University of Iowa Athletics

Kat Tillman

Class Sr.
Hometown Shoreview, Minn.
High School Mounds View
Kat Tillman - Women's Rowing - University of Iowa Athletics

2016-17 — Appeared in six competitions on the 1V8+ crew… finished 14th overall at the NCAA Championship on May 28 with a runner-up finish (6:38.04) in the C Final… won the C/D semifinal  (6:24.52) at the NCAA Championship May 27… helped Iowa to a third-place finish (6:14.90) in the second heat and repechage (6:18.99) at the NCAA Championship May 26… placed fourth (6:16.53) at the Big Ten Championship on May 14… placed third (7:08.60) against Syracuse and Princeton on April 28… defeated Rutgers (7:02.20) in the morning session and finished runner-up (6:38.00) to Ohio State in the afternoon session of the Big Ten Double Dual on April 8… defeated Michigan State (6:30.06) in the morning session and Louisville (6:32.31) in the afternoon session of the Double Dual on April 1… won the first heat (6:11.51) against San Diego, Duke, and Oklahoma and placed runner-up (6:20.53) to Texas in the A Final at the Longhorn Invitational on March 25… finished seventh (19:57.65) on the 1V4+ crew at the Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 22… earned Academic All-Big Ten.

2015-16 — Competed in six races with the 2V8+ crew… placed second (6:58.5) at the Big Ten/ACC Double Dual… Placed seconded in the morning (6:53.30), and afternoon (6:58.50) at the Big Ten Double Dual. Helped the 2V8+ crew finish second (6:45.73) at the Lake Natoma Invitational… helped the 2V8+ crew to first place finishes at the Big Ten/Big 12 Double Dual (7:00.743), and the Tennessee Invitational Conference Challenge (6:42.4)… placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships (6:40.558)… helped team place fifth at the Big Ten Championships (95 points)… letterwinner.

2014-15… Competed with the 1V8+ and 3V4+ crews at the Head of the Des Moines, against Indiana and Kansas in the fall… competed with the 2V8+ crew at the Nordic Nine, the Big Ten Double Dual, the B1G/Big 12 Challenge, against Tennessee, and the Big Ten Championships… helped the 2V8+ crew top Michigan State for a win of more than four seconds at the Big Ten Double Dual… helped the team finish second at the B1G/Big 12 Challenge… lead the 2V8+ crew to a dominating performance in the Petite Finals of the Big Ten Championships, beating Rutgers by 28.528 seconds… helped the team to a sixth place finish, the second highest scoring performance at the Big Ten Championships in program history, and the highest since 2003.

2013-14… Competed as part of the 1N8+ crew four times during the 2014 competition season… finished fourth (7:25.90) in the home opener… placed fifth (8:06.60) on day one and two (8:14.00), respectively, at the Clemson, Invitational… recorded a win at Tennessee as they beat the Lady Vols by 24.5 seconds… helped the Hawkeyes to a sixth place finish (7:28.030) at the Big Ten Championship at Eagle Creek Park… first year letter winner.

Before Iowa… Member of high school’s dance team… team captain as a senior and junior… two-time All American and All-Conference… team took eighth place in 2011 and 10th place in 2010 at the state championships… team placed first in 2013, 2011, and 2010 and second in 2012 at the conference championships… member of high school’s track team… holds a personal best in the discus (129’3″) and shot put (37’2″)… placed 12th in the discus at the 2013 State Track Meet… team placed second in 2013 and third in 2012 at the conference championships… also a member of the Minneapolis Rowing Club in 2013… National Honor Society member… Academic All-Star and Triple A Award winner… club coach was Kailey Fargo.

Personal… Born November 18, 1994 in St. Paul, Minn… daughter of Rick and Patty Tillman… biomedical engineering major.

Why Iowa… I chose Iowa because of the great atmosphere and the academic program.

My favorite aspect of rowing is… Every ounce of energy that goes into the sport helps your boat move that much quicker across the water. You’re able to physically see and feel improvement each day.

What made you want to become a rower… The summer before college, a friend asked me to join rowing with her at a club in Minneapolis. Since then, I’ve loved every second of it. Plus, being a Division 1 athlete is kind of awesome.