May 30, 2008

BERKELEY - Five members of the top-ranked California varsity eight earned spots on the 2008 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association West Region Teams and two Bears were named 2008 CRCA Scholar Athletes, the rowing body announced this week.

Four Bears - seniors Mara Allen and Candice Rediger, sophomore Taryn O'Connell and junior coxswain Krista Ellis - were named to the CRCA West Region first team, while junior co-captain Lou Kinder earned a place on the West Region second team.

Kinder is also a 2008 CRCA Scholar Athlete along with fellow Cal junior varsity eight rower Elena Humphreys, based on meeting the requirements and criteria below:

Requirements
• The student-athlete has met all eligibility rules as defined by her institution.
• The student-athlete was in her 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of eligibility.
• The student-athlete rowed in her institution's NCAA or IRA eligible boat(s) for a minimum of 75% of the current spring races or racing in a regional conference event.
• The Head Coach of the student-athletes institution was a member in good standing of the CRCA as of May 1, 2008.

Criteria
• The student-athlete has had a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher for her career (through the fall semester/quarter for the current competition year).

The Cal varsity eight next competes in the 8 a.m. semifinal on Saturday at the NCAAA Rowing Championships on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.