Schneider Earns CRCA All-America Honors
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (May 25, 2010) – Mount Holyoke College junior Cleo Schneider was recently selected to the 2010 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Division III Pocock All-America Second Team. She was the fifth Lyon in program history to receive All-America recognition. A total of 18 individuals received the award, which honors the outstanding performances of rowers and coxswains at NCAA Division III institutions.
Pocock All-Americans are selected by way of a vote by the coaches of the CRCA. Prior to Schneider, Ashley Didion ’08 was selected to the Second Team in 2008, and Lauren Mayne ’06 earned Second Team accolades in 2006. Laura Valente ’06 (First Team) and Mary Gerard ’06 (Second Team) were each honored in 2005.
Schneider was instrumental in leading Mount Holyoke’s varsity eight boat to a first place finish in the Petite Finals of its division at the New England Rowing Championships this spring. The Lyons ranked seventh overall and fourth among NCAA Division III competitors.
One week later, Schneider helped her team to a fourth place finish in the Petite Finals at the ECAC National Invitational Collegiate Regatta. She was named to the ECAC All-Conference Team as a result of her performance at the event.
Schneider was also selected to the NEWMAC All-Conference Team after leading Mount Holyoke’s varsity eight boat to a fourth place finish in its race at the NEWMAC Championships.
In the fall, Schneider helped the varsity eight boat to a gold medal at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta.
“Cleo was the driving force of this year’s team,” said longtime head coach Jeanne Friedman. “She has an infectious and positive ‘can do’ spirit and single handedly took our team to a new level and expectation of excellence. She is a hammer – everything is done to the max, and she draws anyone near her into that level of effort. What she lacks in size, she more than makes up for in effort and the desire she instills in her teammates. She made her boat fly and took no excuses for anything less than getting better each day. She is a leader on and off the water. She is selfless in nature – a true team player and will be a captain next year.”
2010 CRCA Division III Pocock All-America First Team
Kaitlin Ahl – Ithaca College
Hilary Andrus – Willamette University
Ardath Dickson – Trinity College
Julia Haltermann – Williams College
Eloise LaChance – St. Lawrence University
Karolyn Milton – University of Mary Washington
Sarah Moody – University of Puget Sound
Kate Spelman – Wellesley College
Rebecca Waldo – Bates College
2010 CRCA Division III Pocock All-America Second Team
Liz Bratton – Marietta College
Abigail DiPalma – William Smith College
Ashley Garza – Mills College
Gabriela Kubik – Smith College
Kerin Murphy – Ithaca College
Christina Peltier – Vassar College
Cleo Schneider – Mount Holyoke College
Rebecca Schofield – Wesleyan University
Kate Shaper – Williams College