SAN DIEGO — San Diego men's rowing has added 15 athletes to its 2023-2024 roster, as announced by head coach Bart Thompson on Wednesday afternoon.

"To say we're excited about this group would be an understatement," said Thompson. "We feel that the individuals in this class possess the right mix of high-level character, high-achieving academics, and high-performance speed to help our program take its next step forward towards becoming a championship-level program."

The group features 13 rowers and two coxswains, hailing from 10 different states.

"Coach Hinkle and I talk about how our official visits go so well in large part due to the generosity of time from our current scholar-athletes, who embody the 'Culture of Care' that we speak about so often," Thompson added, emphasizing that the recruitment of such a large class was a department-wide effort. "Similarly, the active presence of Assistant Director for Scholar Athlete Development JoAnn Vallese, Graduate Assistant Athletic Performance Coach Tyler Wilson, Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Administration Dan Yourg and Associate Vice President/Executive Director of Athletics Bill McGillis. All of these individuals have taken time out of their schedules to make themselves available during our visits, and we're very grateful for that."



SAN DIEGO MEN'S ROWING - FALL 2023 NEWCOMERS

Alex Roberts - Solana Beach, CA (Orange Coast College)
From Coach Thompson: "Alex's time in OCC's Varsity Eight this past year (including some stroking) speaks to his meteoric rise in our sport since starting two years ago. He's a very fluid, smooth rower. He's also worked hard academically to put himself in a position to attend USD."

Blake Luehrman - Fort Myers, FL (Sarasota Crew)
From Coach Thompson: "Blake excels in so many areas that we value. He is an excellent student, has a tremendous level of team-first commitment (as evidenced by his 75-mile drive to practice in high school), and is a genuine person of high character."

Chase Ural - Mill Valley, CA (Marin Rowing Association)
From Coach Thompson: "On his visit, Chase was perhaps the most engaged, warm recruit in my launch, which really stuck out. He's a joy to speak with, but beyond that he's also a very talented and resilient rower who had a good amount of success in some fast boats at Marin."

Colin Mulkerrins - San Francisco, CA (Saint Ignatius High School)
From Coach Thompson: "Colin (like former SI teammate and current Torero, Rex Bales) played football for four years in high school, and that comes through in his toughness. He has the athletic upside to grow into a great collegiate rower."

Dawson Hein - Seattle, WA (Mount Baker Crew)
From Coach Thompson: "Dawson is both a quality person (he wrote thank-you notes after each visit) and a fearless rower—I love the way he attacked his erg pieces last year. He's stroked the Mount Baker crew to success this spring, and that experience will help him at the collegiate level as well."

Gabe Cirker - Port Washington, NY (Port Rowing/IMG Academy)
From Coach Thompson: "Gabe has all the tools you'd want in a rower. His performance in rowing and running shows the kind of aerobic athlete he is, and his tall frame helps as well. Beyond that, he's one of the most engaging, positive, and driven young men we've met this year."

Gable Krich - San Diego, CA (Cathedral Catholic High School)
From Coach Thompson: "Gable comes from a program in Cathedral that produces high-character people (Sean Van de Grift, Aidan Andrzejewski, Michael Muncey). He is a hard worker (both on the water and in the classroom) and a standout person, which is exactly what we look for."

Henry Michaud - Montclair, NJ (Saint Peter's Preparatory School)
From Coach Thompson: "I'll never forget Henry's reply when I asked about some mid-year challenges his team was having. He was upbeat, determined, and resilient. Those leadership qualities helped him guide his team to a banner year, and they'll help us as a program too."

James Grauley - Lookout Mountain, TN (McCallie School)
From Coach Thompson: "We see James as someone who could be a foundational piece of what we're building as a program. That is in part due to his athletic frame, rowing speed and technical ability, but even more so it's due to the quality of his character as a person."

Jonah McDonnell - Clermont, FL (Lake County Rowing Association)
From Coach Thompson: "Jonah is whip-smart and a natural leader, both great qualities to have as a coxswain. He was a cornerstone member of his program, and we believe he has the potential to have the same impact at the collegiate level."

Nick Lee - Chesterfield, MO (St. Louis Rowing Club)
From Coach Thompson: "Even in recruitment I was able to sense Nick's tenacity and his receptivity to feedback, both of which are great traits to have. He's also a quality student and person, and we can't wait to see him coxing our crews at USD."

Onno van Baaren - Portland, OR (Rose City Rowing Club)
From Coach Thompson: "Onno has a soft-spoken, relaxed nature that makes him easy to be around as a teammate. His experience, skill, and high-quality physical frame are going to help him be a strong addition to this program."

Spencer Niemann - Kailua, HI (Ikaika Rowing)
From Coach Thompson: "Spencer's time as an international-level paddler (combined with his tall, athletic frame and a high-quality erg score for that he pulled within a month of starting rowing) made it clear that he has the tools to excel in our sport. Plus, he fits the ethos of our team as a person."

Stephen Sayler - Bremerton, WA (Clam Island Rowing)
From Coach Thompson: "Stephen is a genuinely thoughtful and good-hearted young man. Beyond that, though, he's also an incredibly hard worker who's grown exponentially through lots of training and hard-nosed effort on his own in the single."

Ty Koran - Dallas, TX (Dallas United Crew)
From Coach Thompson: "Ty spent much of high school balancing training for both football and rowing simultaneously, which is impressive and speaks to his committed mindset. With his big, tall frame he has so much upside in our sport and could develop into a tremendous collegiate oarsman."