2014-15… Competed with the 1V8+ crew at the Head of the Des Moines and against Indiana and Kansas in the fall… Competed with the 1V4+ at the Nordic Nine, Big Ten Double Dual… helped the 1V4+ crew defeat Michigan State by 15 seconds at the Big Ten Double Dual… Competed with the 2V4+ at the B1G/Big 12 Challenge, Tennessee, and the Big Ten Championships… helped the 2V4+ crew pull out an impressive one-second victory over Kansas at the B1G/Big 12 Challenge… 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 a part of the 1V8+ crew six times and the 2V8+ crew twice during the 2014 competition season… finished third (6:55.18) in the 1V8+ race in the season-opener at Clemson… helped the 2V8+ crew qualify for petite finals with a third place effort (6:50.56) and finish runner-up in the San Diego Crew Classic finals with a time of 6:53.38 ahead of Kansas State… returned to the 1V8+ crew for the home opener and helped the Hawkeyes to a fourth place finish (6:54.00)… finished seventh (7:31.90) and sixth (7:05.30) on day one and two, respectively, with the 1V8+ crew at the Clemson Invitational… defeated Tennessee by four seconds in the regular season finale 1V8+ event with a 6:47.50 effort… helped the 1V8+ crew to a seventh place finish (6:53.982) at the Big Ten Championship at Eagle Creek Park.
2012-13… Competed in two fall events… placed second in the 1V8+ at the Head of the Des Moines… placed eighth in the 1V8+ at the Head of the Iowa… competed in all three spring events… qualified for the 2V8+ petite finals and placed second at the San Diego Crew Classic… placed second in the 2V8+ and helped team take home second place in the team standings at the Dale England Cup… placed sixth in the 2V8+ and helped team take home sixth place in the final team standings at the Big Ten Championships… letterwinner.
Before Iowa… Member of the Milwaukee Rowing Club for two years where she earned several gold and silver medals… club coach was Peter Helfer… trained at the Freshman National Team Camp at the University of Washington in 2012… member of the basketball team that won the 2011 Division 1 state championship as a senior… 2010 Division 1 state track and field qualifier in shot put and discus… member of the dean’s list all four years of high school… National Honor Society member… Nicolet High School Merit Award winner.
Personal… Born March 24, 1993… daughter of Stephan and Joanie Achs… journalism and mass communications major… lists her parents as most influential people.
Why Iowa… I chose the University of Iowa because I loved the Big Ten atmosphere, school spirit and the size of the campus.
My favorite aspect about rowing is… Racing
What made you want to become a rower… I suffered a head injury while playing basketball and my teammate, who rowed for Duke told me that I would be good at rowing. I gave it a try and, what do you know, she was right.