth of national, international, club and high school experience to the program.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN'S
CLASS OF 2020
RILEY BUI
Capital Crew - El Dorado Hills, California
Senior class vice president at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California, Riley is the varsity men's coxswain for Capital Crew. During the summer she stays busy coxing her team as well as the masters group at her club. She continually strives to learn as much as she can about the sport from her coaches, other coxswains, and rowers from any squad on any team.
"Soft-spoken in person, and super fierce in the boat, she is a true student of the sport, and Riley will fit in great with our current coxswain group." -- UW Assistant Coach Nancy LaRocque
TAYLOR CAUDLE
Canberra Girls Grammar School &
Australian Capital Territory Academy of Sport
Symonston, Australia
Taylor rowed for five years with Canberra Girls Grammar School and the Australian Capital Territory Academy of Sport. Not the first rower in the family, her older sister rows for Ohio State. Most recently, she was invited to the U21 team trials in the single where she placed fourth.
"Taylor is a solid athlete who we are really looking forward to working with, and she will add a great deal of technical strength to our freshman class." -- LaRocque
ELIZABETH CLARKE
Portora Boat Club – Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Elizabeth has been a standout junior rower for Ireland and currently rows for Portora Boat Club. In the summer of 2015 at the Irish championships she came first in the J18 eight and the women's U23 eight. She also represented Ireland at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Hungary where she reached the A final and came in fifth in the women's pair. She noted it was an absolutely amazing experience.
"Elizabeth is already quite strong both physically and technically, and we're excited to have her join us with a ton of great racing experience." - LaRocque
ELISABET PIETZ
Camp Randall Rowing Club – Madison, Wisconsin
Elisabet Pietz is the top oarswoman on her Camp Randall Rowing Club team. Last summer, Pietz trained at the Junior National Team High Performance Camp and raced at Club Nationals in the pair, four and eight. Pietz excels in the boat and in the classroom, as she has been accepted into UW's honors program.
"We are looking forward to adding her physical strength and great personality to our team this fall!" LaRocque
MAGGIE MANDARANO
City Island Rowing – New Rochelle, New York
Voted the captain of her team, Maggie started off as a rower only switching to coxing about a year ago. Her coach says she is a thinker in the boat, a valuable "assistant coach" during practice, and a motivator and disciplinarian in races. She led her varsity lightweight eight to a championship victory at New York States, and gained great experience at Youth Nationals and the Canadian Henley, getting her four to the A final.
"We are really excited to gain a coxswain with her level of experience and leadership!" -- LaRocque
MOLLY RUSSELL
Fox Valley Rowing Club - Bonduel, Wisconsin
Molly competes with the Fox Valley Rowing Club. A standout swimmer at Seymour High School, Russell attended a number of Wisconsin rowing camps and immediately picked up the sport. She is also devoted to coaching Special Olympians in her free time.
"She is sure to become a standout athlete in the Badger community." -- LaRocque
NICOLA LEVY
Connecticut Boat Club – Ridgefield, Connecticut
Nikki is a member of one of the strongest teams in the country, and is coached by head junior national team coach, Liz Trond. She has primarliy coxed Connecticut Boat Club's second varsity four and second varsity eight and has shown great progress with race results and recordings.
"Nicola will add even more depth to our freshman coxswain squad. She was really enthusiastic about the recruiting process with us as she has family in the Midwest and we are excited that she will be joining us this fall!" -- LaRocque
RAEGAN HINRICHS
Twin Cities Youth Rowing - Edina, Minnesota
Raegan was destined to be a Badger rower as both mom and dad are Wisconsin rowing alumns! Her 2015 varsity four qualified for Youth Nationals where they placed second in the C final. Raegan spends her winters racing nordic cross country. She competed in Wisconsin's famous Birkebeiner race in the Kortelopet Freestyle 24K event where as a 16-year old placed 128th out of 598 (overall female results).
"History has proven that great rowing genes coupled with a nordic skiing bacground equals mega potential! We're excited to have Raegan join our freshman squad this fall!" -- LaRocque
MARGO MINGELGRIN
Chicago Rowing Foundation – Chicago, Illinois
Margo is in her fourth season with Chicago Rowing Foundation and has been spending a good deal of this spring stroking their varsity. She will see familiar faces in her opponents next season, as she is one of six CRF athletes to sign with a Division I rowing program.
"We have really enjoyed getting to know Margo more over this year and we're excited to see how her team finishes up their season and are looking forward to having her join us this fall!" -- LaRocque
KATHERINE GROSE
Rose City Rowing Club – Portland, Oregon
Katherine comes to Wisconsin from a great program lead by head coach Nick Haley. In watching video of her early on we knew she was someone to keep an eye on. She moves her height very efficeintly and her stroke looks effortless. In 2015 she and her pair partner (current Badger Alicia Evans) came in eighth overall at youth nationals.
"Given the amount of time we spend in small boats, Katherine will bring a wealth of experience to our freshman squad. We are excited she chose Wisconsin to spend the next four years!" -- LaRocque
ANNA HINCHLEY
Hinchley Family Farm & Cambridge High School Soccer – Cambridge, Wisconsin
"Anna is our quinnessential Wisconsin born and raised farm gal. A current student athlete's mom told her she should try rowing, and after coming to our clinic we had to agree! Anna has a great family and is strongly rooted in her family's farm, where her Dad claims last summer she helped buck about 5000 bales of hay on to the hay trailer. There's no denying that her work ethic, strength and stature should land her a top spot come spring time! Women like Anna have been the cornerstone of Wisconsin's success, and we are excited to continue that tradition this fall!" -- LaRocque
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN'S
CLASS OF 2020
RILEY BUICapital Crew - El Dorado Hills, California
Senior class vice president at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California, Riley is the varsity men's coxswain for Capital Crew. During the summer she stays busy coxing her team as well as the masters group at her club. She continually strives to learn as much as she can about the sport from her coaches, other coxswains, and rowers from any squad on any team.
"Soft-spoken in person, and super fierce in the boat, she is a true student of the sport, and Riley will fit in great with our current coxswain group." -- UW Assistant Coach Nancy LaRocque
TAYLOR CAUDLE
Canberra Girls Grammar School &
Australian Capital Territory Academy of Sport
Symonston, Australia
Taylor rowed for five years with Canberra Girls Grammar School and the Australian Capital Territory Academy of Sport. Not the first rower in the family, her older sister rows for Ohio State. Most recently, she was invited to the U21 team trials in the single where she placed fourth.
"Taylor is a solid athlete who we are really looking forward to working with, and she will add a great deal of technical strength to our freshman class." -- LaRocque
ELIZABETH CLARKEPortora Boat Club – Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Elizabeth has been a standout junior rower for Ireland and currently rows for Portora Boat Club. In the summer of 2015 at the Irish championships she came first in the J18 eight and the women's U23 eight. She also represented Ireland at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Hungary where she reached the A final and came in fifth in the women's pair. She noted it was an absolutely amazing experience.
"Elizabeth is already quite strong both physically and technically, and we're excited to have her join us with a ton of great racing experience." - LaRocque
ELISABET PIETZ
Camp Randall Rowing Club – Madison, Wisconsin
Elisabet Pietz is the top oarswoman on her Camp Randall Rowing Club team. Last summer, Pietz trained at the Junior National Team High Performance Camp and raced at Club Nationals in the pair, four and eight. Pietz excels in the boat and in the classroom, as she has been accepted into UW's honors program.
"We are looking forward to adding her physical strength and great personality to our team this fall!" LaRocque
MAGGIE MANDARANOCity Island Rowing – New Rochelle, New York
Voted the captain of her team, Maggie started off as a rower only switching to coxing about a year ago. Her coach says she is a thinker in the boat, a valuable "assistant coach" during practice, and a motivator and disciplinarian in races. She led her varsity lightweight eight to a championship victory at New York States, and gained great experience at Youth Nationals and the Canadian Henley, getting her four to the A final.
"We are really excited to gain a coxswain with her level of experience and leadership!" -- LaRocque
MOLLY RUSSELL
Fox Valley Rowing Club - Bonduel, Wisconsin
Molly competes with the Fox Valley Rowing Club. A standout swimmer at Seymour High School, Russell attended a number of Wisconsin rowing camps and immediately picked up the sport. She is also devoted to coaching Special Olympians in her free time.
"She is sure to become a standout athlete in the Badger community." -- LaRocque
NICOLA LEVYConnecticut Boat Club – Ridgefield, Connecticut
Nikki is a member of one of the strongest teams in the country, and is coached by head junior national team coach, Liz Trond. She has primarliy coxed Connecticut Boat Club's second varsity four and second varsity eight and has shown great progress with race results and recordings.
"Nicola will add even more depth to our freshman coxswain squad. She was really enthusiastic about the recruiting process with us as she has family in the Midwest and we are excited that she will be joining us this fall!" -- LaRocque
RAEGAN HINRICHS
Twin Cities Youth Rowing - Edina, Minnesota
Raegan was destined to be a Badger rower as both mom and dad are Wisconsin rowing alumns! Her 2015 varsity four qualified for Youth Nationals where they placed second in the C final. Raegan spends her winters racing nordic cross country. She competed in Wisconsin's famous Birkebeiner race in the Kortelopet Freestyle 24K event where as a 16-year old placed 128th out of 598 (overall female results).
"History has proven that great rowing genes coupled with a nordic skiing bacground equals mega potential! We're excited to have Raegan join our freshman squad this fall!" -- LaRocque
MARGO MINGELGRINChicago Rowing Foundation – Chicago, Illinois
Margo is in her fourth season with Chicago Rowing Foundation and has been spending a good deal of this spring stroking their varsity. She will see familiar faces in her opponents next season, as she is one of six CRF athletes to sign with a Division I rowing program.
"We have really enjoyed getting to know Margo more over this year and we're excited to see how her team finishes up their season and are looking forward to having her join us this fall!" -- LaRocque
KATHERINE GROSE
Rose City Rowing Club – Portland, Oregon
Katherine comes to Wisconsin from a great program lead by head coach Nick Haley. In watching video of her early on we knew she was someone to keep an eye on. She moves her height very efficeintly and her stroke looks effortless. In 2015 she and her pair partner (current Badger Alicia Evans) came in eighth overall at youth nationals.
"Given the amount of time we spend in small boats, Katherine will bring a wealth of experience to our freshman squad. We are excited she chose Wisconsin to spend the next four years!" -- LaRocque
ANNA HINCHLEYHinchley Family Farm & Cambridge High School Soccer – Cambridge, Wisconsin
"Anna is our quinnessential Wisconsin born and raised farm gal. A current student athlete's mom told her she should try rowing, and after coming to our clinic we had to agree! Anna has a great family and is strongly rooted in her family's farm, where her Dad claims last summer she helped buck about 5000 bales of hay on to the hay trailer. There's no denying that her work ethic, strength and stature should land her a top spot come spring time! Women like Anna have been the cornerstone of Wisconsin's success, and we are excited to continue that tradition this fall!" -- LaRocque
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