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CHARLOTTESVILLE Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer announced the signing of Molly Frear, Erin Friedlander, Reva Geier, Ellie Goodman, Taylor Levine, Erin Metcalf, Betsy Nilan, Kristine O’Brien-Carroll and Emily Scott to National Letters of Intent to row for the Cavaliers beginning in 2009.
“We are quite pleased with this class,” Sauer said. “They are passionate about their pursuits with rowing being an important part of their lives. All of them have had significant success already and we look forward to them contributing to the University of Virginia rowing program.”
Frear (Wilton, Conn., 5-3, Hopkins School) is a coxswain for the Maritime Rowing Club. She coxed the lightweight four to a sixth-place finish at the National Championships in 2008. She was the coxswain for the girls’ Varsity Eight at the Head of the Charles in the fall of 2008, and has won numerous state and regional championships with Maritime.
Friedlander (Centreville, Va., 5-3, Westfield High School) was the coxswain of the women’s Varsity Eight for two years, finishing third at the state championships in 2008. Friedlander competed at the Scholastic National Championship and Head of the Charles Regatta, as well as leading her boat to a second-place finish at the Head of the Occoquan.
Geier (Cranbury, N.J., 5-9, Peddie School) was a gold medalist in the Varsity Four at numerous fall regattas. Her crew finished third at the Head of the Charles in the fall of 2008 after starting to row the previous spring. She won a gold medal at the Philadelphia City Championship in May 2008.
Goodman (Centreville, Va., 5-3, Westfield High School), coxed the men’s Varsity Eight for three years, placing fifth at the state championships. Goodman competed at the Scholastic National Championship and Head of the Charles Regatta in 2007 and 2008.
Levine (Margate, N.J., 5-8, Atlantic City High School) was invited to Junior National Team selection camp in the summer of 2008. In the spring, she won the Brigantine Greenhead Erg Sprints.
Metcalf (Knoxville, Tenn., 6-0, Phillips Exeter Academy) was a member of the Varsity Eight that finished third at USRowing Youth Nationals and won the New England Championships. In 2007, she finished second at the New England Championships, was a semifinalist at the Women’s Henley and won the gold medal at the Reading Regatta with the Varsity Eight. Metcalf is also a competitive swimmer.
Nilan (Milford, Conn., 5-9, St. Joseph’s High School) rows for the Maritime Rowing Club. She was a silver medalist in the Varsity Eight at the National Championships (2007) and was invited to both the 2007 and 2008 national team selection camp. A member of the 2007 USRowing High Performance Team and 2008 U.S. Junior National Team, Nilan finished sixth in at the Junior World Championships in the four.
O’Brien-Carroll (Massapequa Park, N.Y., 6-0, St. John the Baptist High School) was a gold medalist in the double at the Head of the Charles, Stotesbury Cup Regatta, Empire State Games and Scholastic Rowing Association National Regatta in 2008. O’Brien-Carroll is a member of the 2008 USRowing High Performance Team.
Scott (Unionville, Pa., 6-1, Unionville High School) rows for Wilmington Youth Rowing Association and St. Andrew’s School. As a sophomore, Scott finished third at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in the Varsity Eight (2007). She had a fifth-place finish with the Varsity Four at NEMA Regionals an attended U.S. Junior Team HP Camp in Fall of 2006. Scott also plays volleyball.
Virginia’s spring season begins with a scrimmage against Michigan State on March 14 in Marion, Va. The Cavaliers begin the regular-season with a race against Bucknell on March 20 at the Rivanna Reservoir.