NEWARK, DE -- University of Delaware women’s rowing head coach Laura Slice has announced the signing of four high school recruits who will attend the University this fall and compete for the Blue Hens during the 2006-07 season.

The four new recruits are Lindsay Ferzoco, Avery Griffin, Arielle Katz, and Ashley Pazdalski. The four join Jess Brooks (East Lyme, CT), who committed to attend the University of Delaware back in January, in the Blue Hens’ recruiting class.

"We are very excited to have these women joining our team this fall,” said Slice, who will begin her fourth season at the helm of the Blue Hens this season after leading the team to the unofficial Colonial Athletic Association team title twice in the last three years. “We look forward to their contributions to the novice and varsity squads."

Ferzoco, a 5-10 native of Marion, MA, attended and rowed for Tabor Academy for two seasons. She has competed at the Head of the Charles Regatta as well as assisted her team in reclaiming the Simsbury-Tabor Cup. She also assisted her team in a successful finish at the New England Interscholastic Regatta this past season. She intends to major in business at Delaware.

Griffin, a coxswain from Fayetteville, NY, has competed for the Syracuse Chargers and for Fayetteville-Manlius High School over the last three years. She led her team to the 2004 state championship in the Second Novice Eights and was named the meet’s "Most Motivational Coxswain". She has also competed in the Stotesbury Regatta and the Canadian Royal Henley.

Katz, a 5-9 native of Cherry Hill, NJ, attended Cherry Hill East High School and rowed one year for the South Jersey Rowing Club. She assisted her team in a successful finish at the North East Regional Regatta this past spring. She plans to major in biology.

Pazdalski, a 5-2 coxswain from Timonium, MD, competed at Notre Dame High School and also was a member of the Baltimore Rowing Club for three years. She helped her crews earn numerous first place finishes during her career. She intends to major in pre-veterinary science at Delaware.