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1999-2000
Delaware Women's Rowing Outlook
The University of Delaware women's rowing team
was a competitive group in its first season as a
varsity program in 1998-99.
The Blue Hens competed in six spring events,
culminated by a strong showing at the prestigious
Dad Vail Regatta where Delaware placed third
overall, winning the Varsity Lightweight Eights
competition.
Heady accomplishments for a first-year varsity
program.
But Blue Hen head coach Amanda Kukla expects
even better things to come in 1999-2000.
"We have a very competitive team this year and
that creates a hard-working team," said second-year
coach Kukla, the former Amanda Wemple who was
married this past summer. "It makes my job that
much harder to select the top athletes, but we
haven't had that in a while. We are a very young
team composed mainly of sophomores and juniors, but
I expect big things from this group. The fall will
have some tough competitions for us and will show
us where we stand. We need to keep improving during
the fall and winter in order to have a fast
spring."
Kukla returns five letterwinners to this year's
squad led by juniors Gayle Dornan, Amanda
Duley, and Karen Hommer, senior
co-captain Jenn O'Keefe, and junior Gail
Orem. Junior co-captain Whitney McCormick
is also a key returnee.
McCormick was part of the winning Varsity
Lightweight Eight at the Dad Vail Regatta along
with 1999-2000 returnees senior Nicole
Belsole, O'Keefe, and Orem.
The Blue Hens will begin the fall exhibition
season Oct. 9 at the Navy Day Regatta in
Philadelphia and will also be competing at the Head
of the Charles Regatta in Boston, and Head of the
Schuylkill, Frostbite Regatta, and Braxton Regatta
at Philadelphia.
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