University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Rowing Adds Signing Class of 16 Incoming Freshmen
July 16, 2020 | Women's Rowing
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA women's rowing program has added 16 high school student-athletes to its incoming class, as announced this week by head coach Amy Fuller Kearney.
The 16 incoming student-athletes will enroll as freshmen at UCLA during the 2020-21 school year.
"The quality of this incoming class rivals any that we have had in recent history," Fuller Kearney said. "The Class of 2024 is stacked with talent and athleticism. Additionally, they are student athletes with outstanding character, the drive to succeed on and off the water, and a great fit for our team culture. Welcome to the family, Bruins."
UCLA's incoming class includes six student-athletes from California, three from the East Coast, one from Minnesota, three from New Zealand, two from England and one from Australia.
The six incoming student-athletes from California include Lily Garcia (Palos Verdes, Calif.), Mia Glinn (Cayucos, Calif.), Grace Hinckley (Alamo, Calif.), Katerina Rally (Burlingame, Calif.), Austyn Sirmon (Alamo, Calif.) and Rosemary Varney (Lake Casitas, Calif). Both Hinckley and Sirmon competed in Northern California for the Oakland Strokes.
Traveling to UCLA from Minnesota is Margaux Bomsta (Long Lake, Minn.), who helped propel her Long Lake rowing program to Youth Nationals in 2019. The three incoming freshmen from the East Coast include Amelia Cataldi (Montclair, N.J.), Paige Ortzman (Mainland, N.J.) and Jianna Ursitti (Arlington, Va.).
The six student-athletes who will join the Bruins' program from other countries include Sophie Fussell (Surrey, England), Olivia Hay (Auckland, New Zealand), Jade Raby (Auckland, New Zealand), Jessica Read (Bedford, England), Emily Sutherland (Melbourne, Australia), and Polly Wenlock (Wellington, New Zealand).
INFORMATION ON UCLA'S INCOMING ROWERS
Margaux Bomsta
Height: 6-foot-2
Hometown: Long Lake, Minn.
Notes: Helped propel Long Lake to Youth Nationals in 2019 … competing at the 2018 U17 US Rowing Development Camp, she won silver in the 4x and 8+ at Club Nationals.
Amelia Cataldi
Height: 5-foot-4
Hometown: Montclair, N.J.
Notes: Coxed the Junior National High Performance Camp U17+ boat to gold at US Nationals … also won SRAA (Scholastic Rowing Association of America) Nationals in 2019 (Varsity) and 2018 (JV).
Sophie Fussell
Height: 5-foot-10
Hometown: Surrey, England
Notes: Recently converted to rowing (Tideway Scullers) … was an accomplished swimmer, serving as captain of her team … won nationals in the 50, 100, and 200 breastroke, and broke a British junior record in the 50.
Lily Garcia
Height: 6-foot-0
Hometown: Palos Verdes, Calif.
Notes: Has recently converted to rowing … established five all-time swimming records as a student-athlete at Peninsula High School … was a three-time Bay League Champion and a two-time CIF finalist.
Mia Glinn
Height: 6-foot-1
Hometown: Cayucos, Calif.
Notes: Rowed for Exeter Academy in New Hampshire in the Varsity 8+ that finished fourth at the NEIRA's in 2019 … also served as the captain of her volleyball team and participated on the varsity basketball team.
Olivia Hay
Height: 5-foot-11
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Notes: Won the gold medal in the U18 4x at the 2019 New Zealand School Nationals … was named a trialist for the National Junior Team in 2019 … also captured three silver medals at the 2020 North Island Championships (Senior 2-, 4-, 8+) and a pair of bronze medals at the 2020 New Zealand Nationals (Senior 2-, 8+).
Grace Hinckley
Height: 5-foot-8
Hometown: Alamo, Calif.
Notes: Rowed for the Oakland Strokes … her straight four won at 2019 Club Nationals (Ohio) … made the varsity eight crew that advanced to Youth Nationals in 2019, during her novice year.
Paige Ortzman
Height: 5-foot-8
Hometown: Mainland, N.J.
Notes: Was selected to compete at two USRowing Development Camps – in 2018 (U17) and 2019 (U19) … helped propel Mainland to the SRAA Nationals in 2019 … twice honored as the Mainland "Hammer Award" winner.
Jade Raby
Height: 6-foot-0
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Notes: Captured two silver medals (in the senior 8+, 4-) at the 2020 North Island Championships … won bronze in the Senior Women's 8+ at the 2020 New Zealand Nationals … previously had won the national title in the U17 4+ at the Maadi Cup.
Katerina Rally
Height: 5-foot-10
Hometown: Burlingame, Calif.
Notes: Has been described by her coaches as one of the top athletes in the NorCal novice program (2019) … moved into the varsity program in the fall, finishing eighth at the Head of the Lake in the 4+ … comes from a competitive lacrosse and basketball background.
Jessica Read
Height: 5-foot-10
Hometown: Bedford, England
Notes: Was a standout for Bedford Modern … finished in the top 10 in the 4x at the 2019 Junior World Rowing Championships (Tokyo), after taking third in Munich, Germany, in the same event.
Austyn Sirmon
Height: 5-foot-8
Hometown: Alamo, Calif.
Notes: Was a standout with the Oakland Strokes … took silver at the USRowing Southwest Regionals in the N4+ … also won the Kate Bertko Award for sportsmanship and leadership (within her club program).
Emily Sutherland
Height: 5-foot-10
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Notes: A captain at St. Catharine's, she stroked her 8+ to silver at the 2018 Australian Open Schoolgirls Rowing Championships … also helped her crew to a fourth-place finish in the same event in 2019.
Jianna Ursitti
Height: 5-foot-3
Hometown: Arlington, Va.
Notes: Was a coxswain for Washington-Lee High School and Thompson Boat Center … was Virginia's state champion in 2019 in the 8+; … has finished top three at Canadian Nationals twice, and she drove her TBC 4+ to a fifth-place finish at the 2019 US Nationals.
Rosemary Varney
Height: 5-foot-8
Hometown: Lake Casitas, Calif.
Notes: Rowed for Lake Casitas on the home of the 1984 Olympic venue … was a standout varsity member in the Varsity 8+ and other sculling entries … has experience with competitive long-distance running.
Polly Wenlock
Height: 6-foot-0
Hometown: Wellington, New Zealand
Notes: Finished fourth in the club 4x at the 2020 New Zealand Rowing Championships … secured gold in the same event at the South Island Championships, along with a fifth-place finish in the 1x.
