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Freshman class 2016 men's rowing
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Men's Rowing Washington Athletics

Washington Rowing Introduces Class of 2019

SEATTLE – Saturday's 115th annual Washington Class Day will serve as the introduction to the UW rowing freshmen – the Class of 2019.

Washington's men and women will square off by class in the Class Day Regatta. The pick of the two freshmen classes have earned their spot in their respective races' freshman boats in the traditional start of the Huskies' competitive college rowing season.

A total of 24 women and 31 men have earned a spot in the program.

The "Grunties" enter the 2016 season with quite a legacy to protect as Washington's freshman eight have won the Stewards Cup at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships four years in a row and nine times since the turn of the century. The Husky men have won the freshman eight IRA crown a total of 24 times.

In all, five coxswains and 26 rowers make up the Husky men's Class of 2019. The group includes 25 Americans, two Australians and one oarsman each from The Netherlands, England, Germany and Canada. Among the American contingent, there are 12 oarsmen from the state of Washington, including two from east of the Cascades. There are also five from California, three from Florida, two from Wisconsin and one each from Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

The class draws strength from a broad spectrum of athletic experience. Five UW freshmen have rowed in World Rowing Junior Championships over the last three summers. In 2013, Philipp Nonnast was a member of the Germany eight that won the gold medal (Nonnast also rowed in the Under 23 Worlds in 2015). In 2014, Max Rennie took fifth in the eight, rowing in the seventh seat for Australia, while Keith Lewis coxed the U.S. four. Finally, in 2015, Michiel Mantel was a member of the Dutch eight that won the gold medal and Andrew Gaard rowed in the U.S. eight that took second.

Conversely, four UW freshmen have never rowed before coming to Washington. Jordan Olson, brother of Danielle Olson from the women's team, is a former football player. Grant Peszynski was a multi-sport athlete in high school. Brent Schafer is a former baseball player, and Madison Molitor is a Washington state champion swimmer.

While there are no freshman or novice races as the Pac-12 or NCAA level for the women, the Husky newcomers do join a program that finished fourth at the 2015 NCAA Championships and have won the third varsity eight race at each of the last three Pac-12 Championship regattas.

The UW women have won three NCAA team titles since that regatta began in 1997. The Huskies also claimed seven national titles prior to NCAA recognition.

The women's Class of 2019 boasts 21 rowers and three coxswains. In all, 21 of the 24 attended high school in the United States, including 17 in the state of Washington. Of that group of in-state recruits, five attended high school in the city of Seattle. The group also features three international rowers (one each from England, Germany and Canada) as well as three Californians, plus a coxswain from Massachusetts.

Four Husky women rowed this summer at the 2015 Junior World Rowing Championships on the 2016 Olympics course in Rio de Janeiro. Marlee Blue and Katy Gillingham won gold in the U.S. four while Elise Beuke rowed in the U.S. double sculls, winning the "B" final. Anna Thornton won a silver medal in Great Britain's quadruple sculls. Conversely, the Husky women also include a number of athletes relatively new to rowing who distinguished themselves in volleyball, basketball, swimming and water polo prior to arriving on Montlake.
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