High Point Rower Commits to Oklahoma

High Point Rowing Club’s Katie Ognovich has made a verbal commitment to row for the University of Oklahoma, head coach Gene Kininmonth has announced. Ognovich has been offered a full-ride scholarship to row for the Oklahoma Sooners.

“I am so excited to study and row at the University of Oklahoma,” says Ognovich. “I looked at some great colleges but the opportunities Oklahoma offers to their athletes and especially their rowers is what makes this decision right for me. I can’t wait to spend my next four years at such an amazing University and with such a competitive Division I rowing program.”

Under NCAA rules, university athletic departments cannot legally sign female high school rowers to a National Letter of Intent until November 13th but athletes can make a verbal commitment to the college of their choice at any time prior to this date.

A senior at Greensboro Day School, Ognovich entered the fall season as one of the most prized rowing prospects in the nation. In the summer, Ognovich won gold against Canada and Mexico on board the United States’ junior women’s eight crew at the 2013 CanAmMex Regatta. The victory was the first international class win for Ognovich, who is only the second rower in history from the Triad to make a United States rowing team. She follows Caroline Lind, the two-time gold medalist in the USA women’s eight at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

Ognovich was selected to Team USA following a standout performance at a three week USA High Performance Camp in Connecticut, where she led the squad in fitness testing with an erg score of 7 minutes 11 seconds. The time is currently the best of any high school senior in the country.

“We are so pleased for Katie and her family. She has an incredible collegiate rowing career in her future,” says High Point coach Gene Kininmonth.

High Point Rowing Club is only a year old and Kininmonth says Katie’s success is proof of just how powerful the scholarship opportunities are for female students with rowing experience. “Women’s rowing is the sport selected by hundreds of university athletic departments as the counter sport to men’s football. Colleges want female rowers and there are more places on college teams for female rowers than there are high school rowers to fill them right now,” Kininmonth says. “This is the greatest educational opportunity outside of the classroom for girls in High Point.”

Katie Ognovich has been offered a full ride scholarship to row at the University of Oklahoma.
Katie Ognovich has been offered a full ride scholarship to row at the University of Oklahoma.