Varsity Women
Abigail Obradovic
Starboard
Naperville, IL
5’ 9”
Sophomore - 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”
Sophomore - 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’’
Junior - 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.
Bronwyn Garrett
Port/Starboard
Urbana, IL
5’ 1”
Sophomore - Theater: Scenic Technology
University Laboratory High School
High School: 4 years of swim/dive and 1 year of soccer.
Novice Year (2022-2023): Raced the WN4+ at ICRI and Redhawk Sprints and the WV8+ at MACRA and ACRA. Raced in the WN8+ at Bald Eagle.
Sophomore Year (2023-2024): Raced in the W2- at Music City. Served as Women’s Team Captain in the Fall semester.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Spending time in the novice women’s car.
Personal: Loves art and theater.
Coen Carroll — Women's Team Secretary (2023-2025)
Port/Starboard
Barrington, IL
5’ 9’’
Junior - 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.”
Genna Peters — Women's Team Captain (2023-2025)
Starboard
Oswego, IL
5’ 4”
Junior - 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.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing in XXS.
Personal: Is a research assistant working on evaluating racial equity in park plans.
Jade Moranetz
Port/Starboard/Scull
Barrington, IL
5’ 4’’
Junior - 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”
Junior - 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.
Kendall Blankenburg — Women's Team President (2023-2024)
Port
Frankfort, IL
5’ 5’’
Senior - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Lincoln Way East High School
High School: Played 6 years of basketball
Freshman Year (2020-21): Raced at the Oakridge Invitational in a Covid-shortened season. Placed 2nd in the Women's Novice 8+, 2nd in the Women’s Novice 4+, and 3rd in the Women's Varsity 8+.
Sophomore Year (2021-2022): Raced in the WN8+ at ACRA and the Women’s Collegiate 8+ at Head of the Charles. Served as the Women’s Team Captain.
Junior Year (2022-2023): Raced in the W2- at Head of the Rock and the WV8+ Bald Eagle, ICRI (3rd) and Redhawk Sprints (1st). Raced in the WV8+ at MACRA and ACRA. Served as the Women’s Team Captain.
Senior Year (2023-2024): Served as women’s team president.
Favorite Memories:
Novice Year: Racing at Oakridge Invitational
Sophomore Year: Racing Head of the Charles
Junior Year: Racing the WV8+ at ACRA
Senior Year: Spring break training!
Personal: Executive board member of REACT, big fan of Illinois Basketball.
Martha Abrahamson — Women's Team Treasurer (2023-2024), Women's Team President (2024-2025)
Starboard
Barrington, IL
5’ 1’’
Junior - 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.
Norah Harson
Port
Rock Island, IL
5’ 10”
Sophomore - 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’’
Junior - 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”
Sophomore - Mathematics
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.