Coxswain

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

Favorite Memories:

“Earning first place at Music City and improving my rowing abilities with my fellow novice women.”

Personal: Abby likes baking, playing the Wii, & hanging out with friends.

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.

Port | Starboard

University Laboratory High School

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

Favorite Memories:

“Training with the team!”

Personal: Eleanor is a classical ballet instructor, LAS James Scholar, part of Habitat for Humanity. She loves fishing, baking, and spending time with her dogs.

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.

Favorite Memories:

“ The moment I and the rest of the WN8+ realized we medaled at ACRA. The Spring Break trips & Karaoke of “We Will Rock You” while doing the tap tap slap drill.”

Personal: Member of Illini Strings, Women in Civil & Environmental Engineering. 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, 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 | Starboard

Manchester Jr-Sr High School

High School: Varsity Tennis

Novice Year (2022-2023): Gold in the N8+ at Music City Head Race. 6th place at ACRA Nationals.

Favorite Memories:

Personal: Member of Women in Architecture & American Institute of Architecture Students. Sarah is a James Scholar in the Department of Fine & Applied Arts. She loves traveling, art, & spending time outdoors!

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!