Shocker Rowing

2009-2010 Press Releases

7-1-2010 / Shocker Rowing Says Goodbye

On Tuesday, June 29th around 4:00 p.m. Angela Johnson was killed in an automobile crash. Angie was in her second year working as an assistant coach after rowing for four years. She was the 2007 & 2008 Oarswoman of the year, a 2008 ACRA All-Regional Rower, winner of numerous Sunflower State Championships and a Dad Vail Semi-finalist. More than any of these she was a great teammate, compassionate coach and a steadfast supporter of Shocker Rowing.

I was blessed to have her as both an athlete and a coworker. She was the kind of athlete that coaches love to coach and the type of assistant that makes the head coach better. On top of all of that she was a person of character, integrity and conviction. I was proud to have her as a friend.

Our program’s support and thoughts go out to all of her family, teammates and friends in this time of mourning. Services are planned for Saturday July 3rd at the Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake, IA at 10:00 a.m.

On July 10th starting at 5:00 p.m. in Wichita, Kansas there will be a memorial row and remembrance gathering in Angie's honor.

You can RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126122100763116

Other details will be posted as they are arranged.

I am available for anyone to contact me for any reason and at any time in regard to Angie. (316) 371-7513

In loving memory of Angie,
Calvin Cupp
Head Coach

5-2010

Oklahoma City, Ok – WSU Rowing wins its first Gold Medal at the ACRA Nationals. WSU Rowing has been attending the American Collegiate Rowing Association Nationals since its inception in 2008. ACRA Nationals were attended by 48 teams from across the US. This year WSU also took the bronze in the women’s double.

In its first year at ACRAs, WSU had one boat make it to the grand finals. Last year the team put four of its five boats in the Grand Finals, with three placing 5th and one taking bronze in the women’s double.

Malcolm Johnson ’12 and Allen Strickler ’11 were the 2010 men’s double’s rowers. On Saturday, they were first in the time trial and first in their afternoon heat. Several of the events at the ACRA had time trials to help establish lane placement. The conditions were 15-30 mph winds from the south or across the course making lane six a more difficult lane to row in than in lane 2. Therefore, winners in the time trial were given the faster lanes in the heats and finals.

On Sunday’s final, Johnson and Strickler’s biggest competition came from Oklahoma City University, a school that focuses on its sculling events. Right at the start, WSU took the lead by a boat length. The other boats in the field were surpassed by the front two boats early in the race. Each time OCU made a move, Johnson and Strickler would make a counter move to keep the 2nd place boat at least at its stern deck. WSU kept this lead throughout the race to the finish line.

Stephanie Lillie ’11 and Erica Kuhlman ‘11’s bronze medal performance in their double had a less satisfying conclusion because the two were not allowed to race the finals. On Saturday, the two placed third in the time trial. No heat was necessary because there were only six boats in the event, all of which would race in the Grand Final on Sunday.

On Sunday, WSU and the other women’s doubles, locked into the stake boats for the start, but the winds made the five attempts at a start futile, so the race organizers called the race and sent everyone down the course at a crawl instead of at race pace. The team then had to wait for the ACRA board to decide whether medals would be given to the top three time trial finishers, which ultimately they did.

“We would have liked to have had the chance to challenge for first or second in a final,” said Kuhlman, “but it just goes to show how important every race is – that if we hadn't rowed competitively in our time trial, we wouldn't have the bronze.”

Other highlights from the weekend include two nominations to the Regional All American team. Peter Fast ’10 and Chelsea Chavez ’11 were nominated with 3 others from WSU and ultimately chosen for their competitive erg scores (individual performance on the rowing machine), winning records in the boats and their history of having rowed the varsity boats all season.

Eight Academic All Americans were chosen from WSU. These student-athletes have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and will be at least of junior standing by fall. Peter Fast, Lisa Burns, Sarah Meier, Isabel Villaneda van Vloten, Malcolm Johnson, Brittany Norris, Stephanie Lillie and Ryan Hollingshead made the list.

WSU nominated 4 Freshman All Americans; the winners will be selected by May 28.

This year, WSU raced a men’s varsity eight which placed first in the C Finals, a Novice Women’s Eight which was 6th overall, a varsity women’s four that was 7th/17 from the time trials and heats, but who was not allowed due to windy conditions to race the final, a men’s single which was first in its B final and a second men’s double and JV Men’s Eight.

4-24-2010 / WSU Wins 4 Out of 5 Races Against Oklahoma City University and Central Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Very windy conditions prevailed on Saturday making the races long but good practice for the WSU crews as OKC’s site will be the course for the ACRAs (Nationals) on May 22 and 23.

The most exciting races of the day were varsity women’s four and men’s varsity four B. In the varsity women’s four, rowers Melissa Koehn, Chelsea Chavez, Erica Kuhlman and Stephanie Lillie with coxswain Lisa Burns had just rowed in the varsity women’s eight and lost to OCU. They knew going in that OCU would be fast as OCU is a program with heavily recruited athletes. After the initial few strokes, the boats were neck in neck, and then stroke by stroke WSU gradually gained on the OCU women beating them by 13 seconds.

In the men’s varsity four B race, the real race was between the varsity men and novice men, both boats who easily beat the OCU boat. The novice and varsity boats had raced the preceding weekend with the novice men beating the varsity until the novice had a collision with a bridge post before the finish line. This weekend, the varsity made sure they took an early lead and kept it despite determined efforts by the novice to close the gap.

This weekend the team travels to Topeka for the Great Plains Championships on May 1. The varsity men look forward to challenging Washington University who beat WSU early in the season. The varsity women will once again race KU, a rivalry that has been ongoing for the past 3 years. The novice women look forward to challenging the Creighton women with whom this season they are 1-1. The novice men’s lightweight four will see SIRA champions Washington U. At the Upper Midwest the novice lightweight four raced in the varsity four and beat everyone except WSU’s varsity boat.

4-13-2010 / WSU Rowing Takes First and Third in Team Points Trophies

Omaha, NE – April 11, 2010
WSU Rowing won the men’s team point trophy and the women placed third at the Upper Midwest Championships. Teams from MN, IA, NE, and KS were present.

Having won the men’s team point trophy last year, WSU was determined to repeat again this year. It appeared that St. Thomas University from Minneapolis could give WSU a run but WSU’s boats kept medaling and racking up the points. The coaches were also very pleased with the women earning third place overall, they had not been in the top 3 standings for some years.

This semester WSU has three men’s eights, the varsity eight and two novice eights. The coaches decided to challenge the novice eights by rowing them in the varsity eight event. Each heat had 5 boats and all three WSU 8s made it to finals. Once at the finals, WSU Varsity took 2nd to OCU and the Novice Men’s Eight, rowing as WSU-B, took third narrowly inching out Kansas with a time of 6:47.38 to 6:47.89. K-State was 5th. OCU 6:20.17 and WSU-A 6:25.54.

The women’s pair of Chelsea Chavez and Melissa Koehn took gold beating Creighton, St. Thomas and the WSU-B boat. Chavez and Koehn were initially hesitant to row the technically challenging event given that most of practice time is spent in eights or fours. But clearly these two were up to the task as they took an early lead and kept it through the finish line.

The lightweight men’s fours was also an exciting race. WSU entered two boats, one from the varsity and one from the novice in this varsity event. WSU-varsity had an easy lead the whole race, but the novice boat was neck in neck or behind St. Louis much of the way until the last 500. At this point coxswain Lisa Burns commented that St. Louis was getting tired and grunting, “’they are giving up, let’s keep pushing on thru.’ I didn't even realize that we (WSU) could finish one and two – I was just focused on the other boat (St. Louis) and beating them.”

Manhattan, KS – April 10, 2010
WSU also won the Sunflower State Championships, although it is a bitter win as only one event took place. The remainder of the events had to be cancelled for safety reasons.
WSU won the women’s novice four with a time of 6:53.6, KU 7:37.1 and KSU 7:42.8 and took back the novice women’s four trophy from KU who had won it last year.

WSU races April 17 at its last home event for the Tornado Alley Sprints against OU and Nebraska. Races start at 9 AM on the Arkansas River downtown.

Overall Point Standings-Upper Midwest Sprints

Mary Jean McGaughan Memorial Men's Award
1st - Wichita State - 90
2nd - Oklahoma City - 36
3rd - Kansas State - 34

Roberta Ray Becker Memorial Women's Award
1st - Drake - 109
2nd - Creighton - 70
3rd - Wichita State - 39

3-25-10 / WSU Rowing Takes on Two CUa This Weekend at Home

WSU Rowing races Colorado University and Creighton University at home Saturday, March 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. The races will take place on the Arkansas River downtown between the Lincoln Street Dam and the 2nd Street Bridge.

Colorado and Creighton both have excellent teams and WSU looks forward to the competition. Colorado started their spring season racing Texas. CU’s men’s varsity eight beat Texas who beat WSU; with this in mind, the varsity men have been preparing for a tough race. Texas novice men beat both WSU and Colorado last weekend, but WSU beat Colorado in the fall. Again, the team is excited to face off with CU. Head Coach Calvin Cupp commented, “The men are looking forward to a chance to race one of the better teams in the region, CU placed well at ACRA, so we know they will be fast.”

Creighton will bring its NCAA women’s team. They recently raced against University of San Diego posting times in the varsity women’s four and novice women’s eight that are similar to what WSU women have been racing. Cupp said about the women’s racing, “CU women’s four beat our 4 at ACRA’s last year (3rd place to 5th). Our women excited to line up against them again. We enjoy racing Creighton because they are high quality completion.”

Spectators can watch anywhere along the Arkansas River. Staging for the teams will be next to Gander Mountain.

If there is lightening, the races will be delayed until it is safe to race.

3-8-10 . WSU Rowing Signs First Recruits of 20120-2011 Season

Wichita State Rowing is pleased to announce the addition of Claire Cox and Ashley Brown, both of Derby, KS, to its 2010-2011 squad.

Cox is a cross country and track runner for Derby High School. She earned her varsity letter as a freshmen in both seasons and was the captain her senior year for the cross country team. “She was a great motivational leader for the squad,” Coach Eldon Edwards commented.

Brown is a swimmer, a sport she has been pursuing for the last nine years. She went to State in swimming for the past three years and Division II’s with the Wichita Aqua Shox. She’s also in the National Honor Society and a mentor.

Both commented that they love WSU’s campus, the location and school and look forward to attending.

Cox and Brown officially signed at their high school on Friday March 5, 2010. In attendance were parents, friends and the student-athletes’ spring sport coaches.

Collegiate rowing is one of the few college sports that requires no experience, hence recruitment of non-rowers. However, when recruiting Assistant Coach Tori Breithaupt looks for student-athletes who have experience dealing with wins and losses, the organization it takes to be a student and an athlete, and leadership skills. “Our recruited non-rowers will not lead by their knowledge of the sport,” Breithaupt says, “but how they bring intensity to a race or practice, how they bring a can-do attitude. We look forward to these qualities in Ashley and Claire.”

Shocker Rowing kicks off its spring season on Saturday March 13 with a scrimmage against the Washington University, MO in Natchitoches, LA. The team will train in LA for spring break, with scrimmages against KU, Northwestern Louisiana State and OCU. They will end the week with races against U of Texas, Baylor, AT&M, and Rice in TX.

Ashley Brown
High School: Derby
Hometown: Derby, KS
Sports experience: 9 years swimming, went to State 3 years, went to Division II with Wichita Aqua Shox
Other: I am in NHS, NAHS and a mentor.
Personal: parents Janet Miller and Doug Brown, Brother Chris Brown
Why WSU? I love the campus, the location, the size and everything about it.

Claire Cox
High School: Derby High School
Hometown: Derby, Kansas
Sports Experience: went to Cross Country Nationals, varsity letter Fresh, Soph, Jr, Sr in cross country and track
Other: I coach Special Olympics track and field
Personal: Parents Brian and Jennifer Cox, Erin and Quentin Cox
Why WSU: I Like everything about WSU, the campus, the school, the location. It’s perfect for me.

11-23-09 / Shocker Rowing looks for new home

The Wichita State University Rowing program is in search of a new home along the river.
Because of damage sustained during the severe hail storm this summer to some facilities, BG Products Inc. will no longer be able to provide boathouse facilities to Shocker Rowing effective Dec. 31. The maintenance operations facility was damaged and will need to move to the space currently occupied by Shocker Rowing.

This ends an eight-year arrangement in which BG has provided a home for Shocker Rowing with river access and facilities.

"It's unfortunate that we will no longer be able to use these facilities, but the support BG has shown Shocker Rowing during the past eight years has been tremendous," said Calvin Cupp, head crew coach. "In 2001, BG stepped forward during a transitional time for Shocker Rowing and provided warehouse space for equipment storage and river access."

In 2006, BG moved Shocker Rowing to the current BG Products Boathouse at 300 W. Indianapolis. This facility included shell storage for the entire fleet of shells for both Shocker Rowing and the Wichita Rowing Association, kitchenette, restrooms with showers, lobby and meeting area. This boathouse also was the base of operations for all WSU home spring races.

WSU is in the process of pursuing several promising options that will meet both the immediate short-term and long-term needs of Shocker Rowing and the rowing community as a whole.

Shocker Rowing has a roster of 47 student-athletes this fall. Earlier in spring, four of five crews made the grand finals at the ACRA (American Collegiate Rowing Association) national championships.

Shocker Rowing hosts three or four home regattas each year.

Shocker Rowing is a supporting group to the Wichita Frostbite Regatta that brought about 800 rowers from several states to Wichita in November.

# # # # #
Contact: Calvin Cupp, (316) 978-5285 or calvin.cupp@wichita.edu.

11-18-09 / All Boats Medat at Marathon, Three Course Records Set

November 14, 2009
Natchitoches, Louisiana

Shocker Rowing raced three mixed eights at the marathon rowing championships and all three medaled.

The event is 26.2 miles long on the Cane River. Conditions were calm, with some chop depending on which way the river turned.

Mixed eights require at least 4 women rowers and 4 men rowers. The coxswain can be either sex.

In the varsity mixed eight event, Shocker Rowing took first and second places beating St. Louis University and Texas A&M –Galveston. The first place eight rowed the event in 3 hours 5 minutes and 33 seconds, which set the course record. The second boat was 3:20:45. WSU also holds the third fastest time for this event set in 2004.

The novice mixed eight also set a course record rowing with a time of 3 hours 20 min 32 seconds beating Texas A&M-Galveston and Tulane. WSU holds the third fastest time for this event as well set in 2004.

Of note, Assistant Coach Tori Breithaupt raced representing Wichita Rowing Association. She and her doubles partner also set a course record in the mixed 2x.

10-06-09 / Shocker Rowing Stellar Start to Season

WSU Rowing returns from Oklahoma City where the team raced 15 boats at the Boot of the Oklahoma Oct 3. Of the 15 boats, 8 brought home medals.

The Boot draws teams from the Midwest; powerhouses like Tulsa, Kansas and Texas NCAA women’s rowing programs and on the men’s side Harvard, Texas and Oklahoma City University. Last year the men’s varsity four placed 6th, this year they moved to 2nd after initially being penalized and forced to take a 30 second penalty which would have put them in 4th. Texas Crew’s boat that won the race, complained that WSU did not cede way. However, after examining the facts, the officials concurred that WSU was pinned by other teams on the course and could not cede way to Texas and the penalty was dropped. The men’s four then went to take Gold in the night 500 meter sprints.

The varsity women raced in a new event to WSU fall rowing, the women’s doubles. In a field of 16 boats, some of them part of the Oklahoma City High Performance Center, Erica Kuhlman and Chelsea Chavez placed 9th and Stephanie Lillie and Melissa Koehn 10th finishing ahead of some NCAA programs. Lillie of Ottawa, KS, said “The race went well; it was the first time we have raced in a double and my first time in bow seat.” Bow seat is responsible for navigating the course, not an easy task considering rowers do not face the way they are going but look backwards. Of the upcoming Frostbite race (Nov 1st), Lillie commented: “I’m excited to see how we improve in the 2xs and really looking forward to the fours against KU Club team. We’ve had a long time rivalry with KU, going back and forth who wins. I wish Frostbite were now, but am glad we have time to prepare.”

Without much rest, the four women then jumped into the Women’s Collegiate Fours event and placed 19th/29, an improvement from 24th last year. The women’s teams must face NCAA programs that have budgets 3x that of WSU. Against teams that compete in WSU’s league, WSU placed 3rd of 8.

The novice women also had fantastic races. The women’s eight brought home bronze and were 45 seconds back from first place an improvement of nearly a minute and a half from 2008. The novice four women took silver beating Tulsa’s NCAA boat. These results for the novice women bode well for strong racing at the Frostbite Regatta and racing against league rivals Colorado and Washington University and which team heads into winter training on top.

The novice men were first in the eight and four last year and again repeated these results. In the men’s novice four, the B Boat moved from 3rd last year to 2nd this year. Said Michael Stacey of Hutchinson, KS, “I feel we could have done a little better as we thought the event was 5000 meters, not 4000 meters, but still feel we did fantastic considering most were new to the four. Of all the sports I’ve played, I’ve never taken a medal in our first time in it. It was very exciting – passing the other boats – looking at them physically exhausted, when we felt like it was second nature – it was a real motivational booster. I’m now determined to win against Colorado and Iowa at Frostbite.”

The second men’s novice eight lost third by one second which is always a frustrating loss as one second can be the push of a button on the official’s timer. Also racing for the Shockers were Allen Strickler in the men’s open single and Malcolm Johnson in the lightweight single. Johnson finished 3rd and Strickler 7th of 11 coming off shoulder surgery and should be ready to add speed to the men’s four and eight come Frostbite.

09-29-09 / Shocker Rowing Heads to the Boot

Fall rowing races are typically called Head Races, and are a time trial event. The Head of the Oklahoma can not take place in its usual venue this year due to construction so the race has moved locations and names (now called the Boot of the Oklahoma), but will still occur in Oklahoma City, OK.

Shocker Rowing is sending its fleet of 47 athletes to compete in 13 events on October 3, 2009. Expected to place well will be the men’s collegiate four that placed 6th last year and the men’s novice 8 and 4 boats that placed first last year. Malcolm Johnson will also race in the men’s lightweight single race, his first single race as a Shocker Rower.
New events for Shocker Rowing at this regatta will be the women’s doubles. Chelsea Chavez, Erica Kuhlman, Stephanie Lillie and Melissa Koehn have been gearing up on their steering and racing strategies for this race on the very challenging Little Arkansas River course. The easier to steer Oklahoma River course should not pose much of a problem but the two boats will face a field of 19 boats against some NCAA powerhouse programs.

Lindsay Mills ’13, from Derby, KS, a walk on this year for the team will be racing as a coxswain in the Men’s Novice Four event, she is looking forward to: “getting a first race under my belt, really knowing what the real rush of a race feels like, and seeing all of the [other] teams.”

Jason Gorman, ’12, Wauwatosa, WI, also a walk on is looking forward to: “rowing my first ever race and this being my first time in Oklahoma. I’m also the only person [on the team] from WI, it will be an experience to have warm weather at such a late date.”

8-12-2009 / WSU Rowing Ready for Fall Season

Shocker Rowers head to the water August 20th to start training for fall races which start Sept 26th at home versus OSU. “I’m excited for rowing to start,” Erica Kuhlman ’10 says of the season. Kuhlman spent a year ‘abroad’ at Humboldt State in CA, so she knows how wonderful it is to get back to the Arkansas River. “I think we have a great team spirit, everyone is connected.” Also excited for the season is 2nd year WSU rower, Malcolm Johnson, ’12, “I’m looking forward to beating a lot of people,” and not just any team in particular “everybody.” Johnson spent the summer rowing in a single, coaching juniors in sculling, and came in first at the Capital Sprints in D.C.

Other home events include the Frostbite Regatta Nov 1 and new to this year, Class and Alumni Races on Oct 17. Shocker Rowing will also travel to OKC on Oct 3 and on Nov 14 to Louisiana.

Wichita State Rowing will have 9 returning women and 11 returning men. Rower Allen Strickler ’12 enters his fourth year (2nd as a WSU rower) and is looking forward to the Frostbite “even though it’s a small race, I enjoy [racing] smaller boats at Frostbite because I know the course well and it’s a challenge for everyone else.” Strickler, a Wichita native rowed as a junior on the Frostbite course, he then spent his first two college years at OSU “I’m also looking forward to the scrimmage against OSU, even though I’m on other side.”

These 20 athletes will be joined by 6 new WSU rowers who have rowed previously. Going into the summer, the team knew it had 4 recruits joining, 2 more were added over the summer. Sam Bernston hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma where he rowed for Tulsa Juniors. Laura Calhoun comes from Los Angeles, CA where she rowed with LA Rowing Club but has also rowed in D.C. for the Thompson Boat Center. “Both are very competent rowers with great racing skills, we’re really excited to have them join our program,” commented Assistant Coach Tori Breithaupt.

Laura Calhoun

High School: Grant High- Class of 2007
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Rowing Experience: 2 years of high school rowing experience in Maryland. I rowed for Bethesda Chevy Chase High and Thompson Boat Center while in Maryland. I have been rowing for Los Angeles Rowing Club for about 9 months, where I was the captain of a women's lightweight 4+.

Position: Port- Mostly stroke.

Honors & Awards: Dean’s List and honor society at Glendale Community College.

Personal: Janet Calhoun (mother). Born in Cleveland, OH. Grew up in the Washington D.C area. Now living in Los Angeles. Little fact about me is I have lived in five states (Kansas will make 6) and have visited thirty states. My goal is to see all fifty states before I die.

Why WSU: WSU combines rowing and a degree in Forensic Science. Looking forward to spending the next several years at WSU.

Sam Berntson

High school: Edison Preparatory High School

Home town: Tulsa, OK
Rowing experience: four years
Position: Starboard and sculling

Honors and awards: Lettered in rowing all 4 years
Competed in Juniors National Championships, 2006, 2007
Medaled in many regattas throughout high school
Leadership Council of Tulsa Rowing Club Juniors
Tulsa Rowing Club Juniors King Oar Award 2009

Personal: Parents are Elizabeth, and David Berntson, one brother
Participated in French Immersion School since Kindergarten. Have visited France twice, once with my family and once as an Exchange Student in 8th grade.

Why WSU: WSU has a great engineering program that I am excited to participate in. WSU has a great rowing team that has been very successful in recent years. I'm looking forward to having a great season rowing for the Shockers!

2010/2011 Press Releases
2008/2009 Press Releases