Elsa LeStage '23 Recruiting Profile

I just finished my first season as a competitive rower. I joined the Neponset Rowing Club in December 2021 and participated in the winter training program 5 days/week. This was a combination of weight training and aerobic conditioning with a heavy focus on the erg. I rowed the complete spring regatta season in the girl's novice 4 with 4 other novices. I was also the only novice selected to row in the girl's second varsity 8 for one race. Our novice 4 finished first in our division in the Mayor's Cup Regatta hosted by Tufts University. We had the third-fastest time on the water, which included both varsity and novice 4s.

I have been a 3-sport athlete for most of my life: field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. When I learned late last fall that my varsity basketball coach at Milton Academy would no longer be coaching, I decided to switch to rowing. A number of people in my family, including my father (Trinity, Oxford), have been rowers, so I had long considered doing it myself. I also thought my height and weight could be an advantage as a lightweight.

Because Milton Academy does not have a rowing program, I decided to build one within the Neponset Rowing Club so that we could compete. I was given permission to do this, so I recruited 3 other girls from my school to make up the novice 4.

I have found that I'm well suited to the sport's intense and motivational culture and to the fact that it's the ultimate team sport, which I really like. This is why I've decided to row in college. I'm focused on continuing to drop my 2K score and have already started my focused summer training program.