April 12, 2002

Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame head rowing coach Martin Stone announced today the signings of Meghan Boyle, Melissa Felker, Jenna Froberg, Sarah Palandech and Fallon Shields to national letters of intent. All five, which will make up the class of 2006, are eligible to row for the Irish this fall.

“I am excited about this class,” Stone said. “All of our recruits share some common traits. One, they all have excellent academic credentials, and two, they all have great potential to be excellent rowers in our program. I am looking forward to working with them the next four years.”

Boyle, from Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., stands 5-11 and is a two-sport athlete, participating in both basketball and rowing. Her basketball team earned state runner-up honors after winning its fourth consecutive WPIAL Championship. It was the third time in as many years Oakland Catholic has advanced to the state championship – claiming one title and two second-place finishes.

In rowing, Boyle’s crew is one of the top two high school shells in Pittsburgh this spring after defeating perennial power North Alleghany for the first time in school history at the Head of the Ohio.

“Meg is a multi sport athlete who has shown great potential for rowing,” Stone said. “Although she has had limited time on the water because of basketball, she been very impressive in her erg testing.”

A native of Bellevue, Wash., and Sammamish High School, Felker rows with the Sammamish Rowing Association. A multi-sport athlete standing 5-9, Felker has played volleyball and basketball, while rowing. During the last year, she has focused on rowing and can both sweep and scull.

“Melissa is a fine athlete who has great potential,” Stone says. “She has turned in some impressive erg scores over both 2,000 and 6,000 meters. She is only going to get better.”

Froberg, from Snohomish, Wash., and Snohomish High School, rows for the Everett Rowing Club. She was the stroke of 2001 United States Rowing Association Youth Invite gold medal lightweight eight.

“Jenna has done a great job as a lightweight and is doing an even better job this year as she has moved out of the lightweight category.”

Currently living in Lakenheath, United Kingdom, Palandech rowed at McClean High School in Virginia and with the Washington Sculling Club last year. In 2001, her crew placed 10th at the Indoor Rowing World Championships (C.R.A.S.H-Bs) and was second at the United States Rowing National Championships in the women’s junior four race.

“Sarah only started rowing in December of 2000 and eight weeks later she was in the top 10 at CRASH Bs,” Stone said. “She followed that performance with impressive on the water results during the spring and summer.”

Shields of Duxbury, Mass., and Duxbury High School currently rows for a club program there. Her father, Jack, played linebacker for the Irish football team from 1980-82, earning two monograms.

“Fallon has shown great potential on the erg and she can both sweep and scull. She has the potential to be a great rower as she can really crank on the erg.”