Nine Sign with Kansas Rowing
LAWRENCE, Kan.- Head coach Rob Catloth announced the addition of nine recruits to the 2015-16 Kansas rowing team.
The 2015-16 commitments will help ensure the Jayhawks continue to compete with the best in the Big 12 Conference. The fall signees consist of: Regan Braun (Topeka, Kansas), Marissa Gray (Gardner, Kansas), Abigale Lane (Weldon Springs, Missouri), Morgan Lawrence (Bonner Springs, Kansas), Sarah McClure (Chicago, Illinois), Regan McComb (Cherry Hills Village, Colorado), Cienna Sorell (Lawrence, Kansas), Kristen Underhill (Columbus, Ohio) and Whitney Winter (Dodge City, Kansas).
“We’re excited about this class,” Catloth stated. “We have two experienced coxswains that we know will help our program compete at the highest level.”
The coaches are looking forward to the fall when this group will take their first strokes as Jayhawks. The competitive drive and athleticism of the newcomers will be a great addition to the current team.
“This class is the start of another strong recruiting year for Kansas. Our expectations are high and so are the expectations of this class,” Catloth said.
Regan Braun | 5-10 | Topeka, Kansas | Topeka West HS
Regan Braun comes to Lawrence just 30 minutes away from her hometown of Topeka, Kansas. A multi-talented athlete, she competed in cross country, track, basketball, volleyball and soccer for the Chargers. Braun was named all-city honorable mention in 2012-13 for basketball and was also part of a 2014 Regional Championship in soccer.
She received an academic letter and was named Charger Student of the Month. She was also part of National Honor Society. Braun plans to major in exercise science.
Why Braun chose the University of Kansas: “I loved the people. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and I can’t remember how many times I heard, ‘Welcome to KU’. The campus is beautiful and I’ve always dreamed of being an athlete at KU.”
Marissa Gray | 5-7 | Gardner, Kansas | Gardner-Edgerton HS
Marissa Gray comes to Kansas after completing a successful athletic career at Gardner-Edgerton High School. Gray competed in volleyball along with track and field, where she placed 10th in the 2014 Kansas 6A state championship in the discus. A machine in the weight room, she posted impressive numbers, benching 195 pounds and deadlifting 305 pounds.
Gray also participated in a tryout for the Olympic bobsled and skeleton teams. Though she made it past tryouts and was invited back for a three-month period of practice, family obligations prevented her from continuing. She plans to return back to Lake Placid, New York in March to compete in the US Skeleton Championships.
Gray was a four-time member of the honor roll and plans to do a double major in Spanish and nursing.
Abigale Lane | 5-3 | Weldon Springs, Missouri | Incarnate Word Academy HS
Abigale Lane comes to Kansas with a decorated rowing past. She participated as a coxswain in the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships three years in a row as well as the USRowing Youth National Championships, also for three years. Lane was a recipient of the St. Louis Rowing Club’s Leroy Schmaltz Award in 2011, given to the most outstanding novice woman who embody all ideals of sportsmanship, including athletic achievements and dedication.
Lane was a member of the honor roll all four years of high school. She won the Mission Model award in 2011, which recognizes students for promoting human dignity, maintaining a positive attitude and being willing to use talents and abilities to assist others. Lane plans to major in geology.
Why Lane chose the University of Kansas: “What I like about KU, from an athletic standpoint, is the family-yet extremely competitive attitude-that the team encompasses. Kansas rowing treats all members of the team with equal importance and genuinely cares about its athletes. The coaching staff is exactly what I was looking for in the fact that they were friendly and able to joke around, yet extremely excited about winning. Everyone seems to love and care about each other, be themselves and have fun on the team. From an academic standpoint, I loved the small class ratio that is in the field of study that I wish to pursue. The tutoring options that are available for student-athletes and the different leadership/community service opportunities are what made it apparent KU was the place for me. Plus, it is close enough to come home to see my mom, dad and dog every once and a while.”
Morgan Lawrence | 5-9 | Bonner Springs, Kansas | Bonner Springs HS
A multi-sport athlete in high school, Morgan Lawrence joins the Jayhawks after competing in both swimming and basketball for the Braves where she earned four athletic letters.
Lawrence was a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish Honor Society. She plans to major in biology.
Why Lawrence chose the University of Kansas: “I really liked the team and the coaching staff. KU has a great student-athlete support program and I really like the campus. I had always dreamed of being a Division I athlete. It just makes it even better than I get to be an athlete for my dream school. It feels amazing. I’m so lucky to be able to get this opportunity.”
Sarah McClure | 5-4 | Chicago, Illinois | New Trier Township HS
Sarah McClure comes to KU as an experienced coxswain. She raced in the Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta, finishing first in the Women’s Youth 2V 8+ (2014), as well as earning a third-place finish in the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships (2014) and a second-place finish at the Sarasota Masters Nationals (2013).
McClure was named academic honorable mention in high school and plans on majoring in exercise science at KU.
Why McClure chose the University of Kansas: “KU was so organized during the whole recruiting process. On the recruiting trip, everything was timed and perfectly planned. The simplest things make a celiac happy, and KU (assistant coach Carrie Callen) made sure I had food for every meal of the day and made sure everything was okay. That, mixed with a team that was one giant family, was the icing on the cake. I knew at that moment this was my school and my next family.”
Regan McComb | 6-0 | Cherry Hills Village, Colorado | Cherry Creek HS
Regan McComb will come to Lawrence as a multi-sport athlete. She primarily played hockey but has a background in basketball, softball and lacrosse. McComb participated in hockey for the previous eight years for the Colorado Select, and has competed in nationals four times.
McComb was an Advanced Placement student with distinction and is undecided on a major.
Why McComb chose the University of Kansas: “I loved the community that KU offered. It was the first school I could see myself going to. While being recruited, the coaching staff just made me feel even more at home and made me think that KU was a family that I could fit into. I also liked the credibility of KU; everywhere I went, I would meet someone else that went to KU and loved it.”
Cienna Sorell | 5-11 | Lawrence, Kansas | Lawrence HS
Following in her parents’ footsteps, Sorell, a two-sport athlete at Lawrence High, chose to remain in her hometown and attend KU. Sorell competed in both track and volleyball for the Lions. She helped win a Regional Championship her junior year in track and also was a four-time letterwinner.
Sorell was named to the Honor Roll all four years, while also being chosen for Student-Athlete Leadership. Sorell plans to major in archeology.
Why Sorell chose the University of Kansas: “The recruiting experience was very well planned. I liked that every event had a certain time and how nice and welcoming all the rowing girls were.”
Kristen Underhill | 5-10 | Columbus, Ohio | New Albany HS
Kristen Underhill heads to Lawrence to continue her rowing career. She rowed in high school for the Westerville Crew where she earned an athletic letter. While competing for Westerville, Underhill finished in third place at the Midwest Rowing championships in the petite final of the Varsity 8. She also raced at the USRowing club national championships in both the 2x and 2-.
Underhill is undecided on a major.
Why Underhill chose the University of Kansas: “When I came to visit KU, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the campus was not all flatland! While we were walking around the campus, students would smile and say ‘hello’ and make me feel like I was already a student. Lastly, we went to a football game against Iowa State, we tailgated and KU won!”
Whitney Winter | 5-10 | Dodge City, Kansas | Dodge City HS
Golf and track during high school was where Whitney Winter earned her five athletic letters. She was named Western Athletic Conference Honorable Mention (2013, 2014) in golf while competing for the Red Demons.
Winter was also named to the Western Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference Team.
She plans to major in business marketing.
Why Winter chose the University of Kansas: “I love the atmosphere at KU. From the facilities to the coaching staff to the athletes, everything is incredible and I really look forward to being a part of such an amazing program. I’ve played sports for as long as I can remember and becoming a Division I athlete had always seemed like such an unattainable dream. Crazy enough, I was given this incredible opportunity but it still seems so surreal to me!
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