June 2, 2008
Notre Dame, Ind. – Senior Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the most decorated rower in the history of the Notre Dame, was selected named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Central Region first team, while teammate Julie Sobolewski (Haddonfield, N.J.) was selected to the second team. Polk was named for the fourth consecutive year, while Sobolewski garnered all-regional honors for the second time in her four-year.
In addition, senior Laura Pearson (Bloomington, Minn.) and juniors Lauren Buck (Flint, Mich.), Erica Copeland (Manetta, Ga.), Sarah Keithley (Austin, Texas) and Christine Trezza (Staten Island, N.Y.) were named CRCA Scholar Athletes.
Student athletes named as CRCA Scholar Athletes must be either sophomores, juniors or seniors, rowed a minimum of 75 percent with either the varsity eight, second varsity eight or varsity four crews and must own a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better.
Polk, the program’s first three-time All-American and a two-time first-team honoree, has rowed all four seasons with the varsity eight crew. This past season, her boat finished 18th in the final CRCA/US Rowing poll and won a gold medal at the BIG EAST Championships for the third consecutive season that helped the Irish to an unprecedented fifth consecutive conference title. In addition, the Irish finished second in the Petite Final at the Central/South Region Championships. Polk also served as a tri-captain during the 2007-08 season.
Sobolewski was a member of the varsity crew for three seasons after rowing with the novice program during her freshman season. She was a first team all-Central region selection in 2006 and garnered second team All-America honors that same season.
Pearson, a tri-captain in ’07-’08, rowed with the varsity eight crew for three seasons. She graduated from the Mendoza College of Business with a degree in marketing and earned a 3.55 cumulative grade point average.
Trezza also was a member of the varsity eight crew. She is enrolled in the College of Science as a biochemistry major and owns a 3.503 grade index.
Buck was the third member of the varsity eight boat to earn CRCA Scholar Athlete recognition. She is majoring in biology and psychology in the College of Science and has a cumulative grade point average of 3.865.
Copeland sat in the second varsity eight boat and led that team to the gold medal at the BIG EAST Championships as well as a third-place finish in the grand final at the Central/South Region Championships. She is enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters as a political science major and owns a 3.943 grade point average.
Keithley served as coxswain of the varsity four crew that won the gold medal at the BIG EAST Championships and finished second in the Petite Final at the Central/South Region Championships. She is enrolled in the College of Engineering with a major in chemical engineering and has a 3.66 grade index.