May 26, 2005

Navy's Shaunnah Wark (Exeter, N.H.) and Kathleen Mortenson (Jr., Arlington, Va.) have been recognized as National Scholar-Athletes by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association, it was announced this week by the CRCA. This is the second-straight year Wark and Mortenson have received this honor.

A total of 25 student-athletes in the Mid-Atlantic Region and 142 from across the country garnered the honor. To be eligible, rowers and coxswains must be of at least sophomore standing with a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade-point average through the end of the 2004 fall semester and participate in at least 75-percent of the season's races in the varsity boat.

A systems engineering major, Wark recorded a 4.0 grade-point average in both semesters of her senior year -- the second and third 4.0 terms of her academic career -- to raise her cumulative GPA to 3.79. She will graduate Friday ranked 45th in her class and will be commissioned as an ensign (surface warfare officer) in the Navy.

Mortenson also is ranked 45th in her class and carries a 3.7 cumulative GPA. The mechanical engineering major has been named to the Naval Academy's Superintendent's List in five of her six semesters.

Wark served as the coxswain for Navy's varsity boat in every race this spring, while Mortenson rowed in three different seats on the boat. The duo helped Navy's varsity boat win the inaugural Patriot League Championship by 21 seconds and place 10th at the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges Championship. The 10th-place showing was Navy's highest by the varsity boat in the nine years Navy has been competing at the Eastern Sprints.

CRCA National Scholar-Athletes -- Mid-Atlantic Region Representatives
Jane Hornickel, Colgate; Lane Kohl, Delaware; Laura Beaufort, Delaware;
Jessica Raymond, Fairfield; Brittany Teahan, Fairfield; Maureen
Sullivan, Fairfield; Christine Anglace, Fairfield; Krista Barney,
Fordham; Jennifer Roussill, Fordham; Catherine Gariepy, Massachusetts;
Hannah Brewster, Massachusetts; Gabrielle Papineau, Massachusetts;
Kristina Ferraro, Massachusetts; Shaunnah Wark, Navy, Kathleen
Mortenson, Navy; Amy Bircszk, Rutgers; Lauren Kolb, Rutgers; Karen
Cornell, Rutgers; Jen Woschinko, Rutgers; Anna Goodale, Syracuse;
Catherine Henny, Syracuse; Elene McDermott, Villanova; Taylor Malloy,
Villanova; Beverly Wilson, Villanova; Christina Baumgardner, Villanova;
Kristen Stegeland, Villanova; Joanna Weber, Villanova