OCU’s McNichols Invited to Under 23 National Team Rowing Camp

For Drew McNichols, an invitation to the USRowing Under 23 Camp is an opportunity of a lifetime.

“As a freshman I remember my coach, Tempe Knopp, telling us the development standard for 2k and 6k times for the U23 team,” said McNichols. “Back then I never imagined I’d be competing for a spot on the U23 team to go to worlds.”

McNichols literally stumbled across rowing when he was in high school. The Fall Creek, Oregon native was on a cross-country training run past Dexter Lake when he happened to see kids on the dock, getting ready for rowing practice.

“I walked down for a closer look and the coach had me get in his launch,” he recalls. “The next day I was in a boat.”

The sport proved a natural fit for McNichols, whose competitive spirit drives him both on and off the water. McNichols just finished his junior year at OCU, earning several accolades, including an award for Outstanding Economics Major from the Meinder’s School of Business and a nomination for the Jim Wade Award, which honors student athletes who best represent the Stars, both for the 2009-2010 academic year.

“Through this camp I hope to be exposed to a higher level of competition so I can bring that back to my OCU teammates, making us all more competitive next fall,” McNichols said.

With his senior year at OCU approaching, McNichols is considering the next step in his rowing career.

“Now that there is a USRowing High Performance Training Center on the Oklahoma River, I can apply to train right here in OKC. There are many steps I need to take to be a candidate for this program, and making the U23 team would definitely help.”

McNichols’ recent success at USRowing’s National Team Selection/Speed Order Regatta, where he and partner Edgar Boitmanis placed second in the Men’s Double event, is one of those steps.

“I’ve come a long way since my freshman year at OCU, when I flipped 9 times over two semesters. Growing up working with my brothers as ranch hands on my father’s ranch instilled a work ethic in me that I have to credit for all my success. It’s what brought me to my new goal: to make the U23 team and compete at worlds.”