Soucek Named CRCA All-Region; Six Tabbed Scholar-Athletes
5/29/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University women's rowing freshman Kara Soucek was named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-West Region first team, while teammates Sarah Atkins, Nasseb Bhangal, Laura Brasch, Casey Burt, Madison Keaty, Malori McGill and Jordan Schroeder were each named to the CRCA Scholar-Athlete Team.
Soucek, a native of McCall, Idaho, is the seventh player in school history to garner CRCA All-Region and the first to earn first team honors since 2009. She joins Paula Welly (2012), Hanna McClintock (2008, 2009), Kelly Steinhaus (2007), Maria Bokulich (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), Nicole Lustig (2001, 2002) and Laura Curd (2000).
She was a member of the Varsity 8+ boat that won gold at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) and was also a part of the Varsity 8+ boat that defeated the University of San Diego at the West Coast Conference Championship, which allowed the Zags to earn their first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
Nominated student-athletes for All-Region were evaluated on the strength of their team's regional finish, coaches recommendations and 2,000-meter erg score. Nominees must have been eligible student-athletes who had competed in their team's varsity boat in 75 percent of the races this season.
Soucek is now eligible for All-America award selection following the NCAA Rowing Championships.
Atkins (Jr., Nursing, 3.63 GPA), Bhangal (Jr., Political Science and Psychology, 3.94), Brasch (So., Sports Management and Promotions, 3.66), Burt (So., Mechanical Engineering, 3.71), Keaty (Jr., Sport Management and Promotions, 3.76), McGill (Jr., Accounting and Finance, 3.82), and Schroeder (Jr., Biology, 3.50) were among 576 student-athletes honored by the CRCA for their work in the classroom.
Atkins, Bhangal, Keaty and McGill earned the CRCA accolade for the second-consecutive season. All four, along with Burt, were also recently named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic squad.
To be considered for Scholar-Athlete Team, student-athletes were required to meet all eligibility requirements defined by their institution, row in the institution's NCAA eligible boats for a minimum of 75-percent of the current spring races or racing in a regional conference event and carry a 3.5 GPA or higher for her career. Also, the student-athletes selected much have been upperclassmen (2nd, 3rd, or 4th year) in terms of eligibility and their head coaches must be good standing members of the CRCA.
CRCA West All-Region Teams
First Team
Leva Adomaviciute, Washington State University
Melanie Grindle, Southern California
Krisztina Gyimes, Southern California
Kara Kohler, California
Lindsay Meyer, Stanford
Vineta Moca, Southern California
Agatha Nowinski, California
Kara Soucek, Gonzaga
Britta Syverson, UCLA
Anna Taylor, Oregon State University
Jenna Blau, Southern California, coxswain
Second Team
Christina Bax, Stanford
Michelle Campbell, University of San Diego
Maryann Concannon, Saint Mary's
Ivana Filipovic, Southern California
Paparangi Hipango, California
Meaghan Volker, UCLA
Rachel Ersted, California, coxswain
To see full CRCA All-Region Teams, click here.
To see full CRCA Scholar-Athlete Team, click here.
