OU Leads Nation With 14 CRCA Scholar-Athletes

May 23, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. - The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) named 14 Sooners National Scholar-Athletes on Monday, placing Oklahoma as the nation's leader with the 14 selections. In addition to the academic honors, Rebecca Staff was named to the South All-Region First Team and Nikki Furmanek was named to the South All-Region Second Team.Staff and Furmanek were members of the varsity eight that went undefeated against Big 12 competition during the regular season. Staff was selected as the Big 12 "Rower of the Year" and was named to the Big 12 and C-USA All-Conference Teams. Furmanek earned the Conference USA "Rower of the Year" award and also earned All-Conference Team honors in the Big 12 and Conference USA. This marks Staff's second year in a row to be named to the South All-Conference First Team. Furmanek earned South All-Region honors in 2010.

Prior to this season, Oklahoma had a total of 15 CRCA National Scholar-Athletes, nearly doubling that number in 2012. Last season, the Sooners had a total of 10 earning the National Scholar-Athlete award and one South All-Region selection.

In order to receive the National Scholar-Athlete award, athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher through the fall semester/quarter for the current competition year, must be in at least their second year of elgibility, must have competed in a minimum of 75 percent of the races or in a regional conference event and the head coach must be in good standing wtih CRCA.

CRCA Scholar Athletes

Name	Class	Major	Hometown
Elizabeth Biggs	So.	Energy Management	Tulsa, Okla.
Nicole Bladow	Sr.	International Studies/Spanish	Norman, Okla.
Ivy Brown	Sr.	Health & Exercise Science	Norman, Okla.
Kristin Clift	So.	Zoology	Anadarko, Okla.
Samantha Fahed	Sr.	Human Relations	Longwood, Fla.
Nicole Furmanek	Sr.	Elementary Education	Belleville, Ill.
Ally Gray	Sr.	Adult & Higher Education	Valrico, Fla.
Brooke Holleman	Jr.	Environmental Sustainability/International Business	Edmond, Okla.
Katie Klassen	So.	Health & Exercise Science	Niagara on the Lake, Ontario
Marilyn Kozlowski	So.	Health & Exercise Science	Norman, Okla.
Maureen Lewis	Sr.	Zoology	El Reno, Okla.
Kelsey O'Grady	Jr.	Anthropology	Ada, Okla.
Carly Schueler	Jr.	Zoology	Pittsburg, Pa.
Brooke Sheppard	Sr.	Finance/ Human Resource Management	Lawton, Okla.