Shocker Rowing Press Releases
11-18-09 . ALL BOATS MEDAL AT MARATHON, THREE COURSE RECORDS SET
November 14, 2009
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Shocker Rowing raced three mixed eights at the marathon rowing championships and all three medaled.
The event is 26.2 miles long on the Cane River. Conditions were calm, with some chop depending on which way the river turned.
Mixed eights require at least 4 women rowers and 4 men rowers. The coxswain can be either sex.
In the varsity mixed eight event, Shocker Rowing took first and second places beating St. Louis University and Texas A&M –Galveston. The first place eight rowed the event in 3 hours 5 minutes and 33 seconds, which set the course record. The second boat was 3:20:45. WSU also holds the third fastest time for this event set in 2004.
The novice mixed eight also set a course record rowing with a time of 3 hours 20 min 32 seconds beating Texas A&M-Galveston and Tulane. WSU holds the third fastest time for this event as well set in 2004.
Of note, Assistant Coach Tori Breithaupt raced representing Wichita Rowing Association. She and her doubles partner also set a course record in the mixed 2x.
10-06-09 . SHOCKER ROWING STELLAR START TO SEASON
WSU Rowing returns from Oklahoma City where the team raced 15 boats at the Boot of the Oklahoma Oct 3. Of the 15 boats, 8 brought home medals.
The Boot draws teams from the Midwest; powerhouses like Tulsa, Kansas and Texas NCAA women’s rowing programs and on the men’s side Harvard, Texas and Oklahoma City University. Last year the men’s varsity four placed 6th, this year they moved to 2nd after initially being penalized and forced to take a 30 second penalty which would have put them in 4th. Texas Crew’s boat that won the race, complained that WSU did not cede way. However, after examining the facts, the officials concurred that WSU was pinned by other teams on the course and could not cede way to Texas and the penalty was dropped. The men’s four then went to take Gold in the night 500 meter sprints.
The varsity women raced in a new event to WSU fall rowing, the women’s doubles. In a field of 16 boats, some of them part of the Oklahoma City High Performance Center, Erica Kuhlman and Chelsea Chavez placed 9th and Stephanie Lillie and Melissa Koehn 10th finishing ahead of some NCAA programs. Lillie of Ottawa, KS, said “The race went well; it was the first time we have raced in a double and my first time in bow seat.” Bow seat is responsible for navigating the course, not an easy task considering rowers do not face the way they are going but look backwards. Of the upcoming Frostbite race (Nov 1st), Lillie commented: “I’m excited to see how we improve in the 2xs and really looking forward to the fours against KU Club team. We’ve had a long time rivalry with KU, going back and forth who wins. I wish Frostbite were now, but am glad we have time to prepare.”
Without much rest, the four women then jumped into the Women’s Collegiate Fours event and placed 19th/29, an improvement from 24th last year. The women’s teams must face NCAA programs that have budgets 3x that of WSU. Against teams that compete in WSU’s league, WSU placed 3rd of 8.
The novice women also had fantastic races. The women’s eight brought home bronze and were 45 seconds back from first place an improvement of nearly a minute and a half from 2008. The novice four women took silver beating Tulsa’s NCAA boat. These results for the novice women bode well for strong racing at the Frostbite Regatta and racing against league rivals Colorado and Washington University and which team heads into winter training on top.
The novice men were first in the eight and four last year and again repeated these results. In the men’s novice four, the B Boat moved from 3rd last year to 2nd this year. Said Michael Stacey of Hutchinson, KS, “I feel we could have done a little better as we thought the event was 5000 meters, not 4000 meters, but still feel we did fantastic considering most were new to the four. Of all the sports I’ve played, I’ve never taken a medal in our first time in it. It was very exciting – passing the other boats – looking at them physically exhausted, when we felt like it was second nature – it was a real motivational booster. I’m now determined to win against Colorado and Iowa at Frostbite.”
The second men’s novice eight lost third by one second which is always a frustrating loss as one second can be the push of a button on the official’s timer. Also racing for the Shockers were Allen Strickler in the men’s open single and Malcolm Johnson in the lightweight single. Johnson finished 3rd and Strickler 7th of 11 coming off shoulder surgery and should be ready to add speed to the men’s four and eight come Frostbite.
09-29-09 . Shocker Rowing Heads to the Boot
Fall rowing races are typically called Head Races, and are a time trial event. The Head of the Oklahoma can not take place in its usual venue this year due to construction so the race has moved locations and names (now called the Boot of the Oklahoma), but will still occur in Oklahoma City, OK.
Shocker Rowing is sending its fleet of 47 athletes to compete in 13 events on October 3, 2009. Expected to place well will be the men’s collegiate four that placed 6th last year and the men’s novice 8 and 4 boats that placed first last year. Malcolm Johnson will also race in the men’s lightweight single race, his first single race as a Shocker Rower.
New events for Shocker Rowing at this regatta will be the women’s doubles. Chelsea Chavez, Erica Kuhlman, Stephanie Lillie and Melissa Koehn have been gearing up on their steering and racing strategies for this race on the very challenging Little Arkansas River course. The easier to steer Oklahoma River course should not pose much of a problem but the two boats will face a field of 19 boats against some NCAA powerhouse programs.
Lindsay Mills ’13, from Derby, KS, a walk on this year for the team will be racing as a coxswain in the Men’s Novice Four event, she is looking forward to: “getting a first race under my belt, really knowing what the real rush of a race feels like, and seeing all of the [other] teams.”
Jason Gorman, ’12, Wauwatosa, WI, also a walk on is looking forward to: “rowing my first ever race and this being my first time in Oklahoma. I’m also the only person [on the team] from WI, it will be an experience to have warm weather at such a late date.”
8-12-2009 . WSU ROWING READY FOR FALL SEASON
Shocker Rowers head to the water August 20th to start training for fall races which start Sept 26th at home versus OSU. “I’m excited for rowing to start,” Erica Kuhlman ’10 says of the season. Kuhlman spent a year ‘abroad’ at Humboldt State in CA, so she knows how wonderful it is to get back to the Arkansas River. “I think we have a great team spirit, everyone is connected.” Also excited for the season is 2nd year WSU rower, Malcolm Johnson, ’12, “I’m looking forward to beating a lot of people,” and not just any team in particular “everybody.” Johnson spent the summer rowing in a single, coaching juniors in sculling, and came in first at the Capital Sprints in D.C.
Other home events include the Frostbite Regatta Nov 1 and new to this year, Class and Alumni Races on Oct 17. Shocker Rowing will also travel to OKC on Oct 3 and on Nov 14 to Louisiana.
Wichita State Rowing will have 9 returning women and 11 returning men. Rower Allen Strickler ’12 enters his fourth year (2nd as a WSU rower) and is looking forward to the Frostbite “even though it’s a small race, I enjoy [racing] smaller boats at Frostbite because I know the course well and it’s a challenge for everyone else.” Strickler, a Wichita native rowed as a junior on the Frostbite course, he then spent his first two college years at OSU “I’m also looking forward to the scrimmage against OSU, even though I’m on other side.”
These 20 athletes will be joined by 6 new WSU rowers who have rowed previously. Going into the summer, the team knew it had 4 recruits joining, 2 more were added over the summer. Sam Bernston hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma where he rowed for Tulsa Juniors. Laura Calhoun comes from Los Angeles, CA where she rowed with LA Rowing Club but has also rowed in D.C. for the Thompson Boat Center. “Both are very competent rowers with great racing skills, we’re really excited to have them join our program,” commented Assistant Coach Tori Breithaupt.
Laura Calhoun
High School: Grant High- Class of 2007
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Rowing Experience: 2 years of high school rowing experience in Maryland. I rowed for Bethesda Chevy Chase High and Thompson Boat Center while in Maryland. I have been rowing for Los Angeles Rowing Club for about 9 months, where I was the captain of a women's lightweight 4+.
Position: Port- Mostly stroke.
Honors & Awards: Dean’s List and honor society at Glendale Community College.
Personal: Janet Calhoun (mother). Born in Cleveland, OH. Grew up in the Washington D.C area. Now living in Los Angeles. Little fact about me is I have lived in five states (Kansas will make 6) and have visited thirty states. My goal is to see all fifty states before I die.
Why WSU: WSU combines rowing and a degree in Forensic Science. Looking forward to spending the next several years at WSU.
Sam Berntson
High school: Edison Preparatory High School
Home town: Tulsa, OK
Rowing experience: four years
Position: Starboard and sculling
Honors and awards: Lettered in rowing all 4 years
Competed in Juniors National Championships, 2006, 2007
Medaled in many regattas throughout high school
Leadership Council of Tulsa Rowing Club Juniors
Tulsa Rowing Club Juniors King Oar Award 2009
Personal: Parents are Elizabeth, and David Berntson, one brother
Participated in French Immersion School since Kindergarten. Have visited France twice, once with my family and once as an Exchange Student in 8th grade.
Why WSU: WSU has a great engineering program that I am excited to participate in. WSU has a great rowing team that has been very successful in recent years. I'm looking forward to having a great season rowing for the Shockers!