Varsity Women
Abigail Daniele
Port/Starboard/Scull
Rockford, IL
5’ 7”
Sophomore - Biology
Novice Year (2023-2024): Served as one of two women’s team Novice Captains. Raced in the WN8+ at Music City, taking gold. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, taking bronze.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Earning first place in Music City and improving my rowing abilities with my fellow novice women.
Personal: Likes baking, playing the Wii, hanging out with friends
Abigail Obradovic
Starboard
Naperville, IL
5’ 9”
Junior - Computer Science
Lockport Township High School
High School: Played Lacrosse and Soccer.
Novice Year (2022-2023): Placed 2nd in the WN4+ at ICRI. Raced the WN4+ at Redhawk Sprints, MACRA, and ACRA, placing 4th overall at ACRA.
Sophomore Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV8+ and W2- at Music City, taking bronze in the WV8+. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Breakfast after practice at the Ike dining hall with all of the novice women.
Sophomore Year: Music City - “Coen and I raced in the pair, bringing with us an enormous spider that survived the collision with Illinois pair B!”
Personal: Minor in Creative Writing. President of Women in Cybersecurity. Loves reading, baking, and watching movies.
Ahchim Jeon
Coxswain
Seoul, Republic of Korea
5’ 4”
Junior - Statistics and Psychology
Fox Valley Lutheran High School
High School: Member of the dance team.
Novice Year (2022-2023): Coxed the WN4+ at Redhawk Sprints, making A Final. Coxed the WN4+ at MACRA and ACRA, placing 4th overall at ACRA. Also coxed the MN8+ at ACRA.
Sophomore Year (2023-2024): Coxed the WV4+ and WN4+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Looking at the stars early in the morning at the lake, and coxing XXS at ACRA.
Sophomore Year: Spring break mixed lineup battle paddles.
Personal: Member of a dance team at UIUC, loves being on the dance team along with rowing. Was a rower her first semester. Rowed 40 strokes her sophomore spring break, reminding her that rowing is actually quite difficult.
Alisha Xiong
Port/Starboard
Mountain View, CA
5’ 2’’
Senior - Biology
Los Altos High School
High School: Ran varsity cross country all 4 years on the high school team and swam competitively for 3 years.
Novice Year (2021-2022):
Sophomore Year (2022-2023): Served as women’s team secretary. Raced in the WV8+ throughout the season.
Junior Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV8+ and W2- at Music City, taking bronze in the WV8+.
Personal: Currently on the pre-med track planning on attending medical school after graduation. Passionate in longboarding, playing the flute, and solving Rubik's cubes.
Ananya Mani
Port/Starboard/Scull
New Delhi, India
5’ 6’’
Sophomore - Food Science
Delhi Public Schools Sushant Lok
High School: Was a member of the dance team and played cricket.
Novice Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WN8+ at Music City, taking gold. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, taking bronze. Raced in the WN4+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing at Music City and flipping the XXS during spring break.
Personal: Dancer on UIUC Fizaa, Research Assistant at Neurocognitive Behaviour Lab. Enjoys a good murder mystery, hiking, singing, and playing the piano. Extreme enthusiast of pink and glitter with a passion for sitcoms and bollywood music.
Coen Carroll — Women's Team Secretary (2023-2025)
Port/Starboard
Barrington, IL
5’ 9’’
Senior - Integrative Biology
Barrington High School
High School: Played volleyball for 7 years. Ran track and cross country and played basketball.
Novice Year (2021-2022): Raced in the WN8+ at ACRA.
Sophomore Year (2022-2023): Raced in the WV8+ at ICRI (2nd) and Redhawk Sprints (1st), as well as at Head of the Rock and Bald Eagle. Raced in the WV8+ at MACRA and ACRA.
Junior Year (2023-2024): Served as women’s team secretary. Raced in the WV8+ and W2- at Music City, taking bronze in the WV8+. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: “Spring break training and adventuring around Georgia with the people in my car (shoutout Sarah, Sophia, and Molly)”
Sophomore Year: “Going to Buc-ee's after ACRA. It was truly a magical experience.”
Junior Year: “Music City - Abby and I (Illinois Pair A) found a HUGE spider in the boat at the start line and had to get rid of it. We also almost hit a barge, ran straight into Illinois Pair B, and lost our bow number. We did not place, but I will never forget that race.”
Personal: Singer and beatboxer for the Illinois Rip Chords a cappella group. Member of the University of Illinois Black Chorus. Lover of bugs. PB&J sandwich connoisseur. Maker of study hours memes and specific Spotify playlists. They say: “I make the meanest PBJ on the Illinois Rowing Team. I am a pro. If you ask at the right time, I will make one for you.”
Dorothy Lou
Port/Starboard
Beijing, China
5’ 7’’
Sophomore - Biology
Beijing Etown Academy
High School: Sabre fencer and Fence Captain, long distance running.
Novice Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WN8+ at Music City, taking gold. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, taking Bronze.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: “Flipping the XXS and hanging out with friends over spring break.”
Personal: Involved in undergraduate studies as a member of the Shapiro lab, working on drugs to induce necrosis to enhance cancer immunotherapy. Loves watching movies, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and trying new sports.
Ella Ghiorgas
Port/Starboard/Scull
Dunlap, IL
5’ 7’’
Sophomore - Finance × Data Science
Dunlap High School
High School: Tennis, Badminton, Dance (ballet, contemporary)
Novice Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WN8+ at Music City, taking gold. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing in Nashville, flipping the XXS during spring break.
Personal: Member of Women in Finance, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, and Illinois Design Consulting. Enjoys art, fashion, running, and learning new languages. Passionate about traveling; aspires to visit every continent.
Genna Peters — Women's Team Captain (2024-2025)
Starboard
Oswego, IL
5’ 4”
Senior - Recreation, Sport, Tourism
Oswego High School
High School: Participated in Track, Cross-Country, and Gymnastics
Freshman Year (2021-2022): Ran D3 track and field at Loras College before transferring to UIUC.
Novice Year (2022-2023): Raced in the WN4+ in XXS, placing 4th overall at ACRA.
Junior Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV4+ at Music City. Served as women’s team captain in the spring semester. Raced the Head of the Charles in the Women’s Collegiate Coxed Four. Raced in the WV8+ at ACRA nationals.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing in XXS. Ikefast with the team.
Junior Year: Racing at Head of the Charles.
Personal: She is in a 4+1 RST masters program. Works as a risk management intern at Campus Recreation. Is a research assistant working on evaluating racial equity in park plans. Also women’s team social chair.
Jade Moranetz
Port/Starboard/Scull
Barrington, IL
5’ 4’’
Senior - Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Barrington High School
High School: Four years of varsity gymnastics, state finalist junior year.
Novice Year (2021-2022): Raced in the WN4+ at MACRA (1st) and ACRA. Also raced in the WN8+ at MACRA.
Sophomore Year (2022-2023): Raced in the W2- and at Redhawk Sprints, the W2- at MACRA, and the WV8+ at Head of the Rock, Bald Eagle, and ICRI (3rd). Raced in the W2x at ACRA, winning the Petite Final.
Junior Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV8+ and W2- at Music City, taking bronze in both races. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle. Served on the Integrity Committee.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing in the XXS at ACRA with only days in a set lineup.
Sophomore Year: Winning the Petite Final of the W2x at ACRA 2023 along with Kassandra Estrella.
Junior Year: “Music City – Martha and I (Pair B) crashed into our very own Illinois Pair A, received an "out of bounds" penalty, hit a buoy, and we still technically got 2nd place”
Personal: Enjoys spending time with friends & family, reading, listening to music, and hiking. Member of Phi Eta Sigma Honors College. Enjoys running (goal is to run 32 miles one day), reading, watching the sunrises over Clinton Lake, laying down in random places, doing flips and winning handstand contests against Bruce after practice. Minoring in Business, Public Health, and Health Administration.
Kassandra Estrella
Port/Starboard/Sculler
Rock Falls, IL
5’ 2”
Senior - Environmental Engineering
Rock Falls High School
High School: Ran Cross Country/Track for 7 years. Specialized in the 1600 and 3200 in Track and Field.
Novice Year (2022-2023): Raced in the Women’s Novice 8+ in the Fall. Raced in the Mix8+ at Redhawk Sprints and in the W2x at ACRA.
Sophomore Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV4+ at Music City. Raced the Head of the Charles in the Women’s Collegiate Coxed Four.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Jumping into Lake Lanier with the team on Spring Break.
Personal: Volunteers for habitat for humanity and fundraises for Engineers in Action Bridge Program.
Katherine Altergott
Port/Starboard/Scull
South Elgin, IL
6’ 1”
Sophomore - Civil Engineering
Elgin High School
High School: 3 years rowing with Crystal Lake Rowing Club, 9 years karate, 4 years weightlifting.
Novice Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV8+ at Music City, taking bronze. Raced the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, taking bronze. Raced in the WN8+ at ICRI and Lubbers Cup, taking gold both times. Raced the WN8+ at ACRA nationals, taking bronze.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: The moment she and the rest of the WN8+ realized they medaled at ACRA.
Personal: Member of Illini Strings (cello) Women in Civil & Environmental Engineering (WCEE). Works as an Engineering Learning Assistant for SE101. Loves traveling, her favorite destination having been Iceland. Enjoys most outdoors activities, especially hiking. Plant mom, sole boat carrier, duck enthusiast.
Lydia Schieleit
Port/Starboard/Scull
Chicago, IL
5’ 9’’
Sophomore - Statistics
Northside College Prep High School
High School: Swam for 4 years, swim team captain jr/sr year. Rowed for 2 years with CRF.
Novice Year (2023-2024): Served as one of two women’s team Novice Captains. Raced in the WV8+ at Music City, taking bronze. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, again taking bronze. Also raced in the WN8+ at ICRI and Lubbers Cup, taking gold both times. Raced the WN8+ at ACRA nationals, taking bronze.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Spending time with the novice women over spring break
Personal: Minoring in Public Health. Part of Student Consulting for Non-profit organizations, Actuarial Science Club, and Flashpoint Photography; also does research. She enjoys reading, baking, and visiting National Parks. Interested in infectious disease research.
Martha Abrahamson — Women's Team President (2024-2025)
Starboard
Barrington, IL
5’ 1’’
Senior - Chemical Engineering
Barrington High School
Novice Year (2021-2022): Raced the WN4+ at ACRA and the WN8+ at Redhawk Sprints.
Sophomore Year (2022-2023): Raced in the Women’s Collegiate 4+ at Head of the Charles and Head of the Rock and in the WV8+ at ICRI, Redhawk Sprints, Bald Eagle, MACRA, and ACRA.
Junior Year (2023-2024): Served as the women’s team treasurer. Raced in the WV8+ and W2- at Music City, taking bronze in both races. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing at ACRA in the XXS.
Sophomore Year: Head of the Charles 2022 in the Women’s Collegiate 4+ Jennifer Caddick.
Junior Year: Racing the pair with Jade at Music City
Personal: Business minor. Enjoys reading, running, downhill skiing, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Member of Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society. Employed in a campus Chemistry Lab.
Marie Keating
Port/Starboard/Scull
Chicago, IL
5’ 3”
Grad Student - Library Science
Taft High School
High School: Cross Country/Track and Field
Novice Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WN8+ at Music City, taking gold. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, taking bronze. Raced in the WN8+ at ICRI and Lubbers Cup, winning gold both times. Raced in the WN8+ at ACRA nationals, taking bronze.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Placing third at ACRA and rowing into the awards dock.
Personal: Majored in Integrated Biology at Illinois during undergrad. Works at Campus Recreation in the Aquatics Department. Interests include reading, listening to music, and baking. She’s a graduate assistant at the school of Information Science. She says “I love combining my interest in science and nature with my passion for art by making drawings of wildlife and people.”
Mia Maier
Port/Scull
Lake in the Hills, IL
5’ 11”
Sophomore - Biology
Resurrection College Prep
High School: Played Varsity Basketball, Volleyball, and Track and Field; Hurdles and High Jump.
Novice Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WN8+ at Music City, taking gold. Raced the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, taking bronze. Raced in the WN8+ at Lubbers Cup and ICRI, taking gold in both races. Raced the WN8+ at ACRA nationals, taking bronze.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Getting bronze in the WN8+ at ACRA.
Personal: Very outdoorsy. Loves to read, listen to music, learn languages, and likes watching scary movies. Member of October Lovers club. Just Dance master.
Norah Harson
Port
Rock Island, IL
5’ 10”
Junior - History of Art
Bettendorf High School
High School: Played Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer.
Novice Year (2022-2023): Raced in the WN4+ and WN8+ at Head of the Rock, the WN8+ at Bald Eagle, the WV8+ at Redhawk Sprints, and the WN4+ at MACRA and ACRA, placing 4th overall at ACRA. Served as the Novice Captain.
Sophomore Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV4+ at Music City. Raced the Head of the Charles in the Women’s Collegiate Coxed Four. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Eating breakfast with the novice women’s team every morning at Ikenberry Dining Hall (Ikefast).
Sophomore Year: Sculling with teammates over the summer.
Personal: Minor in Museum Studies. Pre-Law. Works at the Spurlock Museum and is a exec member of the Society of Art History and Fine Arts. Likes painting and reading. Loves being outdoors and exploring the world around her through travel. She says: “ :) ”
Rachel Qiu — Women's Team Vice President (2023-2025)
Coxswain
Chicago, IL
5’ 3’’
Senior - Neuroscience
Jones College Prep
High School: Rowed for 3 years in high school, mainly bow seat of a quad.
Freshman Year: Coxed the WN8+ at ACRA.
Sophomore Year: Coxed the WV8+ at ACRA, MACRA, and Bald Eagle. Coxed the MV8+ at ICRI and Redhawk Sprints.
Junior Year (2023-2024): Coxed the WV4+ at Music City. Coxed the Head of the Charles in the Women’s Collegiate Coxed Four.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: “The culmination of events that earned me the "docking disaster" superlative. Some say it was disastrous, I call it creative”
Sophomore Year: “Unfortunately being in the M2V8+ that sank...”
Junior Year: “One dark and early morning on Clinton Lake, there were a minimum of 20 earwigs in the cox seat of the Odyssey that I unknowingly sat in. To the entertainment of my 8+, I screamed bloody murder when I found out and freaked out while standing on the stern deck. Thank goodness Norah Harson was there to be my knight in shining armour.”
Personal: Currently on the pre-med track with an interest in neuroscience. Also enjoys playing the piano, violin, ice skating, and alpine skiing. Member of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) on campus. Also involved in an undergraduate research lab with a focus on neuroscience and auditory perception. Works as a medical scribe. Returns as an Alumni coach for CTC during school breaks. She is a Swiftie, and says “Fearless is superior.”
Sylvia Gimbel — Women's Team Treasurer (2024-2025)
Port
Oak Park, IL
5’ 5”
Junior - Mathematics and Biology
Oak Park and River Forest High School
Novice Year (2022-2023): Raced the WN4+ at ICRI (2nd) and Redhawk Sprints (Grand Final). Raced the WN8+ at Head of the Rock and Bald Eagle. Raced in the WN4+ XXS at ACRA, placing 4th overall at ACRA.
Sophomore Year (2023-2024): Raced in the WV4+ at Music City. Raced the Head of the Charles in the Women’s Collegiate Coxed Four. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Team breakfasts with the novice women!
Sophomore Year: Getting lost in the fog on Clinton Lake.
Personal: Interested in mathematical biology and is involved in undergraduate research with a focus on theoretical ecology. Enjoys spending time outside and strives to watch every show on Netflix.