Jun 11, 2007
Rich rows to center of national winners circle with Yale
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Rich switched: A lax player until injured, Amanda Rich took up rowing, and then took it all the way
For Darien High School graduate Amanda Rich (DHS Class of 2003), May 27 was no ordinary day.
Because it's not every day that you win a national title.
As a member of the first varsity eight for Yale University, she joined her team in celebrating Yale's first ever NCAA rowing victory.
With a time of 6:37.08, Rich’s boat completed the 2000-meter course a mere two seconds less than Ohio State University. It was that close.
The championship was held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee at Melton Hill Lake, May 25-27.
Rich (Yale 2007) was originally recruited to Yale for lacrosse and served as captain of
Darien High School's varsity lacrosse team her senior year.
“Amanda was a great leader and very strong physically,” Darien girls lacrosse coach Lisa Lindley said. “If she had not gotten injured, I'm sure she would have done quite well at Yale lacrosse. I was sorry to see that she had to give it up.”
Despite Rich's great love for the sport, she was forced to quit due to an injury during her sophomore year at Yale. One week before the season started, she suffered a stress fracture to her femur. Unable to run, she began to look for other sports to try.
“When I applied to Yale, I told them that I was up for anything in terms of athletics,” Rich said. “The crew coach had already contacted me, so my first instinct was to try out rowing.”
Having never rowed before, she walked on to the team in the fall of her junior year. She started out as a boat filler — essentially second string — but quickly began to work her way to the top.
There's more. The full story of Amanda Rich's rowing exploits of '07 will be featured in the June 21 issue of The Darien Times.
Emily Schloss is a Times Sports intern.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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