Women's Rowing November 25, 2020 Athletic Communications

Hatters Add 13 Signees for 2021-22

Stetson women's rowing today announced the addition of 13 student-athletes for the 2021-22 academic and athletic year, as the early signing period comes to a close.

Joining the Hatters next fall will be: Brooke Bell (Winter Park, Fla.), Asia Erickson (Marysville, Wash.), Julie Hickey (King of Prussia, Pa.), Zoe Holston (Westerville, Ohio), Jocalyn Ortega (Fayetteville, Ga.), Caley Petersen (Apex, N.C.), Brooklyn Poff (Vero Beach, Fla.), Emma Rees (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), Victoria Runckel (Buffalo, N.Y.), Sarah Sessions (Asheville, N.C.), Lauren Thompson (Northport, N.Y.), Hannah Walters (Johnstown, Ohio), and Shelby Williford (Flemington, N.J.).

Stetson's class consists of student-athletes from eight different states. Stetson head coach Katie Thurstin cited the geographical variety of this class as one of its positives.

"We are very excited about next year's incoming class," she said. "It is a geographically diverse group with the majority coming from out-of-state. The experience each of them will bring from their high school programs will help us be better. Their coaches spoke very highly of them and we feel that they will be an asset to the team. We look forward to working with such a highly motivated group and help them develop as a collegiate rower."

Thurstin is most impressed with what the group as a whole will contribute throughout their Stetson careers.

"As a cohort, they will contribute to the strong foundation the current team has developed and will help the team in pursuit of their ambitious goals, to win the automatic qualifier at the MAAC Championships and be the first crew to represent Stetson at the NCAA Championships."

Below are capsules on the signees with comments on each from assistant coach Stephen Harris.

Brooke Bell Bell

Hometown: Winter Park, Fla.
High School: Winter Park HS
Rowing Club:
About Brooke: 2x (2018 and 2019) FSRA scholastic state champions; 2x (2018 and 2019) district champions … art and music because it brings a sense of calmness to me.
Harris on Bell: "Brooke has been consistent with her work on and off the water, and we believe she will be pushing for the top boats at Stetson as early as Spring 2022, by being a great teammate and motivating the heart of the program"

Asia Erickson
Hometown: Marysville, Wash.
High School: Homeschooled
Rowing Club: Everett Rowing Association
About Asia: Rowed in the women's V8 at Head of the Charles in 2019 … placed 2nd at the San Diego Fall Classic in the Junior Lightweight 8+ (2019) … finished 4th in Youth 4 for Virtual Nationals (2020) … enjoys volunteering, art, hiking, and ice skating … loves giving back to the community, being creative, and being active in the outdoors.
Harris on Erickson: "Asia is traveling the furthest to join us and has demonstrated her drive to excel this year. We are excited to see her bring her 'determination and inspiration' to the rest of the team over the next four years."

Julia Hickey Hickey

Hometown: King of Prussia, Pa.
High School: Upper Marion Area HS
Rowing Club: Pegasus Rowing Club
About Julia: Twice awarded the Upper Merion Rowing Golden Hammer Award (2019,2020) … 2018 Upper Merion Home Regatta Girls Novice 4+ (1st) … 2018 Philly Youth Regatta Girls Novice 4x (3rd) 2019 Main Line Slide Jr. Relay (1st) … 2019 Schuylkill Navy Regatta Jr. 2x (2nd) … 2019 Overpeck Summer Sprints U17 1x-(3rd) … 2019 Overpeck Summer Sprints Mixed Jr U19 2x (3rd) … 2019 Overpeck Summer Sprints Jr. U19 2- (3^rd) … 2019 Head of the Hudson Jr. 2x (1st) … 2019 Head of the Hudson Jr 4x (2nd) … 2019 King's Head Regatta HS/Youth 2x (2nd) … 2019 King's Head Regatta Mixed Youth 4x (2nd) … 2019 Head of the Ohio Youth 2x (1st).
Harris on Hickey: "Julia is a multi-sport athlete and found her way back to the pitch this fall for her senior year. She has balanced her time and energy well, and we are really excited for her to continue making boats go fast."

Zoe Holston
Hometown: Westerville, Ohio
High School: Worthington Christian HS
Rowing Club: Westerville Crew
About Zoe: Chose Stetson because she really loves the campus environment, the opportunities Stetson provides for her major, and the rowing program … her favorite athletic moment was the fall season of 2019 when she bonded with her entire boat while also pushing themselves on the water. She met some of her best friends that season while also growing as an athlete.
Harris on Holston: "Zoe has taken on multiple leadership roles in high school, and helped with a coaching transition for her HS golf program. This dedication shows in all that she does, and we look forward to her continued progress as she focuses on academics and rowing at Stetson."

Jocalyn Ortega Ortega

Hometown: Fayetteville, Ga.
High School: Starr's Mill HS
Rowing Club: Peachtree City Rowing Club
About Jocalyn: PTCRC Rower of the Year (2016-2017); PTCRC Most Promising Rower (2017-2018); Ready Set Row Development Camp (Summer,2019); PTCRC Team Captain (Females) 2019-2021 … loves hiking, swimming, four-wheeling, horseback riding, and playing the ukulele.
Harris on Ortega: "We have been working with Jocalyn for the entirety of the contact period set by the NCAA. She has shown a lot of progress over that time, is a 'fierce competitor,' and we know her commitment will tap in to her potential, and draw the same from the team, over the next four years."

Caley Petersen
Hometown: Apex, N.C.
High School: Friendship HS
Rowing Club: Triangle Rowing Club
About Caley: Chose Stetson because the coaches really sold me on the rowing program and the school … Her most memorable moment was crossing the finish line in the Women's A8+ and realizing we had won gold at the First Coast Head Race.
Harris on Petersen: "Caley was one of the first women to commit in this class and we are certain she will bring a lot of energy and teamwork to DeLand for the next four years. Her dynamic attitude and personality make it feel like she has already been a Hatter for the last few months."

Brooklynn Poff
Town: Sebastian, Fla
School: Sebastian River HS
Club: Sebastian River RC
About Brooklynn: IB, AP, Honors student working toward medical field… excited for senior spring season and getting ready for Stetson.
Harris on Poff: "Brooklynn is a driven student-athlete and we believe she has a lot of untapped potential. She should be in the mix for MAAC/NCAA crews in her freshman spring, but the ceiling has yet to be determined."

Emma Rees
Hometown: Altamonte Springs, Fla.
High School: Florida Virtual School
Rowing Club: North Orlando Rowing
About Emma: 1st place-2019 Fall Sprints, Junior 1x … 1st place-2020 Spring Sprints, Junior 4x … 1st place-2020 Spring Sprints, Junior 4+ … 1st place-2020 Spring Sprints, Varsity 2x … enjoys cooking to explore new ways of healthy eating … also loves playing games with her siblings … was a competitive gymnast for nine years.
Harris on Rees: "Emma is a force and brings a long history of athletic background to rowing from her time as a gymnast. Balance, core strength, drive and teamwork are in tow and we are excited to see her continue developing as a Hatter student-athlete."

Victoria Runckel Runckel

Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
High School: Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart
Rowing Club: West Side Rowing Club
About Victoria: Chose Stetson because she really liked the overall community that the team had and how it seemed like they were a family. Also, the campus and the academics are exactly what she was looking for … Racing at the Head of the Charles Regatta was her favorite race ever. She and her teammates had a great time racing and just traveling together that weekend.
Harris on Runckel: "Tory is one of the first in this class to have visited and see the innerworkings of the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. Her HS coach reached out after she signed to let us know that we have one of the most committed coxswains he has worked with joining our ranks next year. Her work ethic is going to put her in a strong position for the next four years. We look forward to her driving some fast crews."

Sarah Sessions
Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
High School: A.C. Reynolds HS
Rowing Club: n/a
About Sarah: Chose Stetson because it's a smaller school with great academics … her most memorable athletic experience is rowing in the rain on the last day of practice, everyone was just having a fun time and making the best out of that practice.
Harris on Sessions: "Sarah is a great coxswain and person. She reached out to us looking for the 'right fit' for her academic and athletic future, and we quickly realized she would be vying for the top crews at Stetson. The current freshman coxswain core is in a great spot to pave the way for this class, and we know Sarah will be able to add to it."

Lauren Thompson
Hometown: Northport, N.Y.
High School: Northport HS
Rowing Club: Long Island Rowing Club
About Lauren: IB Diploma, National Honor Society, National Mathematics Honor Society, National World Languages Honor Society, Scholar Athlete from 7th-12th grade.
Harris on Thompson: "Lauren is a water-sport athlete from swimming and sailing to rowing. Her power and energy made it clear that she will make an immediate impact within our program, and we know that will only grow as we develop other facets of her athletic ability.:

Hannah Walters
Hometown: Johnstown, Ohio
High School: Worthington Christian
Rowing Club: Westerville Crew
About Hannah: Chose Stetson because the campus was the perfect size and it felt like home … her most memorable athletic moment was when she stroked a four for the Head of the Charles because it was the first time she had stroked a boat in a race and it made me realize how much I loved rowing.
Harris on Walters: "Hannah started rowing a little late but quickly became a 'great addition' to her HS program. She found her way in to the top crews at Westerville and we anticipate that she will work to do the same here."

Shelby Williford

Hometown: Flemington, N.J.
High School: Hunterdon Central HS
Rowing Club: Swan Creek Rowing
About Shelby: Chose Stetson because she knew it was a place she could call home. It is such a positive environment and she knew she would be able to thrive academically, athletically, and emotionally. The amazing academics also stood out, as well as the atmosphere of the rowing team … enjoys going on walks/hikes, baking, writing, rowing and other forms of exercise, and occasionally reading.
Harris on Williford: "Shelby regularly brings her A-Game to practice and racing, which fits right in with our effort to build speed through supporting each other every day. We anticipate a lot of boat speed coming from Shelby and those around her as this class grows together.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

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Hatters Add 13 Signees for 2021-22