The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Rowing lands five on CRCA All-America First Team
06.07.2024 | Rowing
All five guided the First Eight to an undefeated 2024 season that included NCAA and Big 12 championships.
AUSTIN, Texas – Fresh off the program's third NCAA Championship, Texas Rowing had five student-athletes selected to the College Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-America First Team on Friday. Etta Carpender, Anna Jensen, Carly Legenzowski, Lanie Nitsch and Marg Van der Wal earned spots on the CRCA All-America First Team.
Behind their dominance throughout the 2024 season, Texas Rowing secured its third national title in the last four years and the program's ninth consecutive Big 12 crown under head coach Dave O'Neill. All five were part of a Texas I Eight that went undefeated during the 2024 campaign.
Carpender earned All-American status for the first time in her career after a sensational 2024 season with the First Eight, capturing the national crown and Big 12 title at the five-seat.
Jensen, the 2024 Big 12 Rower of the Year, caps a historic Longhorn career with her third All-American honor after being named to the first team in 2023 and 2022. Jensen joins Longhorn Greats Gia Doonan, Emily Froehlich and Kate Knifton as three-time first-team honorees. The Midland, Mich., product rowed at the six-seat in the First Eight victory at the national championship, winning with a time of 6:09.920.
Legenzowski collected her first career All-America selection after coxing the First Varsity Eight to victory at the national championship. She also coxed the First Eight to a win at the Big 12 Conference Championship.
Nitsch, earning her first career All-American accolade, rowed at the seven-seat in the First Varsity Eight victory at the national championship. The McAllen, Texas, product also rowed at the seven-seat in the First Eight's victory at the Big 12 Championship, clocking in with a final time of 6:08.714.
Van der Wal burst onto the national scene during her sophomore season to file her first All-America selection. The Groningen, Netherlands, native rowed at the four-seat in the I Eight national championship.
Each year, the coaches of the CRCA recognize the outstanding student-athletes in each NCAA Division (I, II and III). Student-athletes must have rowed in at least 75-percent of the team's races in the varsity boat. All-America athletes are selected from those athletes previously named first-team all-region. Criteria for selection include: boat performance, nomination rank, coach's comments, individual achievements and individual two-kilometer ergometer score.
Players Mentioned
