VILLANOVA, Pa. -

Since Villanova Rowing's inception in 1978, the women of the Villanova University Women's Rowing team have worked together to achieve greatness in both sport, and personal growth. The opportunities provided by the rowing team have shaped the lives of hundreds of student-athletes over the years, maturing the rowers into strong, powerful, and confident women. Backed by loyal alumni, coaches, and administrators, the team continues to excel. Head Coach Carissa Adams is in her second year at Villanova, and believes that the sport of rowing continuously shapes her student-athletes.

Briggs and Morgan Mroz, Emily Lenane, and Hailey Hurteau are all members of the first varsity eight. While they are in the same boat, they all found rowing for varied reasons and each have a unique perspective on the sport, team, and impact on their personal lives.

Briggs Mroz:

"I row because I like the challenge. Rowing is a combination of physical exertion and mental focus. The sport is unique in the sense that it relies on not just one good rower, but everyone in the boat has to work together and be in sync in order for good results." Briggs enjoys the power and confidence gained while rowing. She adds, "Working together for the long hours of practice fosters an environment which supports building strong bonds with my teammates. Their support helps me to achieve more than I thought I was capable of."

Briggs believes that her most notable accomplishment so far in her rowing career was placing third in the varsity eight at last year's CAA Conference Championship. "The medal proved that we are resilient. We had faced a lot of unexpected setbacks through the season, however, the boat was able to come together and pull through. That experience relates to my life because it concluded an amazing year on a high note. The race taught me it's never really over until you cross the finish line, so no matter what life throws at me, I can overcome it."

Morgan Mroz:

"I love a challenge." All rowers are constantly in pursuit of the perfect stroke; the most efficient balance of power and rhythm. Morgan challenges herself consistently on and off the water, and pushes others around her to do the same. "Rowing is the ultimate individual sport, yet at the same time the ultimate team sport. Our personal movements should be perfect down to a centimeter. We have to work hard to fight each other for a limited number of seats in a boat. Once we make it, we have to put that [competition] all aside and move as one. I row because all of this creates a competitive, rewarding bond with people that are working just as hard as you".

Morgan, a pre-med major, feels her greatest achievement is her dedication to the team. The demands of both pre-med and rowing schedules can be daunting. Morgan finds confidence in her ability excel both athletically and academically. She states, "I am very proud of what I handle academically as well as the success I have had in the boat. The greatest achievement is really what I have learned through the process of pushing myself to my breaking point every day, both physically and academically."

Coach Adams has worked with Briggs and Morgan since she arrived on campus their Sophomore year. Now Juniors, the twin sisters have been mainstays in Villanova's top boat. "I have really appreciated their knowledge of the sport and their ability to mentor the inexperienced rowers. Although they are twins, each one brings a different element to our varsity eight", says Coach Adams. "Morgan has a unique intensity and commitment to the sport that is unyielding. Briggs brings a spirit to the team that often can help lighten the mood in our competitive environment. I have been able to work on various aspects of their stroke and mental training to help them become more confident and stable contributors to the team. Their combined efforts create a solid force in our squad. They have been a joy to coach."

When the Mroz sisters arrived on campus as freshmen, they earned seats in the top boat, rowing alongside a group of seniors who had been working together for several years. "A lot was expected from us from day one. This experience, though at times difficult to deal with, in the long run made me the focused driven rower that I am today. As a freshman, I was held to a standard and it has been ingrained in me that I have the potential to be fast and I am the only one that is holding myself back," states Morgan.

Briggs also felt the pressure of being put in the top boat as a freshman, but it has helped shape who she is today. "My freshman year I was in a boat primarily made up of seniors. It was very nerve racking coming in and directly being placed in a boat of people I looked up to. Lauren, the captain at the time, taught me a good lesson that year; that winners aren't made on the water, but are actually made in all the other decisions you have outside of practice." Since then, Briggs continues to work hard both on and off the water to meet the expectations of herself, her coaches, her teammates, and the oarswomen who came before her.

Emily Lenane:

Senior Captain Emily Lenane walked onto the team as a freshman with no rowing experience. She felt fortunate to be a part of a freshman boat that experienced a lot of success her first year on the team. She had fun and enjoyed the sport, but faced some challenges her sophomore year. "I hit a rough patch and it was at times a disappointing year for me. Then junior year, under the guidance of a new coach (Carissa Adams), my role shifted and suddenly I was stroking the varsity eight for the first few weeks of the spring." Emily found stroking the varsity a challenge; she wanted to do a good job for her teammates and especially for her new coach. Emily thought Coach Carissa was putting too much faith in her, "I thought I wasn't good enough and didn't deserve that seat, but I was also proud that she thought I was the best choice and wanted to live up to her expectations." Emily tried to suppress her nerves and stay calm throughout the season. "I think I've become a lot more confident over the last year, on and off the water. Rowing has played a huge role in the development of my self-confidence and I'm very grateful for that." Emily confessed that there have been moments where she wanted to and has even tried to quit, but she's so happy she didn't. In just a few years, Emily has fallen in love with rowing, "it's hard to explain exactly why, but I think it's a really awesome sport in that it requires physical and mental strength and really forces you to push your limits."

Coach Adams describes Emily as a "silent force" on the team, who leads by example. Her persistent drive paid off this spring, when Emily broke the school record for the 2000 meter ergometer test. Emily consistently exceeds expectations and helps those around her do so as well.

Hailey Hurteau:

Hailey, a sophomore, also joined the team as a walk-on freshman with no rowing experience. Her athleticism, coupled with lots of hard work and persistence, allowed her to earn a seat in the varsity boat that took third at the 2016 CAA Championship. Now a sophomore, Hailey has matured into a seasoned varsity rower. Her positive attitude is infectious. She has become a mentor and serves as an example for new walk-on rowers. "This [3^rd at CAAs] is probably not only my biggest rowing achievement, but so far the biggest achievement of my life. I would have never imagined this in my wildest dreams." When she first walked on in the fall of the last year, she was just genuinely happy to be a part of the team. "I wanted to be like the women in the varsity eight, and a few months later, I was rowing in San Diego with them. The confidence this gave me not only in rowing, but in life is priceless. I now try to give 110% for every new opportunity I get because you never know where it may take you," Hailey explained.

Driven by her teammates, Hailey shares, "I have never met such a wonderful group of diverse individuals who share the same intense drive and passion for something." The rowing team practices at five in the morning, outside, sometimes even in the freezing rain. "They are the ones who motivate me to get up every morning and give it my all; my teammates are my inspiration." She continues, "Coach Carissa's transformation of the program is making us into stronger women both in and out of the boat. I am very thankful for her dedication and her belief in us." Carissa states, "It has been really exciting watching Hailey's growth over the past two seasons. Her approach to training has matured significantly from last season and I look forward to watching her continue to grow as an athlete and strong woman."

Villanovans have always been known for their sense of community, and the women of Villanova Rowing fully embrace their rowing community. They leverage their dedicated and empowering rowing family to better themselves both individually, and as a team. This family extends beyond the current team. Along the river's edge stand hundreds of graduated rowers, parents, coaches, former coaches, and friends. Being an oarswoman at Villanova carries the responsibility of representing this incredible community and university. While the team has experienced renewed success and record breaking times recently, the true success isn't quantifiable, and can't be found in the race results or the record books. The success of this team is carried within the soul of each teammate, and it isn't left behind at graduation. The success of this team can be found anywhere there is a strong, confident, and empowered Villanova Rower.