UCSD women’s crew is saying sayonara to nine excellent athletes who are paddling off into the sunset after years of dedication and inspired performances as members of the squad.
Chief among these athletes is team captain Heather Beckham, who has held the leadership position for the last two years.
Beckham was a four-year rower who really brought a lot to Triton crew. She was the stroke for the lightweight squad, where she contributed stellar boat performances and an outstanding leadership persona that helped the team garner many top finishes and gained her nominations for rowing’s All-American Division II Team as well as for Athlete of the Year.
Beckham was, in fact, so respected that her teammates went to great lengths to establish an award in her honor. The appropriately titled Heather Beckham Award is given to the outgoing senior who has best exemplified the team’s perseverance, diligence and pursuit of excellence throughout her career at UCSD.
Coach Patti Pinkerton elaborates, “”[Beckham] was a great captain, and she performed well at a very key position for us. She was loved and well-respected by all of her teammates and was just a main contributor for us during her time here.””
Teammate Julie Snyder is another Triton athlete who has taken to the boat for the last time in the team’s beloved blue and gold uniforms.
Snyder was the only other four-year senior on crew and made a huge impact during that time. She was a crucial component of the team’s championship lightweight crew, where her ability in the water was only overshadowed by the way she led the squad.
Her skills and leadership ability were good enough to secure the team a seventh ranking nationwide. One of her crowning achievements came when she was named as a Collegiate Rowing Coaching Association National Athlete Scholar.
Carrie Blemker is the third Triton crew member who is bidding adieu after a solid career. She has been getting it done for UCSD crew for two years and will be missed when the boats are launched next season. She was a member of the championship-winning lightweight four boat as well as part of the lightweight eight.
Her commitment and achievements were vital to the program’s success the last two years.
Jamie Cooper is another second-year rower who made an impact for the Tritons and who will not be around next year. She was a member of the lightweight eight crew as well as a reserve on the lightweight four.
Her performance shined particularly bright at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, where she stepped in for an injured Beckham to successfully lead the team. This fine performance, among others, was enough to garner her the Heart and Hustle team award, which is given to those who give 110 percent day in and day out.
Jessica Jocius, who will be graduating this fall, was a member of the varsity eight and a reserve on the four. She was a second-year rower who found success in the Triton boats. She too was a recipient of the Heart and Hustle award.
Amanda Hawkins was a first-year rower, joining the team in her senior year and helping UCSD to a gold medal in the novice four race at the WIRA Championships. She was also a key contributor when that same boat picked up a silver at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships.
Amelyn Ho is a second-year rower who will be leaving behind her UCSD oars come the end of the school year. She was a member of the novice eight boat that picked up a bronze medal at the WIRA Championships and one at the Pacific Coast Finals.
Rebecca Rodriguez is a first-year rower who sat in the varsity lightweight eight boat that picked up the silver at the WIRA Championships and the bronze at the Pacific Coast Finals. She was also awarded the Heart and Hustle award this year.
Last, but not least, is Christian Ness, a first-year team member who was both a coxswain and a lightweight rower, and who will soon be a UCSD graduate. She was a member of the lightweight eight squad that won the bronze medal as well as an exemplary student. Her composure and athletic ability will be missed by the UCSD’s women’s crew program.
“”The girls that came in as seniors really helped us to build our program,”” Pinkerton said. “”We have over 50 rowers and are getting stronger because of these girls. They really showed a lot of leadership and helped out the younger girls.””
According to Pinkerton, the athletes who have been here for two years also meant a lot to the program.
“”The girls that came in and competed for two years were also great,”” she said. “”They really stepped up in that time and put our program on the map nationally.””
Though they have to go, Pinkerton will truly miss her graduating charges.
“”All of these girls brought a lot to the program,”” Pinkerton said. “”We will all be sorry to see them go.””
