Columbia Heavyweight Rowing Announces Large Class of Eleven High-Caliber Recruits for 2009
6/11/2009 9:00:00 AM | Heavyweight Rowing
NEW YORK -- Fresh off an impressive 2009 rowing season, the Columbia heavyweight rowing team will welcome eleven recruits into the program for the 2010 season.
Stone Cao, Sam Collins, Michael Donohue, Steve Evans, Philip Fletcher, Ryan Jones, Perry Nickerson, Erik Schiferle, Kyle Schmidt, Noah Whitehead and Charles Wu have all made commitments to join the Lions this fall.
"This is a very fast and deep recruiting class," head heavyweight coach and director of rowing Mike Zimmer said. "We are excited to bring them together as a freshman class to train hard and work to contribute at the level of the varsity rowers at Columbia."
To bring in such a high quality class, Zimmer and assistant coach Jon Douglas recruited nationwide, as well as internationally.
"This year, we continued to build relationships with schools such as Malvern Prep and Philips Exeter, where we have had success," Douglas remarked. "We also looked overseas for potential and found three great prospects. Our Henley trip last year gave Columbia great international exposure."
With the heavyweight rowing program having so much success in recent years, the process of selecting recruits to bolster the program has been exciting.
“High school rowers see that it is possible to get an Ivy League education and row at the highest collegiate level, all while living in New York City,” said Zimmer. “This is a unique opportunity only available at Columbia University. We recruit student-athletes with the passion for racing, the drive to train hard, and excitement for the Columbia education. That is the foundation of Columbia heavyweight rowing.”
Zimmer goes on to say, “While we certainly look for speed and power in our recruiting, more importantly, we seek team players that mesh with our team culture and will be committed to each other and the Columbia program. We are very proud of the class we have selected and we are confident they will excel here at Columbia.”
A high level of achievement is evident within the class. Schmidt and Collins are both Junior National Team rowers for their respective countries, while Jones and Fletcher are candidates for the United States and British Junior National Teams this summer. Wu and Schiferle both rowed for the U.S. Development Team, and Donohue has won numerous championship titles. All incoming rowers are leaders; seven of them were team captains and Wu was also class president.
The incoming heavyweight rowers -
Stone Cao, 5-10, 110, North Grafton, Mass. (Noble & Greenough)
Coxed for Noble & Greenough varsity rowing … coxed four to a bronze medal at the 2009 NEIRA and received the Taylor Shield for most improved oarsman … also coxed for the Boston Rowing Club in the summer of 2008.
Sam Collins, 6-5, 207, Perth, Australia (Trinity College HS, Australia)
Won the Head of the River in the Varsity 8 as a junior and captained the Trinity rowing team as a senior … set the Trinity College 2K erg record at the age of 16 and will be rowing for the Australian Junior National Team this summer in the coxed four at the Junior World Championships.
Michael Donohue, 6-4, 185, Malvern, Pa. (Malvern Prep)
Stroked the Malvern Varsity quad to one USRowing Youth Invitational, two Philadelphia City, two Stotesbury, and two SRAA titles … holds the Malvern erg records for all distances; 2k, 6k, 30 minutes and 60 minutes … served as captain as a senior, earned team MVP and sportsmanship awards, and was the commencement speaker at Malvern graduation.
Steve Evans, 6-2, 210, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Upper St. Clair)
Captained his team as a senior … has rowed in the Upper St. Clair Varsity coxed four since his sophomore year.
Phillip Fletcher, 6-2, 190, London, England (St. Edwards School, England)
Rowed in the St. Edwards Varsity 8 at Henley in three consecutive years … was an honorary sports scholar at St. Edwards and his team was a National Schools Regatta finalist … will be attending the upcoming final trials to compete for selection to the 2009 Great Britain Junior National Team.
Ryan Jones, 6-7, 200, Mount Vernon, N.H. (Phillips Exeter)
Won the NEIRA in the Varsity eight in 2008 … will be attending selection camp for the 2009 U.S. Junior National Team … also played varsity water polo.
Perry Nickerson, 6-4, 185, Portland, Ore. (Shrewsbury, England)
Captained the Shrewsbury rowing team as a senior … won the 2008 Head of the River and National Schools Regatta … prior to attending Shrewsbury, was a member of the Jesuit High School Football Championship team in Oregon.
Erik Schiferle, 6-2, 200, Getzville, N.Y. (Canisius)
Won the 2009 New York State Rowing Championships and placed third at Scholastic Nationals … rowed for the 2008 USA Junior Development Team and is also a power lifter.
Kyle Schmidt, 6-0, 185, Sarasota, Fla. (Pine View)
Captained the Sarasota Crew for two years … holds the Florida State High School 500-meter erg record and rowed for the USA Junior National team in 2008 at the Junior World Championships in the coxed four.
Noah Whitehead, 6-1, 175, Shaker Heights, Ohio (Hawken)
Established a rowing club at Hawken in order to row the single scull competitively and earned a berth at Scholastic Nationals … was also the captain of the Hawken soccer team.
Charles Wu, 6-2, 195, Shrewsbury, Mass. (Shrewsbury HS)
Won the Quinsigamond Cup for the first time in Shrewsbury history … rowed for the 2008 USA Junior Development Team … served as the rowing team captain and as class president at Shrewsbury.
Stone Cao, Sam Collins, Michael Donohue, Steve Evans, Philip Fletcher, Ryan Jones, Perry Nickerson, Erik Schiferle, Kyle Schmidt, Noah Whitehead and Charles Wu have all made commitments to join the Lions this fall.
"This is a very fast and deep recruiting class," head heavyweight coach and director of rowing Mike Zimmer said. "We are excited to bring them together as a freshman class to train hard and work to contribute at the level of the varsity rowers at Columbia."
To bring in such a high quality class, Zimmer and assistant coach Jon Douglas recruited nationwide, as well as internationally.
"This year, we continued to build relationships with schools such as Malvern Prep and Philips Exeter, where we have had success," Douglas remarked. "We also looked overseas for potential and found three great prospects. Our Henley trip last year gave Columbia great international exposure."
With the heavyweight rowing program having so much success in recent years, the process of selecting recruits to bolster the program has been exciting.
“High school rowers see that it is possible to get an Ivy League education and row at the highest collegiate level, all while living in New York City,” said Zimmer. “This is a unique opportunity only available at Columbia University. We recruit student-athletes with the passion for racing, the drive to train hard, and excitement for the Columbia education. That is the foundation of Columbia heavyweight rowing.”
Zimmer goes on to say, “While we certainly look for speed and power in our recruiting, more importantly, we seek team players that mesh with our team culture and will be committed to each other and the Columbia program. We are very proud of the class we have selected and we are confident they will excel here at Columbia.”
A high level of achievement is evident within the class. Schmidt and Collins are both Junior National Team rowers for their respective countries, while Jones and Fletcher are candidates for the United States and British Junior National Teams this summer. Wu and Schiferle both rowed for the U.S. Development Team, and Donohue has won numerous championship titles. All incoming rowers are leaders; seven of them were team captains and Wu was also class president.
The incoming heavyweight rowers -
Stone Cao, 5-10, 110, North Grafton, Mass. (Noble & Greenough)
Coxed for Noble & Greenough varsity rowing … coxed four to a bronze medal at the 2009 NEIRA and received the Taylor Shield for most improved oarsman … also coxed for the Boston Rowing Club in the summer of 2008.
Sam Collins, 6-5, 207, Perth, Australia (Trinity College HS, Australia)
Won the Head of the River in the Varsity 8 as a junior and captained the Trinity rowing team as a senior … set the Trinity College 2K erg record at the age of 16 and will be rowing for the Australian Junior National Team this summer in the coxed four at the Junior World Championships.
Michael Donohue, 6-4, 185, Malvern, Pa. (Malvern Prep)
Stroked the Malvern Varsity quad to one USRowing Youth Invitational, two Philadelphia City, two Stotesbury, and two SRAA titles … holds the Malvern erg records for all distances; 2k, 6k, 30 minutes and 60 minutes … served as captain as a senior, earned team MVP and sportsmanship awards, and was the commencement speaker at Malvern graduation.
Steve Evans, 6-2, 210, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Upper St. Clair)
Captained his team as a senior … has rowed in the Upper St. Clair Varsity coxed four since his sophomore year.
Phillip Fletcher, 6-2, 190, London, England (St. Edwards School, England)
Rowed in the St. Edwards Varsity 8 at Henley in three consecutive years … was an honorary sports scholar at St. Edwards and his team was a National Schools Regatta finalist … will be attending the upcoming final trials to compete for selection to the 2009 Great Britain Junior National Team.
Ryan Jones, 6-7, 200, Mount Vernon, N.H. (Phillips Exeter)
Won the NEIRA in the Varsity eight in 2008 … will be attending selection camp for the 2009 U.S. Junior National Team … also played varsity water polo.
Perry Nickerson, 6-4, 185, Portland, Ore. (Shrewsbury, England)
Captained the Shrewsbury rowing team as a senior … won the 2008 Head of the River and National Schools Regatta … prior to attending Shrewsbury, was a member of the Jesuit High School Football Championship team in Oregon.
Erik Schiferle, 6-2, 200, Getzville, N.Y. (Canisius)
Won the 2009 New York State Rowing Championships and placed third at Scholastic Nationals … rowed for the 2008 USA Junior Development Team and is also a power lifter.
Kyle Schmidt, 6-0, 185, Sarasota, Fla. (Pine View)
Captained the Sarasota Crew for two years … holds the Florida State High School 500-meter erg record and rowed for the USA Junior National team in 2008 at the Junior World Championships in the coxed four.
Noah Whitehead, 6-1, 175, Shaker Heights, Ohio (Hawken)
Established a rowing club at Hawken in order to row the single scull competitively and earned a berth at Scholastic Nationals … was also the captain of the Hawken soccer team.
Charles Wu, 6-2, 195, Shrewsbury, Mass. (Shrewsbury HS)
Won the Quinsigamond Cup for the first time in Shrewsbury history … rowed for the 2008 USA Junior Development Team … served as the rowing team captain and as class president at Shrewsbury.
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