Coxswain | Starboard | Scull

Novice Year (2023-2024): Served as Women’s Novice Captain. Gold in the WN8+ at Music City. Bronze in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle. Raced in the WN8+ at ICRI winning gold. Bronze in the WN8+ at ACRA nationals.

2nd Year (2024-2025): Raced in the WV8+ at Head of the Rock and Music City. Raced in W4+ at Bald Eagle. Bronze in the WV4+ at MACRA and A final finish in 1x at ACRA nationals.

Favorite Memories:

“Seeing our hard work start to pay off by bettering our splits … and of course earning some hardware!”

Personal: Abby likes baking, playing the Wii, & hanging out with friends. She is also a part of Illinithon and IMPACT.

Starboard

Lockport Township High School

High School: Lacrosse & 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.

2nd Year (2023-2024): Bronze in the WV8+ also raced the W2- at Music City. Raced in the WV8+ at Bald Eagle.

Favorite Memories:

“Breakfast after practice at the Ike dining hall with all of the novice women. At Music City, Coen and I raced in the pair, bringing with us an enormous spider that survived the collision with Illinois pair B!”

Personal: President of Women in Cybersecurity. Abby loves reading, baking, & watching movies.

Starboard | Scull

Elgin High School

High School: 3 years rowing with Crystal Lake Rowing Club, Karate, Weightlifting.

Novice Year (2023-2024): Bronze in the WV8+ at Music City. Bronze in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle. Raced in the WN8+ at ICRI & Lubbers Cup, taking gold both times. Raced the WN8+ at ACRA nationals, taking bronze.

2nd Year (2024-2025): Raced WV8+ at Head of the Rock, John Ferris Regatta (2nd), Lubbers Cup, ICRI, MACRA, ACRA. 3rd Place at Southside Smackdown/8th place USRowing Indoor National Championships (Women's U23 2000m).

Favorite Memories:

“The moment I and the rest of the WN8+ realized we medaled at ACRA. Team breakfasts, silly car conversations, and when we do volleyball/soccer as cross training and none of us know how to play properly. Head of the Charles was also incredible."

Personal: Member of Illini Strings, Women in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Loves traveling, her favorite destination having been Iceland. Enjoys most outdoors activities, especially hiking. Plant mom, sole boat carrier, duck enthusiast, and avid knitter.

Port | Scull

Naperville North High School

Novice Year (2024-2025):

Favorite Memories:

“Getting team meals! It’s so fun to go to cookout or try new restaurants with everyone!”

Personal: Member of Alpha Gamma Delta, Illini Wildlife & Conservation, Uniplace Christian Church. Lauren’s favorite type of animal is any kind of bear!

Port | Scull

Northside College Prep High School

High School: Rowed for 2 years with Chicago Rowing Foundation, Swimming

Novice Year (2023-2024): Served as Women’s Novice Captains. Bronze in the V8+ at Music City. Bronze in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle. Golds in the WN8+ at ICRI & Lubbers Cup. Raced the WN8+ at ACRA nationals, taking bronze.

Favorite Memories:

“Realizing we had actually gotten 3rd instead of 4th at ACRA with my novice women. Rachel driving a mammoth car at HOCR.”

Personal: Member of Student Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations. Lydia also conducts infectious disease research. She likes to read & visit national parks. Currently she is studying abroad in Taiwan in an intensive mandarin program & is teaching English at elementary schools. While there she has also joined the National Tsing Hua University swim team.

Port | Starboard

Normal Community West High School

High School: Varsity Swimming

Novice Year (2023-2024): Gold in the N8+ at Music City Head Race. 6th place in the N8+ at ACRA Nationals.

Favorite Memories:

“Winning our second novice race at Music City and making the A final at ACRA! ”

Personal: Member of the Student Dietetics Association, Illini Strings as a Cellist, & Volunteer Illini Projects. Maddie is also a cooking Instructor at the Instructional kitchen. She loves hiking, swimming, & traveling to new places, spending time with friends & family, & going to the gym!

Port | Scull

Taft High School

High School: Cross Country, Track & Field

Novice Year (2023-2024): Gold in the WN8+ at Music City. Bronze in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle. Gold in the WN8+ at ICRI & Lubbers Cup. Bronze in the WN8+ at ACRA nationals.

2nd Year (2024-2025): Raced in the V8+ at Head of the Rock & Silver at John Ferris Lanier Sprints. Raced the V4+ at Bald Eagle & ACRA

Favorite Memories:

“Placing third at ACRA and rowing into the awards dock. Spring break! Seeing everyone’s personalities come out and the group becoming more than just a team. I also enjoy getting Tasty Tarts with Matt and Reese!”

Personal: Marie has a degree in Integrated Biology from Illinois. She works as a graduate assistant for the employer relations department at the iSchool. She loves crossword puzzles, trivia, reading, swimming, & music!

Port | Scull

Resurrection College Prep

High School: Varsity Basketball, Volleyball, & Track & Field

Novice Year (2023-2024): Gold in the WN8+ at Music City, Lubbers Cup, & ICRI. Bronze in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle. Bronze in the WN8+ at ACRA nationals.

Favorite Memories:

“Getting bronze in the WN8+ at ACRA and silver in the W2- at Bald Eagle with Maura after only two practices!”

Personal: Mia is a pre-med student working as a research assistant in companion animal nutrition lab on campus & also a student volunteer at Carle Hospital. Her favorite food is any type of ramen. She is a beast at just dance & loves listening to music!

Port

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 Nationals.

2nd 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. Stroked the WV8+ at Lubbers Cup, ICRI, & ACRA Nationals.

Favorite Memories:

“Team Breakfasts, getting lost in the fog on Clinton Lake, & all of the races with the lovely ladies of the Odyssey”

Personal: Sylvia works as a research assistant in the general fields of theoretical ecology and epidemiology; her focus is on mathematical models of infectious diseases. She enjoys spending time outside & strives to watch every show on Netflix!

Port | Scull

Northside College Prep

Novice Year (2024-2025): Served as Women’s Novice Captain.

Favorite Memories:

“The boat singing "Love Is an Open Door" while rowing up to the start line for practice”

Personal: Member of Written Arts & Media Club (WAM). Tess loves crosswords, cooking, & Calvin & Hobbes!

Port | Starboard

Ravenwood High School

Novice Year (2024-2025): Gold in the N8+ at Music City Head Race. 6th place at ACRA Nationals.

Favorite Memory:

“Team bonding during spring break!”

Personal: Member of ASME. Victoria owns a motorcycle!