Bulls Add 15 For The 2009-10 Season

UB’s class is now at 18 for the upcoming season

Rudy Wieler

BUFFALO, NY – Head rowing coach Rudy Wieler announced the addition of 15 student-athletes who will be joining UB in the fall. The 15 student-athletes all have previous rowing experience and will join a UB team that is coming off its second straight championship at the Dad Vail Regatta. They join the three student-athletes signed in January.

“The 18 student-athletes who have made a commitment to UB’s rowing team for the upcoming season represent the largest recruited class that we have ever had,” said Wieler. “Among this class are athletes who have won American or Canadian national championships, Canadian Henley championships and many state and provincial championships.

“Some of these recruits should make an immediate impact on our varsity team, while our two lightweight rowers should make an immediate impact on the lightweight eight and all the other rowers and coxswain should make up the nucleus of our very competitive and large novice program. Programs are built on foundations and this class has the potential to assist us in winning our conference championship and continuing our winning tradition at UB,” Wieler added.

Here are the following newcomers:

Lauren Benz (Webster, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) joins the Bulls after rowing for Ryan Bernfield and Roelant Ossewaarde. She had a top six finish at Scholastic Rowing Nationals in 2008 in the Junior Eight. Benz comes to Buffalo planning to major in Aerospace/Biomedical Engineering.

Kara Buchheit (Amherst, NY/Nardin Academy) comes to UB after a distinguished career at Nardin Academy and joins the Bulls as one of two coxswain in this recruiting class. She won the Coach’s Award in 2006 and was part of the Lightweight Four boat that won a bronze at the NYS Scholastic Championships in 2007. She plans on majoring in Business at Buffalo.

Danielle Carlino (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville North) joins the Bulls after numerous state championships. She was a champion in 2007 and 2008 and then again won a championship with the West Side Rowing Club in 2009. Carlino also placed third at the Junior Rowing National Championships in 2008 and this past season placed third at the State Championships in the Senior Eight boat.

Rachel Cerchiara (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) was a four-year letter winner for head coach Ed Kennedy. She was named the Outstanding Rookie in 2006, Most Improved in 2007 and followed those up this fall as the Most Outstanding Rower.

Bethany Cross (Cortland, NY/Cortland) rowed for coach Steph Edley at Cortland High School. Cross, who is new to the sport, finished with the top erg time on her team.

Sarah Gallagher (Fenwick, Ontario/E.L. Crossley) rowed for John Rucitti and Patrick MacNally at E.L. Crossley. Gallagher place third at Canadian Henley in 2006 and first in the pair at schoolboy 2008. She comes to Buffalo planning to major in Sociology.

Sydney Gilchrist (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Sturgeon Heights) comes to UB having rowed for the Winnipeg Rowing Club. She won a gold and silver at the Western Canada Games and in 2008 she picked up gold medals in the junior women’s pair at the NWIRA and the Prairie Championships. Her junior women’s pair went on to the National Championships where she won a silver medal from placing second.

Julia Hahn (Fairport, NY/Fairport) picked up a third place finish during her senior season at the New York State Championships. She received the Captain’s Award in 2008 and won a pair of New York State Championships, winning in the heavyweight four in 2008 and the lightweight eight in 2007. She will join the UB Lightweight program.

Katelynn Hentz (Fairport, NY/Fairport) was part of the Fairport Crew Club where she had an undefeated novice season, placing first at the Head of the Fish. During her varsity season she also had a first place finish at the Life Bridge Regatta. She also placed in the top 15 at the Head of the Fish, Head of the Genesee and the Pull of Plug Regattas. Plans to major in biomedical sciences at UB.

Rosa Kemp (Putnam Valley, NY/James I. O’Neill) was a New York All-State Team selection in 2007 and 2008. She won the league championships in 2008 and 2009 and won the States in the Junior Four in 2008, finishing fourth at Nationals. She also finished second at States in the Senior Four in 2009. She has won both gold and silver medals at the Empire State Games. She comes to UB planning to major in Psychology.

Kylie Lewis (Fairport, NY/Fairport) comes to UB after rowing for Mike Fuzzara and Lee Frost with the Fairport Crew Club. Lewis was a member of the Senior Eight boat at Fairport. At UB she plans to major in business.

Charlene Meyer (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) joins the Bulls as one of two coxswain in the recruiting class. She has competed with the West Side Rowing Club where she won a silver medal at States her junior year and won the flyweight at the John Bennett Regatta by 28 seconds. She comes to UB planning to major in pharmacy.

Elizabeth Murphy (Snyder, NY/Nardin Free Academy) rowed for three seasons for Kerri Kanaley picking up the MVP award in 2006 and the Unsung Hero Award in 2007. She was a state champion in the Novice Four in 2006 and finished second in the state in the Junior Four in 2007. She finished third in the state in both 2008 and 2009 in the Junior Four and the Senior Four, respectively. She plans to major in history at UB.

Kristen Rice (Livonia, NY/Livonia Central) rowed for Mike Fuszara and Lee Frost with the Fairport Crew Club. Rice, who will join UB’s Lightweight program, finished an undefeated fall and spring season, while winning the New York State Rowing Championships in 2007. In 2008, she was the first alternate for the Heavyweight Four boat that competed at nationals. She has also competed at the Head of the Charles Regatta and the Crash-B sprints in Boston, while placing fifth in the Senior Eight at the NYS Rowing Championships this past year. She plans to major in the biomedical sciences at UB.

Francisca Strange-Sepulveda (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Glenlawn Collegiate) is, along with Gilchrist, the farthest of the 18 members to join the Bulls next season. Strange-Sepulveda won a gold medal in the double and silver medals in the quad and Eight boat at Western Canada Summer Games 2007. She also picked up a gold medals in the junior double and under 23 quad at the Canadian Henley in 2008. She plans to be pre-med when she comes to UB in the fall.

The 15 join the three that UB signed in January:

Danielle Abrams (LaGrangeville, NY/Arlington) is a four-year letterwinner and one year captain at Arlington High School in LaGrangeville, NY. Abrams also rowed for the Arlington Rowing Association.

Shannon David (St. Catherines, Ontario/St. Francis) is a Canadian from St.Francis High School in St. Catharines, Ontario. David is an excellent athlete with an all-star background in basketball as well. This past summer David was a member of the St. Catharines RC junior 8 which placed second in the finals of the Canadian Henley Regatta.

Tessa Fiscella (Fairport, NY/Fairport) is a four-year rower from Fairport High School in Fairport, NY. She has won gold and a silver at the NYS Scholastic Rowing Championships and competed at the US Rowing Youth National Championships, placing 14th. She has also rowed at the Head of the Charles Regatta in two straight years.