May 29, 2014
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By JIL PRICE
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Six members of the University of Iowa rowing team earned Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) recognition on Tuesday.
Freshman Morgan Grastorf — who was recently invited to attend the 2014 USRowing Women’s Pre-Elite Camp — was named Central first team All-Region. It is her first regional selection and Iowa’s first freshman regional honor since Katy Kroll was tabbed second team in 2010.
All-Region candidates are evaluated on the strength of their team’s regional finish, coach recommendations and 2,000-meter erg score. Grastorf is the seventh Hawkeye rower to earn a regional award since 2008.
The honor allows Grastorf to be eligible for All-America awards selection after the completion of the NCAA Rowing Championships, which run from May 30 to June 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Iowa rowing has had two All-Americans in program history; Katy Kroll (2013 Pocock second team All-America) and Jessica Novack (2010 Pocock second team All-American). Kroll was a senior and Novack was a junior.
Sophomores Madeline Anglin (Nursing) and Katie Brown (Psychology), and juniors Mackenzie Norton (International Studies – Development), Destinee Gwee (Biochemistry) and Gabrielle Watson (Speech and Hearing Science) were named CRCA Scholar Athletes. To qualify for the honor student-athletes must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher, raced in 75 percent of Iowa’s races, and were in their second, third or fourth year of eligibility. Norton and Watson were also honored as scholar athletes in 2013.
“We’re all very proud of the accomplishments this year and having six women recognized by the CRCA is icing on the cake,” head coach Andrew Carter said. “Director of Athletics Gary Barta’s mantra of, `Win, Graduate, and Do it Right’ is exemplified by these women and I think they stand as examples of not only who we are, but who we continually strive to be.
“Morgan has had a tremendous first year of rowing and, despite her relative youth within our sport, is among the leaders on our team of how we’re going to win. Madeline, Katie, Mackenzie, Destinee, and Gabbrielle lead the way toward graduating in a first-class fashion. As the coach of the Iowa rowing program, I can tell you that every single member of our squad is, `Doing it right.'”
Five scholar athlete selections is the highest total for Iowa since the Hawkeyes had six in 2010. Iowa had its highest total of nine honorees in 2009.