CHICAGO (November 11, 2011) — If the fall season has been any indication, the traditional spring rowing season should be one of, if not the strongest the North Park women's rowing team has ever had.

North Park finished its non-traditional fall campaign with strong finishes by the varsity and novice boats in all  three events in which they competed. But coach Allison Koubsky is looking forward to size as the team's biggest strength come March.

“We have the potential to have the largest recruiting class in the history of the rowing program in the spring,” third-year head coach Koubsky said. “What's more impressive is that all our athletes made extraordinary strides in their fitness and should come back in early January in even better shape.”

North Park closed out the 2011 season by capturing medals in three of its four races in the Quad Cities Classic and the Head of the Rock Regatta. Prior to that performance, the Vikings opened the year with a second-place finish at their own North Shore Challenge in Skokie, Illl., finishing behind NCAA Division I Northwestern University by less than a second.

“It was also the first time in our program's history that we fielded four novice four-boats,” Koubsky said. “We're definitely going to be one of the teams to watch come spring time.”

North Park will begin preseason workouts in mid-January, then will compete in its first event in early March.

Contact: Kevin Shepke, Sports Information