The Clemson rowing team recently commenced its 2019-20 season, with the Tigers competing in their first fall event at the Secret City Head Race. A rowing event in Oak Ridge, Tenn., the Secret City Head Race marked the beginning of a Clemson rowing season that boasts plenty of promise. Last season, Clemson capped off the 2018-19 slate by finishing in fourth place at the ACC Championships, which was the program’s highest finish at the conference meet in several years. Moreover, the Tigers’ second varsity eight (2V8) boat placed third in its grand finale for the first top-three finish at the ACC Championships by a Clemson boat since 2015.
Clemson boasts a well-rounded lineup of boats, thanks in large part to its deep roster. While rowing embodies the concept of a team sport like no other NCAA-sponsored event, there are still several standout individual performers who have the Tigers positioned to make a mark in the ACC. These impact rowers are some of head coach Stephen Frazier Wong’s most reliable rowers and are expected to accomplish great feats this season.
The most accomplished and vital rower on Clemson’s roster is Aliute Udoka. A staple of Clemson’s first varsity eight (1V8) boat, which is the most important boast based on competition point totals, Udoka earned Second Team All-ACC honors in the spring. Now a senior, Udoka is assuredly looking to make more positive waves before her superb collegiate career comes to an end. Udoka is a native of Greensboro, N.C., and has been a key component of Clemson’s rowing efforts for the past few seasons. As a result of her tremendous showing last season, Udoka won the Lucy Doolittle Rower of the Year Award at Clemson’s team banquet in May for inspiring her teammates through her hard work and rowing excellence.
Another integral member of Clemson’s 1V8 squad is senior Maura Chozick. In addition to her rowing prowess, Chozick, who majors in special education, excels in the classroom, as she was named a CRCA National Scholar Athlete earlier this year. Chozick hails from Byram, N.J., where she starred in lacrosse and soccer in high school before translating that diverse array of athleticism into a fantastic rowing career in Tigertown. The Tigers’ 1V8 boat took home fourth place at ACCs this past season, which is rather impressive in the top-heavy ACC, and Chozick was a major reason for this success.
Like Chozick, senior Makenna Farr received CRCA National Scholar Athlete honors earlier this year. In fact, Farr, who is from nearby Greer, S.C., has been named a CRCA National Scholar Athlete two years in a row. Farr is a nursing major and is one of the rowing team’s most vocal leaders. Farr was the captain of her high school’s swim team, which won the state championship while Farr held the captaincy, and she should be considered the de facto captain of the Clemson rowing team this season. Rowing alongside Chozick and Udoka on Clemson’s 1V8 boat, Farr has made a significant impact through her leadership ability and unwavering determination. It came as no surprise when Farr won the Lisa Reid Most Inspirational Award at May’s team banquet, as she consistently inspires and motivates her teammates.
While there are definitely many more impactful rowers in Clemson’s 2019-20 lineup, Udoka, Chozick and Farr are the veterans leading the way for the Tigers in a season teeming with promise at Clemson’s Lake Hartwell boathouse. Wong has done an excellent job during his Clemson tenure, which began in 2014, of crafting a tight-knit program composed of dedicated rowers who have bought into the team’s vision. The solid careers put together by the three aforementioned seniors serve as proof of that, and the accolades regularly attained by an abundance of Clemson’s rowers in competition, in the classroom and in the community represent what Clemson rowing is all about. Although choppy waters are a regular obstacle for rowing teams, smooth sailing seemingly lies ahead for the Tigers as they embark on their 2019-20 journey, with veteran leadership set to calm any storm that may stand in the Tigers’ way.
