Elena Gutowski '21 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Elena Gutowski, 

I am currently a 17-year-old senior at West Morris Mendham HighSchool, As well as a Varsity Mens coxswain for Mountain Lakes Rowing Club/Row New Jersey. I joined Mountain Lakes Rowing Club in March of 2018. On the side, I have been a volunteer at Holly Manor Nursing Home since 2014, racking up over 40 volunteer hours. From 2014-2018 I ran track and cross country for Mendham Magic, Mendham High School, and captained my team at Mendham Township Middle School. After rowing for two seasons and developing abilities to row both port and starboard, I became a Mens coxswain in September of 2018 and found my passion in the 9th seat. I aspire to become a coxswain in college because I believe that I could bring my all to the team every day, and learn what makes each of the rowers tick in order to help them achieve their personal goals. I describe myself as a responsible, intense, and inclusive teammate on and off of the water, and I am willing to go to any lengths in order to push a boat to its maximum potential. 

In addition, on October 29th of 2019, I attended the annual Head of The Charles Regatta in my club's second varsity boat. On June 5th I coxed the Men's u17 4+ during the National u17 Championships, ending the season with a dominant victory and national title.

I am different from other recruits due to my versatility, and a large span of abilities in the rowing community. As a coxswain, and previous rower on both sides with some sculling abilities, I am able to relate to the rowers on my team; having endured many of the same grueling ergometer pieces, and water practices. I believe that being able to see my practices through the eyes of a rower helps me to understand ways to make practices run smoothly.