University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Duo Honored By CRCA
June 03, 2003 | Women's Crew
June 3, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. -- Two members of the University of Massachusetts women's crew team, senior Megan Mastropolo (Old Tappan, N.J.) and junior Katie O'Brien (Shrewsbury, Mass.), have been selected to both the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Mid-Atlantic All-Region team and the organization's Mid-Atlantic Scholar-Athlete team.
O'Brien earned first team All-Region honors, while Mastropolo, the coxswain of the UMass varsity eight boat, was a second team selection for the second consecutive year. The duo helped the Minutewomen to gold medals at the Atlantic 10 Championships, as well as both the Dad Vail and Avaya Regattas.
The All-Region teams are designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of female rowers and coxswains during the current season. The nomination criteria includes meeting eligibility rules as defined by her institution, participating in at least 75% of the season's races in the varsity boat, and the student-athlete's Head Coach must be a member in good standing of the CRCA. A maximum of four student-athletes per institution may be honored.
From the list of nominees, a maximum of 12 rowers and one coxswain may be named to the first and second team from each region. Members of the All-Region teams are selected by CRCA head coaches based on the nominee's team record, strength of schedule, nomination rank, coaches comments and 2,000-meter ergometer score.
The All-America first and second teams will be selected by the Regional Chairpersons from the rowers who have received All-Region first team honors. Those honors will be recognized at a later date.
Mastropolo and O'Brien were also named to the CRCA's Mid-Atlantic Region Scholar-Athlete team for the second consecutive season, too. Mastropolo, a two-time academic All-Atlantic 10 selection, owns a 3.70 cumulative grade point average in Hotel, Restaurant & Travel Administration. O'Brien, who earned her first academic All-Conference honor in 2003, is a 3.68 student in Management.
The CRCA's Scholar-Athlete award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of female rowers and coxswains during the current season. The criteria for the academic award is the same as that for the group's All-Region teams with the additional requirement that the student-athlete have a 3.5 cumulative gpa or higher through the fall semester of the current season.
Coach Jim Dietz' 2003 team captured its eighth consecutive A-10 title, and his varsity eight finished the season ranked as the nation's 23rd-best boat in the final US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I varsity eight coaches poll.