Wolverines Add 17 to Class of 2021
5/21/2021 2:00:00 PM | Rowing
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan rowing program welcomed 17 student-athletes to the 2021 signing class with national letters of intent on Friday (May 21).
The signing class includes: Alayna Babut, Erin Benitez, Elizabeth Blaine, Grace Graham, Megan Kleiner, Olivia Kopasz-Gemmen, Lauren Lier, Lauren Lutz, Alana Maffesoli, Maya Mileski, Anna Muench, Emma Pettigrew, Jillian Rhoney, Maddie Roland, Kelsey Roller, Anna Sluiter, and Sam Sutton.
"This is an exciting group of student-athletes coming to join us at the University of Michigan," said head coach Mark Rothstein. "Our coaching staff did an excellent job of identifying individuals who would be great fits in the classroom and in our program. We are really looking forward to getting this group on campus and watching them develop over the next four years."
These 17 student-athletes will join U-M's four winter signees as freshmen next season.
More information on each of the signees (listed alphabetically) can be found below:
Alayna Babut
• Attends Dexter High School in Dexter, Mich.
• Academic All-State in basketball, National Honor Society member, SEC Scholar-Athlete
• Lettered in basketball for the Drednaughts
• 2020-21 first team All-Conference (SEC), named MLive Basketball Player of the Week once as a senior
• Daughter of Scott and Stacey Babut
Erin Benitez
• Attends Stoney Creek High School in Rochester, Mich.
• Scholar of Highest Distinction
• National Honor Society member, Key Club Officer, Green Club member
• Lettered in four sports for Stoney Creek basketball, cross country, skiing, and soccer
• Team captain in soccer; earned all-region and all-league honors
• State qualifier in cross country and skiing; owns a top-10 all-time 5K at Stoney Creek
• Daughter of Jim and Barb Benitez
Elizabeth Blaine
• Attends Rochester Adams High School in Rochester, Mich.
• Scholar of Highest Distinction, four-year scholar athlete
• Also a member of National Honor Society, Key Club, and a Link Crew Leader
• OAA All-League honoree
• Lettered in three sports for the Highlanders: basketball, softball, volleyball
• Daughter of Jeff and Erin Blaine
Grace Graham
• Attends Laingsburg High School in Laingsburg, Mich.
• Valedictorian and class president at LHS; also National Honor Society President
• Lettered in four sports: soccer (four years varsity), basketball (three), cross country, and track and field
• Team captain in soccer and basketball
• Second team All-State soccer player; Honorable Mention All-State on the court
• Daughter of Troy and Shannon Graham
Megan Kleiner
• Attends Staples High School in Westport, Conn.
• Honor Roll Student
• Currently competes with Saugatuck Rowing Club
• In 2019, won a gold medal with the U17 eight at Club Nationals and a silver medal with the U17 four
• Also placed seventh at the Head of the Charles with the 2V8 that fall
• Daughter of Jennifer Kleiner
Olivia Kopasz-Gemmen
• Attends National Cathedral School for Girls in Washington, D.C.
• Staff writer and editor for school newspaper, The Discus
• Rowed for Cathedral and for TBCRacing (Thompson Boat Center) in D.C. all four years
• Captain of the varsity crew at Cathedral
• Two-time Stotesbury Cup Finalist in the freshman eight (2018) and senior eight (2019)
• Holds the school's No. 1 erg time at 20 minutes and is No. 1 at 2K on the current roster
• At TBC, made the eight as a sophomore and rowed at Head of the Charles
• Placed fifth in the U17 Women's four at USRowing Nationals in 2018
• Placed fourth in the U18 eight at the Royal Canadian Henley
• Daughter of Diane Kopasz and Eric Gemmen
Lauren Lier
• Attends Sequoia High School in Redwood City, Calif.
• President, Sequoia Best Buddies Club
• Rows with NorCal Crew in Redwood City
• 2018 USRowing High Performance Camp Team Member
• Runner-up at the 2018 U17 Head of the Lake Regatta in the 8+
• Placed third at 2019 U17 USRowing Club Nationals in the 8+
• Finished third in the 4- at the 2019 Southwest Youth Championships
• Daughter of Eric and Susan Lier
Lauren Lutz
• Attends Utica Eisenhower High School in Shelby Township, Mich.
• Honor Roll student, District Scholar, Member of National Honors Society and Key Club
• Earned varsity letters in cross country (four), track and field (four) and basketball (two)
• Named to the All-Academic conference team in cross country
• Two-time district champion on the court, helped lead the Eagles to the 2020 Regional Final
• All-State in the high jump (sixth overall) as a senior in 2020 (MITS Indoors), two-time state qualifier (2019)
• Earned All-Division and All-County honors as a high jumper
• Daughter of Michael and Michelle Lutz
Alana Maffesoli
• Attends St. Frances Cabrini High School in Allen Park, Mich.
• Class of 2021 Top 10, Member of: Honor Roll, Student Council Executive Board
• MHSAA All-Catholic Scholar, Scholar Athlete Nominee
• All-Academic in basketball, All-State Academic in cross country
• Lettered in four sports: cross country, track and field (four years each), basketball, and swimming
• Team captain in cross country (two years), track and field, and basketball
• 3x state qualifier in cross country, qualifier and 4x800-meter regional champion/school record-holder, state-ranked discus thrower
• Daughter of Mike and Sarah Maffesoli
Maya Mileski
• Attends West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids, Mich.
• AP Scholar with Distinction, 4x Class President
• Also a four-year honor roll member and National Honor Society member
• Lettered in basketball, track and field, and volleyball and team captain in all three sports
• Division II All-State high jumper in 2019
• All-Conference basketball player as a senior in 2021
• Daughter of Dough and Pia Mileski
Anna Muench
• Attends Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, Mich.
• Scholar of Highest Distinction; vice president of Student Council
• Recipient, Award of Excellence for Acts of Integrity; vice president and co-founder of She's the First
• Gymnast for Olympia Gymnastics Academy in Shelby Township, Mich.
• 6x Michigan Gymnastics State Champion, Region 5 Uneven Bars Champion
• Daughter of Steve and Sarah Muench
Emma Pettigrew
• Attends Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• National Merit Scholarship Finalist, two-year member of National Honor Society
• Co-president of the Girls Who Code Club
• Varsity letter winner as part of Skyline's crew team
• First-place finisher at 2021 Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championship (varsity double)
• Daughter of Michael and Melissa Pettigrew
Jillian Rhoney
• Attends Milan High School in Milan, Mich.
• Three-year member of National Honor Society and four-year member of National Art Honor Society
• Four-scholar athlete and varsity letter winner in swimming
• Academic All-State as a senior in 2020
• In the pool, competed with Milan's varsity team as well as Milan's USA Club Team
• Qualified for the state meet in the 500- and 200-meter freestyle events, finishing 10th in the former as a senior
• All-League first team in the 400- and 200-meter relays as a junior
• Daughter of Kimberlee and Richard Rhoney
Maddie Roland
• Attends Fairfield Ludlowe High School in Fairfield, Conn.
• Honor Roll student at Fairfield
• Currently rows with Saugatuck Rowing Club
• Two-time top-10 finisher at Head of the Charles in the youth women's eight
• Twice placed first at U17 Club Nationals in 2019 in the four and eight
• Went undefeated at the Youth Regional Challenge in 2018 and 2019
• Daughter of Anna and Walter Roland
Kelsey Roller
• Attends Dexter High School in Dexter, Mich.
• National Honor Society member, Sprout Love member
• SEC Scholar-Athlete
• Club soccer captain, District II Champion (2019)
• Daughter of Shelly and Kevin Roller
Anna Sluiter
• Attends Zeeland East High School in Zeeland, Mich.
• High honors graduate and National Honor Society member
• Lettered all four years in both track and field and swimming for Zeeland
• Three-year team captain in track and field
• All-State swimmer
• Daughter of Brent and Amy Sluiter
Sam Sutton
• Attends Dexter High School in Dexter, Mich.
• National Honor Society member; two-year scholar athlete award in softball
• Lettered all four years in softball
• First team All-Conference (2018)
• Two-time Division I MHSSCA softball first team All-District (2018-19)
• Two-time SEC All-League softball first team (2018-19)
• 2019 MLive's Ann Arbor area Softball Dream Team member
• Played on a national high school softball circuit, having pitched a no-hitter and hit for the cycle
• Daughter of Jason and Wendy Sutton
