Five Wolverines Recognized With All-Conference Honors
5/19/2024 2:14:00 PM | Rowing
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan rowing program saw five of its student-athletes named to the All-Big Ten Conference team after the team captured its ninth Big Ten championship on Sunday (May 19), the league announced. First-team honorees included senior Zara Collisson, junior Katie Easton, and sophomore Jana Peachey. Graduate students Annaka Draaisma and Aubrey Fitts earned All-Big Ten second-team distinction.
Collisson, Easton, and Fitts are now two-time All-Big Ten honorees. Draaisma and Peachey collect their first career conference honors. Each is a member of U-M's 1V8, which won gold during Sunday's Championship regatta to secure 72 points and ensure U-M's team title with 189 total points.
Collisson, Draaisma, and Fitts are each three-time Big Ten champions, while Easton and Peachey have been part of two Big Ten title-winning rosters.
Collisson has been a presence in U-M's first eight her whole career and has rowed from the seventh seat this spring, moving to the fifth seat for the conference championship. Also an international record-holder (U-23 world championships), the Aussie brought her best this year to help bring the speed out of the Michigan 1V8. She is now a three-time Big Ten gold medalist (2021 2V8; 2023-24 1V8). A 2023 All-American and 2024 CRCA Athletes to Watch List member, Collisson is recognized by her teammates for her leadership, having been voted a team captain ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Easton has been rowing in U-M's 1V8 since the postseason of her freshman year and the Melbourne, Australia, native has taken over in the boat's stroke seat this spring. Her consistency has been a key to U-M's speed all year. This weekend was Easton's third time medaling with the first eight at the conference regatta (2022, silver; 2023, gold).
The only underclassman among U-M's honorees, Peachey has proven herself as an important piece to U-M's fastest boats since she arrived on campus and the sophomore is now a two-time Big Ten gold medalist with U-M's first eight. She has rowed in the fifth seat for the Wolverines this spring, and moved up to the seventh seat for Big Tens, helping the Wolverines reach their peak for the postseason.
Draaisma has rowed in championship boats throughout her Michigan career, from varsity fours to varsity eights including the fourth seat of the 1V8 this spring. She rowed from the sixth seat last weekend. The Ada, Mich., native has been a boat-mover, resulting in four Big Ten medals in her career and now, two gold medals (1V4, 2V8 silver, 2022-23; 2V4 gold, 2021).
A graduate student from Winter Park, Fla., Fitts has been a varsity eight presence the last two seasons including in the 1V8 lineup since the 2023 Big Ten Championships. She has rowed in bow seat this spring, moving to the third seat at the Big Ten Championships. Fitts now has been in four Big Ten gold medal-winning boats during her career (2021, 3V4; 2022, 2V8; 2023-24, 1V8). She also delivered the graduation speech at U-M's student-athlete graduation event in spring 2023.
The team's sportsmanship honoree is senior Delaney Evans.
As automatic qualifiers, the Wolverines will continue preparations for the NCAA Championships, to be held May 31-June 2 in Bethel, Ohio. U-M will be in the championship regatta for the 16th consecutive season and the 24th time overall.
Players Mentioned
