Giancola's USRowing BioBOSTON -- The 2015 U.S. Pan American Games roster has been set, pending approval from the United States Olympic Committee, USRowing announced on May 22. Twenty-six athletes, among them Northeastern alumna Sarah Giancola, will represent the United States in 14 crews at the 2015 Pan American Games July 10-26, in St. Catharines, outside of Toronto, Canada.
Giancola will row in the bow seat in the lightweight women's double sculls, as well as the bow seat for the women's quadruple sculls. To earn a spot on the team, Giancola won the LW2x at the 2015 Pan American Games Trails, as well as the W4x at the 2014 Senior I World Championships.
This marks Giancola's third stint on the U.S. National Team, and first Pan American games. The Buffalo, New York native previously competed with the Under-23 National Team in 2012 and the U.S. National Team in 2014. Last year at the World Rowing Championships, Giancola finished seventh in the lightweight quadruple sculls in Amsterdam. narrowly missing an appearance in the A final after finishing third in both the heat and the repechage. The Americans left little doubt in the B final, however, cruising to an easy victory of nearly 12-seconds over Mexico and nearly 15-seconds over the Czech Republic.
Giancola, who sat three seat in the quad, excelled at Northeastern, rowing in one of the fastest varsity eights Henderson Boathouse has ever known. Head coach
Joe Wilhelm recalls the drive that has helped Giancola flourish on the international level.
"Despite her lightweight size, Sarah challenged herself to come to Northeastern where she had to compete against athletes far bigger than her," explains Wilhelm. "In her freshman and sophomore years, Sarah wanted to get involved in everything. She had all the physical tools to be an outstanding collegiate athlete, but lacked the single-minded focus to really excel until her junior year. Once she committed to her training, we really started to see her fiercely competitive nature surface. Despite her small stature, or maybe because of it, along with her 'no fear' attitude, she was elected captain in her senior year and rowed in one of our fastest varsity eights ever. That is when Sarah transformed into the committed athlete she is today and earned a seat in the lightweight U-23 quad in 2012 and the lightweight senior quad in 2014."
The Huskies stormed to three Colonial Athletic Association titles in Giancola's four years with the program. She was named All-CAA First Team as a senior, after sitting bow seat in the NU varsity eight that finished first at the CAA Championships and helped secure the overall team title.
Giancola rowed in the second varsity boat as a freshman and sat bow seat in that same boat as a sophomore. Despite battling injuries as a junior, she sat bow seat in the third varsity boat that captured bronze at the Eastern Sprints. Her perseverance and determination earned her a spot in the varsity boat as a senior.
"One of the most rewarding parts of being a collegiate coach is witnessing the maturation of athletes from their freshman to senior year," said Wilhelm. "Sarah is an athlete who made the most of the opportunities available to her, and has excelled at every level."
Held every four years in the year preceding the Olympic Games, the Pan American Games feature competition in 36 sports. More than 7,000 athletes from 41 nations across the Americas and Caribbean are expected to participate in 2015.
The United States will field crews in the men's and women's single sculls, lightweight women's single sculls, men's and women's double sculls, men's and women's lightweight double sculls, men's and women's pair, men's and women's quadruple sculls, men's four, lightweight men's four and men's eight.
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