UCF Women's Rowing Program: A Comprehensive Overview

The UCF Women's Rowing team is a competitive and community-oriented organization with a rich history dating back to 1972. The team has achieved success at the national, regional, and state level. As they embark on the 2025 season, competing in the Big 12 Conference, it's an opportune time to delve into the program's structure, achievements, and aspirations.

Program Overview

The Central Florida Rowing team is known for producing successful results. The team's student-athletes excel in the classroom and volunteer with multiple organizations. The team strives to make a difference in the local community.

Leadership

At the helm of the UCF Knights Rowing team is Mara Allen, currently in her second season as Head Coach. Allen's background includes being a part of eight Big 12 titles and two NCAA Championships on the Texas Longhorns’ staff.

Allen expressed feeling "much more secure" in her role, emphasizing the importance of knowing her athletes and how they respond to her coaching. She believes that she underestimated how long it would really take to get to know people.

2024 Season Review

In Year 1 of the Big 12 and the Mara Allen Era, the Knights finished fourth at the Big 12 Conference Championship. They finished the highest out of all Big 12 teams that did not ultimately move to the SEC, even finishing just four points behind one of those schools in #19 Alabama. The 2nd Varsity Eight boat earned Big 12 Boat of the Week honors. While unable to get selected for the NCAA Tournament, UCF finished 2024 receiving votes in the POCOCK CRCA Poll, an improvement over not receiving any after the 2023 season.

Read also: The Legacy of UCLA Women's Rowing

2025 Season Outlook

With Texas and Oklahoma leaving the conference, the opportunity arises for a new team to claim the Big 12 crown for the first time since 2009. Allen stated, "It’s definitely our goal." She believes that the door is open for teams like Kansas, Tulsa, Old Dominion, and West Virginia.

Key Rowers to Watch

Several rowers are expected to play pivotal roles in the 2025 season:

Amalie Thorsen: A junior from Denmark, Thorsen is back after a 2024 season that saw her move from the First Varsity Four boat, where she rowed for a majority of the season, to the Second Varsity Eight boat for the Big 12 Championships, helping it to a third-place finish. Thorsen was also named to the 2025 For Stars Network Watch List.
Bridgitte Kappler: The South African returns for her sophomore season after earning the team’s Freshman of the Year honor in 2024. She earned her way onto the First Varsity Eight boat, a spot she held for the entire season, helping it to a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships.

Newcomers to Watch

Elisa Faiola: A transfer from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Faiola was named an all-conference first-teamer and a D3 CRCA All-American first-teamer.
Lucy Buckingham: Hailing from Luton, England, Buckingham enters her first season as a Knight as one of two rowers, alongside Thorsen, who were named to the For Stars Network’s Watch List.

Roster Breakdown

The 2025 UCF Rowing roster is composed of:

15 Freshman
17 Sophomores
10 Juniors
6 Seniors
2 Fifth Years/Grad Students
5 Walk-Ons
17 International Rowers (Denmark, Australia, Chile, South Africa, Canada, France, Spain, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Serbia and Finland)

The complete 2025 UCF Rowing Roster is as follows:

Alexa Konowal, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Philadelphia, Pa., UCF
Alexandra Meserino, Freshman, Coxswain, Carle Place, N.Y., Kellenberg Memorial HS
Alina Tasman, Junior, Port/Starboard, Titusville, Fla., UCF
Amalie Thorsen, Junior, Port/Starboard, Humlebaek, Denmark, UCF
Amber Tulloch, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Melbourne, Australia, UCF
Amira Marquez, Freshman, Port/Starboard, Iquique, Chile, Doral Academy
Angelina Hassan, Sophomore, Coxswain, Plano, Texas, UCF
Audrey Vilendrer, Junior, Coxswain, Inverness, Fla., UCF
Bella Montalvo, Senior, Port/Starboard, King of Prussia, Pa., UCF
Brigitte Kappler, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Johannesburg, South Africa, UCF
Brinn Marks*, Freshman, Port/Starboard, Apopka, Fla., One School of the Arts
Cate Maloney, Junior, Port/Starboard, Halifax, Nova Scotia, UCF
Claire Kaminski, Senior, Port/Starboard, Melbourne, Fla., UCF
Coralie Detre, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Dampmart, France, UCF
Deanna Jones, R-Freshman, Port/Starboard, Kansas City, Kan., Kansas City CC
Elisa Faiola, Fifth Year, Starboard, Auburn, N.Y., Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Eliza Shaffer*, Junior, Coxswain, Orlando, Fla., N/A
Elsa Cassellius, Senior, Coxswain, Bloomington, Minn., UCF
Hana Garey, Sophomore, Coxswain, Pompano Beach, Fla., UCF
Hannah Lovejoy, Junior, Port/Starboard, Marietta, Ohio, UCF
Ines Martin, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Barcelona, Spain, UCF
Izzy Bate, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Warrington, United Kingdom, UCF
Jasmeen Fajardo-Lopez, Senior, Port/Starboard, Pembroke Pines, Fla., UCF
Jennifer Durnall*, Freshman, Port/Starboard, Mohrsville, Pa., Great Valley HS
Julia Going, Senior, Coxswain, Cedarburg, Wisc., UCF
Karin Kudmani, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Windermere, Fla., UCF
Kendall Bovino*, Freshman, Port, Palm Coast, Fla., Flagler Palm Coast HS
Kesha Bruinette, Freshman, Port/Starboard, London, England, Streatham and Clapham HS
Landyn Williams, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Wesley Chapel, Fla., UCF
Leighann Franklin, Sophomore, Starboard, Corpus Christi, Texas, UCF
Lexi Sanchez, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Tampa, Fla., UCF
Lucy Buckingham, Freshman, Port, Luton, England, Millfield School
Luna Kuiper, Freshman, Port/Starboard, Haarlem, The Netherlands, Coornhert Lyceum
Madlen Markova, Fifth Year, Port, Sofia, Bulgaria, Tulsa
Maja Misljenovic, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Belgrade, Serbia, UCF
Makayla Baxley, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Ocala, Fla., UCF
Meagan Lukavec, Senior, Port/Starboard, Tampa, Fla., UCF
Morgan Northey, Freshman, Port/Starboard, Debary, Fla., University HS
Natasjia Voulanas, Junior, Port/Starboard, Melbourne, Australia, UCF
Reese Springer, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Tallahassee, Fla., UCF
Riley Vincent, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Mamaroneck, N.Y., Louisville
Sidney Norman, Freshman, Port, Melbourne, Fla., Satellite HS
Sofia Naboni Nevado, Freshman, Starboard, Almeria, Spain, Liceo Mediterraneo
Sofia Palacios, Freshman, Port/Starboard, Cincinnati, Ohio, Walnut Hills HS
Sofia Scott, Freshman, Port, Melbourne, Australia, Firbank Grammar School
Sophia Keller*, Junior, Port, Edgewater, Md., N/A
Sophia Tursi, Junior, Coxswain, McLean, Va., UCF
Veronica Rush, Junior, Port/Starboard, Leesburg, Va., UCF
Vianna Smith, Freshman, Coxswain, McLean, Va., Langley HS
Vilma Kangasmäki, Sophomore, Port/Starboard, Porvoo, Finland, UCF

2025 Schedule Breakdown

UCF will host two home regattas at Lake Pickett, serving as bookends for the regular season. First is Jacksonville on Mar. 14, while Miami (FL) will come to town for Senior Day on May 4.

In between, the Knights have a trio of regattas on the schedule, starting with a return to Sarasota on Mar. 28-29 for a preview of the Big 12 Championship venue.

The Rocky Top Invitational brings the Knights back to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which served as the location for the American Athletic Conference Rowing Championship from 2021-2024. Mara Allen will make her first return to Austin, Texas, since taking the helm in Orlando when she brings the Knights to the Longhorn Invitational.

The 2025 UCF Rowing Schedule includes:

Friday Mar. 14, Jacksonville, Lake Pickett
Friday Mar. 28-29, Sunshine State Invitational, Sarasota, FL
Friday-Saturday Apr. 4-5, Rocky Top Invitational, Oak Ridge, TN
Friday-Saturday Apr. 18-19, Longhorn Invitational, Austin, TX
Sunday May 4, Miami (FL), Lake Pickett

Big 12 Championship Victory

The UCF Knights achieved a significant milestone by claiming the Big 12 title. The day started with an exhibition race of the Third 4+ boats between UCF and Old Dominion. The Black and Gold set the tone for the rest of the race, topping the Monarch’s with a time of 07:50.026 to their 08:28.138, a 38-second lead.

To begin the point-qualifying boat races, the Third 8+ continued the momentum claiming first place with a 15.8-second advantage over the nearest boat. The Knights continued to dominate the competition as the Second 4+ crossed the line with plenty of open water to spare, claiming first place. UCF kept the pace in the First 4+ race, crossing the finish first with a time of 07:22.231. The first of two races remaining, the Second 8+ kept the pressure on all the crews in the race, finishing with a 16-second advantage over the next closest boat. The First 8+ finished the race claiming the last first-place victory for the Knights. The crew of nine recorded their best time all season at 06:22.086. The Black and Gold completed the race notching 84 points on the day.

Read also: Rules of D3 Women's Lacrosse

With the Big 12 title claimed, the Knights received an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

Walk-On Opportunities

The UCF Women's Rowing program provides opportunities for students to join the team as walk-ons. Tryouts will begin in the fall of 2025 on September 2, 2025. All are welcome to join, regardless of gender and experience!

The program seeks female athletes who are 5’9” or taller, love to work hard, have a competitive mindset, and are a great team player. For coxswains, they are looking for females who are 5’4” or shorter, competitive, incredibly organized, and enjoy helping others perform at their best. The current coxswain weight is 121lbs.

In the beginning of fall, you will practice three times a week.

To prepare for tryouts, it is recommended to workout and keep up your aerobic base by engaging in cardio activities such as running, biking, swimming.

The program emphasizes that it is normal to feel nervous about learning a new sport, but every year, they have athletes racing at the Big XII Championships who walked on to their team with no previous rowing experience. Also, 10 of the 27 athletes on the 2024 US Olympic Roster walked on to their collegiate rowing team!

Current team members are able to successfully balance both rowing and their wide variety of majors (including engineering, business, and arts). Athletes pay no dues or fees as a Division I athlete.

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