Completed Event: Rowing versus Head of the Oklahoma on October 4, 2025
Final
Rowing
vs Head of the Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Rowing to Hold Tryout- No Experience Needed
August 03, 2015 | Rowing
| Opportunities to Meet the Team | |
|---|---|
| Aug. 21 | Freshman Involvement Fair |
| Aug. 25-Sept. 1 | Student Union |
| Aug. 27-28 | South Oval |
| Sept. 1 | Informational Meeting |
NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma women's rowing team is looking for OU female students interesting in trying out to become a Division I athlete.
All prospective walk-ons are encouraged to attend an informational meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The meeting will be held on the third level of the Chesapeake Club in Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, located on the east side of the stadium (enter near gate 10).
Rowing tryouts are open to all full-time female students enrolled at the University of Oklahoma. No prior experience is required.
The squad will hold novice tryouts Sept. 14-19 where prospective rowers will be taught the basics of rowing and will be evaluated on athletic ability and attitude. OU novice coach Emma Gresson said anyone who is competitive and willing to work hard is encouraged to go through the tryout process. It is typical for as many as 50 athletes to be selected for the novice team.
In most collegiate sports, elite athletes are recruited by coaches and rosters are formed months in advance, but rowing is different. Every collegiate rowing program in the country hosts a large group of walk-ons, also called novices, who are new to the sport to join the team's recruited athletes.
Rowers across the country have gone from being walk-ons with no previous experience to Big 12 champions, NCAA champions and even Olympic champions. Of the 20 members of the 2012 US Olympic rowing team, 10 were walk-ons in college with no rowing experience.
Every year, walk-on athletes become crucial to our success as a rowing program. Being a Division I athlete at Oklahoma is a wonderful experience for college women to have, and rowing creates an instant community for incoming students.
Novice Coach Emma Gresson
In just their eighth season as a program, the Sooners have built a nationally renowned tradition. This year, the team will travel around the country to different regattas, but the season is highlighted by the Big 12 Rowing Championships held each year in Oak Ridge, Tenn. OU has collected two Big 12 championships and two Conference USA championships en route to back-to-back NCAA Championships appearances in 2013 and 2014.
The program's quick success spurred OU to create an on-campus practice facility for the team located southwest of Lloyd Noble Center. The facility houses a state-of-the-art, 16-seat "moving water" rowing tank, a 2,740-square-foot workout area, sports medicine and hydrotherapy room, team room and a locker room, in addition to office and meeting spaces.
"Every year, walk-on athletes become crucial to our success as a rowing program," Gresson said. "Being a Division I athlete at Oklahoma is a wonderful experience for college women to have, and rowing creates an instant community for incoming students. We are very excited for tryouts so we can work with the athletes who will become part of our OU rowing family."
For more information on becoming a Division I athlete at the University of Oklahoma, prospective rowers can contact Coach Gresson at ejgresson@ou.edu or at (405) 250-8158. A list of frequently asked questions and additional rowing information can be found here.
For additional news and behind-the-scenes action on the Sooners, follow them on Twitter at @OU_Rowing, Instagram at OU_Rowing or online here.
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