Northampton, Mass. – Fourteen members of the Smith College rowing team have been recognized by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) as 2025 CRCA Scholar-Athletes, honoring their exceptional achievements in the classroom and on the water.

To earn the prestigious award, student-athletes must be in at least their second year of eligibility, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, and compete in a minimum of 75% of their team's spring races in an NCAA-eligible boat or at their conference championship. This year's national honorees averaged a GPA above 3.75, with over 60 achieving a perfect 4.0.

Smith's 2025 CRCA Scholar-Athletes span a wide range of disciplines, reflecting the program's commitment to academic excellence across all areas of study:

• Zeynep Akdora (Dallas, TX/Highland Park) – Chemistry

• Riley Amos (Palo Alto, CA/Palo Alto) – Physics and Astronomy

• Kathleen Bacigalupi (Saint Paul, MN/Highland Park) – Statistical and Data Sciences

• Julia Beyer (Ardmore, Pa./Friends' Central School) – Latin American Studies

• Anna Boden (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) – Computer Science

• Eleri Flanigan (Centennial, CO/Cherry Creek) – Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

• Leigh Howland (Atlanta, GA/Maynard Jackson) – Government

• Rayna Rose (Brookline, MA/Brookline) – Environmental Science & Policy

• Greta Stekl (Amherst, MA/Amherst Regional) – Psychology

• Louisa Varni (San Mateo, CA/Aragon) – English

• Bess von der Heydt (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights) – Quantitative Economics

• Sox Whitin (Fleming Island, FL/Fleming Island) – Mathematical Statistics & Geobiology

• Jackie Wiechmann (Washington DC/Jackson-Reed) – Biology

• Ruby Williams (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) – Art History

"These scholar-athletes exemplify the discipline, work ethic, and give-and-take it takes to succeed at the highest level," said Marnie Stahl, CRCA Executive Director. "Their achievements reflect the best of collegiate athletics."

Smith Head Coach Clare Doyle added:
"Congratulations to the 14 members of our team who have earned CRCA Scholar-Athlete honors! This is an impressive group and I have seen first-hand how dedicated they are to both their academic and athletic pursuits. I am grateful to work with such a driven group of student-athletes!"

Smith Rowing continues to set the standard for balancing academic rigor with athletic excellence. Congratulations to all 14 Pioneers on this well-deserved national recognition.

For the full list of 2025 CRCA Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, visit crcarow.org.

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log onto SmithPioneers.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram,