University of Minnesota Athletics
Alumni Corner: Recent Graduates and Endeavors
8/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
As is tradition here at Minnesota, we again graduated a large and accomplished group of seniors this spring. Here’s a short look at their careers and future pursuits:
Rebekah Brzozowski—Degree: Kinesiology. Becky, from Pattersonville, N.Y., began her rowing career at Minnesota competing in the 1V4+. Becky helped the Golden Gophers win a Big Ten Title, finish 4th at South/Central Regionals, and finish eighth overall at the NCAA Championships. She went on to race in the 2V8+ in ‘08 & ‘09, and the 1V8+ in 2010. Becky will be getting married September 4th and moving out to Utah. She is planning on pursuing a career as a personal trainer or a paramedic (0r both!).
Christine Cira—Degree: Marketing & Public Nonprofit Mgmt. Christine, from Franklin Wis., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She raced in the 1N8+ that helped win Minnesota’s first ever Big Ten Rowing Championship in 2007. Christine worked her way up in the program racing in the 3V8+, the 1V4+, and as a senior in the 2V8+ posting wins against Louisville, Iowa, Indiana, and Texas. She is pursuing a career in non profit marketing.
Brenna Galvin—Degree: Psychology and Political Science with an emphasis in deaf studies. Brenna, from Horicon, Wis., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She raced in the 1N8+ that helped win Minnesota’s first ever Big Ten Rowing Championship in 2007. Brenna went on to race in the 4V8+ and 2V4+ racking up wins against Tennessee and Kansas. She will be entering Law School this fall at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn.
Shannon Gates—Degree: Kinesiology & Pre-Physical Therapy. Shannon, from Whitefish Bay, Wis., began rowing as a sophomore with the Golden Gopher novice team. She helped the 1N8+ to a third place finish in the Grand Final at the Big Ten Championships. In 2010 Shannon raced in the 1V4+, winning the Petite Final at South Centrals to take 7th place overall. Shannon will be continuing her education at the University of Minnesota by pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy. She is also training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.
Sarah Graham—Degree: Physiology. Sarah, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, joined the varsity squad as freshman and raced in the 2V8+. Sarah and her 2V8+ boatmates posted wins against Louisville, Yale, Dartmouth, Band Boston University, Wisconsin, and Iowa in the regular season. In the post season they went on to win a Big Ten Championship, placed second overall at South/Centrals, and won the 2V8+ event at NCAAs. Sarah went on to race in the 1V8+ winning Big Ten Boat of the week in ’09 & ’10. Sarah plans on studying Aboriginal Justice and Criminology at the University of Saskatchewan for a year, and hopes to start med school in 2011.
Megan Lenarz—Degree: Economics. Megan, from Moorhead, Minn., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She stroked the 2N8+ that took third at Big Tens helping Minnesota capture their first ever Championship. Megan went on to stroke the 2V4+ to a Petite Final win at the ‘09 Big Ten Championships and to a first place finish in the Grand Final in the ‘10 Big Ten Championships. Megan will be staying in the cities and working for Gerczak and Associates, a branch of Ameriprise Financial.
Lucy Mulvey—Degree: Geology. Lucy, from Sydney, Australia, transferred to Minnesota from Texas in 2007. She helped the 1V8+ to a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championship in ‘08 and a second place finish in the Petite Finals at South/Centrals. Lucy was named First Team All-Big Ten in the spring of 2010. Upon graduation Lucy plans to travel home to spend some time with family - ultimately she plans to work for an exploration geology company or environmental firm, mapping and spending as much time in the field as possible.
Katelyn Nichols—Degree: Applied economics with a minor in leadership and management. Katelyn, from Middleton, Wis., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She raced in the 2N8+ that took third at Big Tens helping Minnesota capture their first ever Championship. Katelyn worked her way up in the program racing in the 3V8+, the 2V4+, and as a senior in the 2V8+ posting wins against Louisville, Iowa, Indiana, and Texas. Katelyn is moving to Grand Rapids Michigan where she will be working for Cargill Kitchen Solutions as a Production supervisor.
Michele Peterson—Degree: Biomedical Engineering. Michelle, from Plymouth, Minn., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She stroked the 1N8+ that edged out Wisconsin to win the 1N8+ event and Minnesota’s first ever Big Ten Rowing Championship in 2007. Peterson went on to stroke the 2V4+ to a third place finish at Big Tens in ‘08. She race in the 2v8+ in ‘09 & ‘10 and ended her career in the 1V4+ with a first-place finish in the Petite Final at the South/Central Regional Championship to take seventh place overall. Michelle was a CRCA Scholar Athlete and the 2009 recipient of the University of Minnesota President’s Student Leadership and Service Award. Michelle is currently working as a Systems Integration Analyst at Accenture, a company that does technical consulting. She is also training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.
Jenna Schuder—Degree: Housing Studies and Family Social Science. Jenna, from Forest Lake, Minn., began her rowing career in the five seat of the 1N8 that edged out Wisconsin for the Big Ten Championship win in ‘07. Jenna secured a seat in the 1V8 her junior and senior year. She is a three-time letter winner and served as the captain of the varsity squad for the 2009-2010 season. She was the recipient of the novice team’s “Most Valuable Rower” award in ‘07 and the “Donna J. Olson” Award in ’10. She was a CRCA Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Jenna will be staying in the Twin Cities to be an Americorps VISTA member working in North Minneapolis trying to sustainably break the cycle of poverty.
Rebekah Brzozowski—Degree: Kinesiology. Becky, from Pattersonville, N.Y., began her rowing career at Minnesota competing in the 1V4+. Becky helped the Golden Gophers win a Big Ten Title, finish 4th at South/Central Regionals, and finish eighth overall at the NCAA Championships. She went on to race in the 2V8+ in ‘08 & ‘09, and the 1V8+ in 2010. Becky will be getting married September 4th and moving out to Utah. She is planning on pursuing a career as a personal trainer or a paramedic (0r both!).
Christine Cira—Degree: Marketing & Public Nonprofit Mgmt. Christine, from Franklin Wis., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She raced in the 1N8+ that helped win Minnesota’s first ever Big Ten Rowing Championship in 2007. Christine worked her way up in the program racing in the 3V8+, the 1V4+, and as a senior in the 2V8+ posting wins against Louisville, Iowa, Indiana, and Texas. She is pursuing a career in non profit marketing.
Brenna Galvin—Degree: Psychology and Political Science with an emphasis in deaf studies. Brenna, from Horicon, Wis., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She raced in the 1N8+ that helped win Minnesota’s first ever Big Ten Rowing Championship in 2007. Brenna went on to race in the 4V8+ and 2V4+ racking up wins against Tennessee and Kansas. She will be entering Law School this fall at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn.
Shannon Gates—Degree: Kinesiology & Pre-Physical Therapy. Shannon, from Whitefish Bay, Wis., began rowing as a sophomore with the Golden Gopher novice team. She helped the 1N8+ to a third place finish in the Grand Final at the Big Ten Championships. In 2010 Shannon raced in the 1V4+, winning the Petite Final at South Centrals to take 7th place overall. Shannon will be continuing her education at the University of Minnesota by pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy. She is also training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.
Sarah Graham—Degree: Physiology. Sarah, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, joined the varsity squad as freshman and raced in the 2V8+. Sarah and her 2V8+ boatmates posted wins against Louisville, Yale, Dartmouth, Band Boston University, Wisconsin, and Iowa in the regular season. In the post season they went on to win a Big Ten Championship, placed second overall at South/Centrals, and won the 2V8+ event at NCAAs. Sarah went on to race in the 1V8+ winning Big Ten Boat of the week in ’09 & ’10. Sarah plans on studying Aboriginal Justice and Criminology at the University of Saskatchewan for a year, and hopes to start med school in 2011.
Megan Lenarz—Degree: Economics. Megan, from Moorhead, Minn., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She stroked the 2N8+ that took third at Big Tens helping Minnesota capture their first ever Championship. Megan went on to stroke the 2V4+ to a Petite Final win at the ‘09 Big Ten Championships and to a first place finish in the Grand Final in the ‘10 Big Ten Championships. Megan will be staying in the cities and working for Gerczak and Associates, a branch of Ameriprise Financial.
Lucy Mulvey—Degree: Geology. Lucy, from Sydney, Australia, transferred to Minnesota from Texas in 2007. She helped the 1V8+ to a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championship in ‘08 and a second place finish in the Petite Finals at South/Centrals. Lucy was named First Team All-Big Ten in the spring of 2010. Upon graduation Lucy plans to travel home to spend some time with family - ultimately she plans to work for an exploration geology company or environmental firm, mapping and spending as much time in the field as possible.
Katelyn Nichols—Degree: Applied economics with a minor in leadership and management. Katelyn, from Middleton, Wis., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She raced in the 2N8+ that took third at Big Tens helping Minnesota capture their first ever Championship. Katelyn worked her way up in the program racing in the 3V8+, the 2V4+, and as a senior in the 2V8+ posting wins against Louisville, Iowa, Indiana, and Texas. Katelyn is moving to Grand Rapids Michigan where she will be working for Cargill Kitchen Solutions as a Production supervisor.
Michele Peterson—Degree: Biomedical Engineering. Michelle, from Plymouth, Minn., began her rowing career at Minnesota on the novice team. She stroked the 1N8+ that edged out Wisconsin to win the 1N8+ event and Minnesota’s first ever Big Ten Rowing Championship in 2007. Peterson went on to stroke the 2V4+ to a third place finish at Big Tens in ‘08. She race in the 2v8+ in ‘09 & ‘10 and ended her career in the 1V4+ with a first-place finish in the Petite Final at the South/Central Regional Championship to take seventh place overall. Michelle was a CRCA Scholar Athlete and the 2009 recipient of the University of Minnesota President’s Student Leadership and Service Award. Michelle is currently working as a Systems Integration Analyst at Accenture, a company that does technical consulting. She is also training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.
Jenna Schuder—Degree: Housing Studies and Family Social Science. Jenna, from Forest Lake, Minn., began her rowing career in the five seat of the 1N8 that edged out Wisconsin for the Big Ten Championship win in ‘07. Jenna secured a seat in the 1V8 her junior and senior year. She is a three-time letter winner and served as the captain of the varsity squad for the 2009-2010 season. She was the recipient of the novice team’s “Most Valuable Rower” award in ‘07 and the “Donna J. Olson” Award in ’10. She was a CRCA Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Jenna will be staying in the Twin Cities to be an Americorps VISTA member working in North Minneapolis trying to sustainably break the cycle of poverty.
Players Mentioned
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