Michigan Adds Quartet of Talented Incoming Freshmen
6/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head women's rowing coach Mark Rothstein has announced the signing of four student-athletes -- Carla Bezold (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Jefferson HS), Tara Kass (Watertown, Mass./Watertown HS), Meredith Nichols (Carp, Ontario/West Carleton SS) and Emily Shea (Shelburne Falls, Mass./Deerfield Academy) -- for the 2003-04 school year.
"This is a class that we are excited about," said Rothstein. "These athletes are going to be big contributors to our program. These young women are all good students and they have high character. We have a talented group of athletes coming in."
Bezold comes to U-M from Thomas Jefferson High School, where she was a team captain during the 2003 season while rowing in the first varsity eight boat. At the national level, she rowed with the U.S. Junior National Team in 2002. She has been invited to the 2003 Junior National Camp this year in order to hold her spot from last summer.
"Carla is somebody I'm excited to have," Rothstein said. "She has Junior National Team experience and she is a great student. She will be enrolling in the engineering school at Michigan. She is a great kid and I'm thrilled to have her. I'm looking forward to watching her for a great four years at U-M."
Kass hails from Watertown High School in Watertown, Mass. This past year she rowed in the stroke seat for her club team, Community Rowing Incorporated, a Boston-area team. She will be competing with CRI at the U.S. Rowing Youth Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"I saw Tara row in the fall in Boston with CRI, which is a great program, and I was very impressed," said Rothstein. "When she visited we felt that she would fit in very well and we are excited about her coming to Michigan."
Nichols, a Carp, Ontario, native, rowed with the Ottawa Rowing Club prior to committing to Michigan. She recently won the gold medal at the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships while participating in the Junior A classification in February of 2003. She also has competed at the Canadian Junior National Speed Orders.
"Meredith is going to be a very good rower," said Rothstein "She has already shown that she can put up good ergometer times. She has proved that she is a good rower and she will continue to improve at the collegiate level."
Shea is from Shelburne Falls, Mass. and attended Deerfield Academy. She competed in the first varsity four, the top boat for Deerfield Academy. Like Bezold, she has been invited to the 2003 U.S. Junior National Camp this summer.
"Emily is someone who is going to develop into a good collegiate rower. She does not have as much experience as some others, but she is a very good athlete. We are interested in getting her into our program and watching her develop."
The Wolverines, who have reached six consecutive NCAA Championships, will be losing seven student-athletes to graduation, including three from the first varsity eight boat which finished second at the NCAA Championships on June 1.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) (763-4423)
