May 23, 2001
South Bend, Ind. – Notre Dame junior Michelle Olsgard (Fort Collins, Colo.) and sophomore Ashlee Warren (Gibsonburg, Ohio) today were named first-team CRCA all-Central Region honorees. Olsgard and Warren become the second and third rowers in Notre Dame history to earn such distinction after Katrina Ten Eyck was named to the team in 2000.
Olsgard rowed in the fifth seat of the varsity eight shell which enjoyed its best season in the short three-year history of the program. The crew won five of eight races in 2001 and earned its first national ranking in school history when it opened the season 14th in the nation. The crew finished the year ranked 16th nationally and just missed qualifying for the NCAA Rowing Championships after placing fifth at the Central Regions.
After taking the fall semester off from rowing to study in the Biosphere in Arizona, Olsgard came back and dramatically improved the speed of the varsity eight shell. She has the second highest ergometer score on the team at 7:19.70.
In 1999, Olsgard was one of 12 women selected for the women’s freshman rowing camp at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Warren earned her first all-region distinction after competing in the sixth seat of the varsity eight this season and posting the best ergometer time on the team at 7:14.30. Warren also won two pairs races in the fall with partner Becky Luckett. Not rowing before she attended Notre Dame, and a member of the novice team last season, Warren has embraced the sport and become one of the best rowers on the team with her tremendous power.
Warren also earned CRCA National Rowing Scholar-Athlete honors this season after posting a 3.505 grade-point average in the College of Science.
Central Region All-Region First Team
Krista Buzzel – Michigan State
Missy Darnell – Kansas State
Katie Garrels – Iowa
Alison Hickey – Michigan
Kate Johnson – Michigan
Connie Kirsch – Ohio State
Bernadette Marten- Michigan
Megan Martin – Iowa
Maxi Meissner – Ohio State
Bridgid Meyers – Wisconsin
Rachel Miller – Michigan State
Michelle Olsgard – Notre Dame
Ashlee Warren – Notre Dame
Coxswain: Tiffany Suda – Wisconsin