Aug. 4, 2004

Notre Dame, Ind. – Incoming Notre Dame freshman rower Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.), a member of the United States Rowing Junior National Team, recently competed at the 2004 FISA Senior and Junior World Rowing Championships in Banyoles, Spain. She was a member of the junior women’s eight which won the B final to earn a seventh-place finish overall in the event. Other members of the team included coxswain Nicole Falva (Gansevoort, N.Y.), Alie Fishman (Dallas, Texas), Vanessa Teff (Middeton, Wis.), Kerry Birk (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Emily Downing (Bellvue, Wash.), Annie Gayman (Seattle, Wash.), Lauren Hofmayer (Orinda, Calif.) and Lori Gordon (Winchester, Mass.). The boat led the race from start to finish, clocking a 6:30.56 to finish more than five seconds ahead of second-place Italy and New Zealand, which finished third. The World Championships took place from July 27-Aug. 1. There were 14 different events at the junior level, with the U.S. fielding entries in 10 of those competitions. Polk, a graduate of Oakland Catholic High School, is one of seven freshmen who are part of Notre Dame head coach Martin Stone’s recruiting class for 2004. Also entering this fall will be Brittany Burnham (Hilton Head, S.C.), Casey Fairbanks (Hilton Head, S.C.) Ankica Jedry (Chicago, Ill.), Allison Marsh (Cape Cod, Mass.), Lindsay McQuaid (Beaverton, Ore.), Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Mary Quinn (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.).