Be an OCU Champion and Join the Champions Club

Join the OCU coaching staff and becomes members of the Champions Club.

The Champions Club recently launched its 2009-2010 membership drive. The goal of the drive is to raise awareness about the Champions Club and increase membership in order to raise money for the OCU varsity athletic teams.

When OCU supporters become Champions Club members, they become more than just a fan of the program; they become part of the Oklahoma City University Athletics experience and tradition. The Champions Club tailors to each donor's interests and comfort levels. Donors can designate their money to specific programs, teams or projects- all of which ultimately benefit the student-athletes of Oklahoma City University.

Contributions to the Champions Club, which are tax-deductible, enrich the student-athlete experience at OCU by funding scholarships, facilities, equipment, team travel, and all the other tools that help student-athletes succeed on and off the field (or water!!).

"Champions Clubs members are critical to the success of OCU Athletics," said OCU Athletic Director Jim Abbott. "We're greatly appreciate of all forms of support, and I ask anyone with an interest in OCU Athletics to join the Champions Club. Any contribution will make a positive impact on our programs and our student-athletes." No donation is too small.

How do you join? Download the Champions Club brochure. Select Men's or Women's Rowing. Designate your favorite OCU Rower. Drop the form and payment in the mail. All money who donate to a specific rower will off-set their fundraising goals for the year ($300/semester or $500/year).

http://www.ocusports.com/documents/2009/11/12/2009-10_Champions_Club_Booklet.pdf?id=87

Coach Knopp joins OCU on the water for 1st Annual Club Day

The OCU Men's, Women's and Novice teams were joined on the water today by Chesapeake Boathouse Masters & Juniors and OU Club rowers for the 1st Annual Club Day on the Oklahoma River. OCU's Rowing Program Director/Head Coach also joined in the fun, racing down 2k, turning around 3 buoys, and racing back. No coxswains were harmed in the day's festivities, even though the OCU crews raced to several first-place finishes in their event categories. GO OCU!

OCU Rowers and Parents Recognized at Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation Volunteer Recognition Dinner

There were 7 OCU Rowers and 4 OCU Rowing parents recognized for outstanding contributions to the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation and Cheasapeake Boathouse for the 2009 calendar year at a reception on Friday, November 20th. Please extend a big thank you and congratulations to: Kyle Adair, Megan Duffy, Nick Hagen, Dinah Harjo, Jimmy von Peters, Jakob Thomasen, Katie Sondag, Joe Hill, Patrick Hurley, Kayla Hurley and Sally Riesenberg for making the OKC Rowing community a success.

OCU Men Bring Home Hardware from Head of the Hooch

The men's team raced to three first, three second and two third place finishes this weekend at the Head of the Hooch, the second largest regatta in the country. Set on the Tennessee River, the 5k/3.1 mile race course through downtwon Chattanooga welcomed more than 1500 crews with high school, collegiate and masters rowers racing over the two day weekend.

In the Men's Quad (4x), Jimmy von Peters, Edgars Boitmanis, and Drew McNichols teamed up with Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation rower, Hugh Tullos to capture gold while teammates, Josh Steenburgh, Matt Mahon, John Riesenberg and Brice Heinen took bronze in the same event.

Boitmanis and von Peters brought home another gold in the Men's Championship Double (2x) with McNichols and OKCBF's Tullos taking silver. Boitmanis and von Peters also took silver and bronze in the Men's Championship Single (1x).

Mahon teamed up with Nick Hagen to take silver in the Men's Pair (2-) while the eight members of the men's squad led by coxswain Jacob Fox took gold in the Men's Open Eight (8+).

A special thank you to Matt Mahon's parents, Kathleen and Pat, for making the drive from St. Louis to support the team. OCU had its own special fan club as almost a dozen members of the von Peters family came to the banks of the Tennessee River to cheer on Jimmy and his fellow Stars!

OCU Women Take Two Silvers at Nation’s 2nd Largest Regatta, Head of the Hooch

Jane Imfeld and Kathryn Schiro took silver in the Women's Championship Double (2x). Imfeld also took silver in the Women's Lightweight Single (1x). The women also raced top-level DI programs from the southeast and central states in the Championship Eights (8+), Championship Fours (4+) and Open Pairs (2-) and took on elite level scullers in the Championship Single (1x). All women performed well after enduring a 15 hour bus ride from Oklahoma City to Chattanooga, TN Thursday night.

Thanks to Cindie Meyer for making the trek from Norman, Oklahoma; and Julia Branch and Joe Hill from Alabama for showing up at every regatta to support the OCU Rowers with food and good cheer!

Coxswain Throw

Traditionally, when a crew wins a race they also earn the honor to throw their coxswain in the water at the conclusion of the regatta. Not only did the OCU Men's Championship 8+ win in Wichita, they tied the course record. Pictured below is Jacob Fox, before, during and after his watery reward!

OCU Rocks Wichita

The Rowing Team roared down the 1.7 mile race course at Sunday’s Frostbite Regatta.

The Men's team won gold in the eight, quad, single and double; silver in the single, pair, and double and bronze in the four and double. The Men's 8 also tied the official course record of 7:34 set in 2002 by Marietta College in the same event.

OCU’s Women’s Rowing Team dominated small boats at the Frostbite, winning gold in the pair, double and single and a silver in the single.

The OCU Novice team also joined in the fun, racing in the Women's Novice four, the Men's Open quad and the Mixed eight events, showing improvements from their racing debut at the Boot of the Oklahoma.

Great day at the races, rowers! Let's rest up for the Hooch!