When the University of Michigan announced plans to elevate a women's sport from club to varsity status in 1995, rowing caught the eye of of Athletic Department administrators. Michael Stevenson, Executive Associate Athletic Director, was involved in the choice. "We elevated women's rowing primarily because of the outstanding record the club had under the leadership of [head coach] Mark Rothstein," Stevenson explained. "With several other Big Ten institutions considering adding women's rowing, it also became a pratical matter from a competion point of view." And Michigan Rowing has represented Michigan well, winning an impressive four of the eight Big Ten Conference Championships.

But Michigan Rowing's success hardly has been limited to the Big Ten. As Kate MacKenzie, a rower who graduated in 1998 and competed on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team is proud to say, "in our first NCAA Championships, we placed fifth in the nation" -- in a sport that includes 87 NCAA Division 1 teams. In fact, in its eleven years, Michigan Rowing has qualified for the NCAA Championships nine times, placed in the top five teams in the nation seven times, and earned second place at the NCAA Championships in 2001. Since Michigan Rowing became a varsity sport, it never has fallen out of the Top 20-ranked teams in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association's weekly poll.

Michigan Rowers are successful because of their athleticism and also because of their attitude. That means training not only in the physical and mental dimensions of rowing, but also in other dimensions that contribute to the competitiveness of an elite program, including academic success, nutrition, leadership skills, time management, and effective collaboration in small and large groups. This holistic approach is summed up in Head Coach Mark Rothstein's goal for each and every woman who rows for Michigan. Rothstein, who sees himself as a coach and a teacher, explains, "We rigorously prepare to compete and win so we can challenge ourselves to do our best and learn from the ups and the downs of that process. Excelling competitively is important because of the access that preparing to win gives us to becoming stronger and more complete individuals."

Most of all, we are looking for motivated student-athletes who are willing to work hard in the classroom as well as in their training. Michigan is a very challenging environment academically and athletically. Those who want to be challenged will fit well in our program.

We do offer scholarships for top high school rowers and coxswains. Receiving a scholarship is very competitive and we typically are looking for athletes with solid rowing backgrounds and fast erg scores (typically under 7:20 for a 2K) who also are strong students with the ability to excel academically. Just as important as academic and athletic strength is attitude. We want athletes who will continue the tradition of excellence that has been created here at Michigan.

Rowing for Michigan is a year-round commitment. We expect Wolverine rowers to stay in good shape in the summer so that they are ready to go in the fall. We are on the water from early September until the middle of November, and from early March until the end of May. Fall training (September - November) primarily focuses on individual biomechanics (basic fundamentals and boat-moving skills), with customized training plans to address specific areas of development; small boat skills and development, including sculling; and strength, core, and flexibility work. Fall training also includes scrimmages with Big Ten programs and one head race. From mid-November through the end of February, our team trains indoors. Indoor training, for a maximum of eight hours per week (as per NCAA rules), comprises conditioning, skill development workouts, individual training with coaches, and strength training. We also go on two training trips to Tampa, Florida, one for about a week during the winter break between semesters and the other during spring break. Spring training (March - May) includes a highly competitive racing schedule against top-ranked programs in all five regions, including Big Ten, ACC, Ivy, and PAC-10 teams. A typical week of training when the team is on the water includes eleven workouts: six on the water, three on the ergometers, and two in the weight room. The University of Michigan's classes end in mid-April, which allows for two-a-day practices during "Camp Wolverine" training for Regionals and NCAA Championships.

On the Varsity Squad, 2K erg scores may range from the 6:40s to 7:40 or so. Typically, our top two eights will average around 7:05 for a 2K.

All recruited rowers and coxswains are given the chance to practice with the Varsity Squad as first-year student-athletes. Those rowers and coxswains who show potential to make one of our top three boats will remain on the Varsity Squad. Others have the option of rowing/coxswaining with the Novice Squad.