ERAU and Rollins Share 2023 SSC Boat of the Year Honors, Pistor Selected Coach of the Year
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Varsity Eight and Rollins College's Varsity Four have are the 2023 Sunshine State Conference Boats of the Year, while Shawn Pistor of Rollins collects Coach of the Year accolades. Voting for Boat of the Year and Coach of the Year is conducted among the conference's women's rowing coaches. It marks the second time in SSC history that two boats share the award.
SSC Rowing All-Conference History: All-SSC Teams | Boats & Coaches of the Year
This year's Varsity Eight becomes the second boat from Embry-Riddle and the first Eagles' Varsity Eight to win Boat of the Year. ERAU's V8 claimed victories this season at the Dad Vail and SSC Championships and duels against Rollins and Barry. The Eagles' best time in 2023 came at the SSC regatta (6:48.8), while the second-fastest time was during a second-place performance at the FIRA Championship (6.53.3). ERAU rowing currently holds the No. 4 ranking from the CRCA and will compete in the upcoming NCAA Regatta.
The Varsity Four becomes the first from Rollins' rowing program to win SSC Boat of the Year. The V4 won the Rollins Invitational with a season-best time of 7:58.7. Rollins' V4 also had a second-place effort at the Tars Regatta and third-place finishes at the FIRA and SSC Championships. Additionally, the Tars' Varsity Four finished sixth place at the Dad Vail.
Pistor is selected as Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, with his first honor in coming in 2014. Highlights from Rollins' 2023 season include a first-place overall finish at FIRA, with a JV8 win, and second-place efforts by the Novice 4, Lightweight 4, and JV4. Under Pistor's leadership, the Tars' V8 reached the SIRA Grand Final for the first time in five years and won bronze at the Dad Vail. Pistor remains the only Rollins skipper named SSC Coach of the Year.
Boat of the Year: Embry-Riddle Varsity Eight
Boat of the Year: Rollins Varsity Four
Coach of the Year: Shawn Pistor, Rollins
The All-SSC Rowing Team was named following the completion of the Sunshine State Conference Regatta on April 28th. Earning a spot on the team were:
Megan Byrne, Embry-Riddle^
Shelby Ernst, Embry-Riddle*
Kendra Sander, Embry-Riddle
Sofia Lorenzini, Embry-Riddle^
Charlotte Armstrong, Barry
Kyla Pullen, Barry
Jessica Mason, Tampa
Francesca Morgan-Tomascik, Rollins
^ All-SSC team 2022
* Freshman/Novice team 2021
An All-Freshman/Novice Team was also announced following the SSC Regatta. Those athletes are:
Soleil Edwards, Embry-Riddle
Saniya Monfiston, Barry
Olivia Prelog, Rollins
Paige Rockwood, Tampa