George Washington University Athletics
Rowing Student-Athletes Take Part in First Commencement of 2010
5/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
May 17, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC - A dozen members of GW's men's and women's rowing teams were the first student-athletes to have a graduation ceremony May 12 in the grand ballroom of the Marvin Center.
The senior rowers competed in the prestigious Eastern Sprints while 6,400 of their classmates had their commencement Sunday on the National Mall.
In a packed ballroom, GW Marshal Jill Kasle presided over the ceremony with University President Steven Knapp delivering the charge to the graduates.
Women's team captain and Atlantic 10 first team All-Conference rower Ellen VanCleave and men's team captain and MVP Dominic Abruzzese gave the commencement addresses.
Head rowing coaches Eric Carcich and Mark Davis delivered remarks.
Graduating senior Matthew Beck sang the National Anthem to begin the ceremony and sang the Alma Mater at the close. The GW Trombone Choir provided the music for the ceremony.
President Knapp called the graduating seniors, "a truly outstanding group of student-athletes" and added, "I charge you all to keep the curiosity."
Head women's rowing coach Carcich thanked his seniors "for redefining one word - drive." He said that after spending the year with his seniors they "have the drive not to be good, but to be great."
The graduates, in alphabetical order, are: Dominic Abruzzese, Curtis Batts, Robert Berns, Karel Bryukhanov, Tom Caruso, Stephanie DeFlora, Jim Gallagher, Max Greenblum, Katie Martin, Carrie Rollman, Lia Simeone and Ellen VanCleave.
