April 23, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame rowing team has announced that its seven-member senior class will serve as team co-captains for postseason action, beginning this weekend at the BIG EAST Championships. The group consists of Andrea Archer (Redding, Conn.), Emily Backer (Cannelton, Ind.), Sarah Keithley (Austin, Texas), Brittney Kelly (Wexford, Pa.), Rachael Louie (Westfield, N.J.), Braegan Padley (Boise, Idaho) and Casey Robinson (Alexandria, Va.).
“I think the seniors are doing a very good job of being team leaders,” head coach Martin Stone says. “I think that collectively as a group it is working very well. In different instances, each has stood up and taken the lead on something, but for the most part I think as a whole they’re doing a great job.”
Keithley, Kelly and Robinson spent the entirety of the spring season rowing as members of the Irish varsity eight boat. The trio has earned two race victories on the campaign against Duke and Buffalo and then two weeks later against Indiana, Purdue, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan.
Padley and Backer were key members of the Irish second varsity eight boat for the first three events of the spring season, helping the boat to three heat victories in that time. Padley made the move to the varsity four boat for the race against USC and UCLA, earning a second place finish.
Louie served as the coxswain for the successful varsity four boat for the first three regattas of the spring, helping the boat capture four heat victories. She then moved on to cox the second varsity eight boat against USC and UCLA, finishing in second place.
Archer rowed with the second varsity four boat for the opening three meets and helped the boat to two heat victories and two second place finishes. She will move to the varsity four boat for the BIG EAST Championships.