Crew's Lock, Coach Spillane Honored By NIRC, 21 Named to All-Academic Team

WELLESLEY, Mass. – The National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC) announced the recipients of the regatta's postseason awards this week and Wellesley College Head Coach Tessa Spillane was selected as the NIRC Women's Coach of the Year. In addition, senior Loren Lock (Fond du Lac, Wis.) was named to the 2016 All-Stewards Team, while also joining 20 of her teammates as an NIRC All-Academic Selection. 

Spillane was recognition by her peers after leading the Blue to victories in the Second Varsity Eight and Novice Eight at both the New England Rowing Championships and the NIRC this spring. Spillane also help guide the Blue to their seventh consecutive NCAA Division III Championship appearance by capturing the squad's sixth consecutive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) title in April.

A 2015 National All-American, Lock was named to the All-Stewards Team. Coaches nominate one student-athlete per program for additional recognition as a member of the NIRC All-Stewards Team. This recognition is left to the discretion of each institution's coach to provide another level of recognition for a deserving member of their program. This award goes to captains, outstanding oarsmen and women, team leaders or other key contributors of their respective program. 

Lock was joined on the NIRC All-Academic team by 20 of her teammates. For a student-athlete to be recognized to the NIRC All-Academic Team they must have completed one full-year at their institution (first years and first year transfers are not eligible), maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.35 and be recognized as a varsity letter winner. In all, 378 student-athletes were recognized to the NIRC All-Academic team with another 32 named to the 2016 NIRC All-Stewards Team. For a complete list of the Blue's All-Academic honorees, see below. 

Wellesley College NIRC All-Academic Honorees:

Alessandra Zaldivar-Giuffredi
Alexi Block-Gorman
Alexis Lowe
Anna Hakes
Annie Schnitzer
Charlotte Weiss
Emily Ahn
Ginger Simms
Grace Howland
Hannah Barton
Kathryn Barth
Laura Bancroft
Lauren Bazley
Loren Lock
Meg Roberts
Molly Hoyer
Nina McKee
Olivia Thayer
Sahar Ibrahim
Stephanie Kim
Sydney Stento

To view the release on usrowing.org, click here.