Five Fordham Rowers Named CRCA Scholar-Athletes

CRCA Scholar-Athlete Release
 
Bronx, N.Y. – Five Fordham University student-athletes were named 2015 CRCA Scholar-Athletes, the association announced last week. Earning the honor for the Rams were Nicole Arrato, Leslie Fung, Maura O'Donnell, Caitlin Sershon, and Tecla Di Francesco.
 
Fordham led all Atlantic 10 schools with five honorees, followed by Dayton and Rhode Island who each had four.
 
Arrato, a senior Psychology major from Oxford, Conn., earned her second straight CRCA Scholar-Athlete award. She is a four-year member of the women's rowing team and a two-time selection to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic team. Arrato competed in the Rams' top boat all four years, including serving in the varsity 8 this season, grabbing bronze at the 2015 Kerr Cup and third in the petite final at the 2015 Dad Vails.
 
Di Francesco, a senior from Sydney, Australia, who majored in Psychology, earned her second consecutive CRCA Scholar-Athlete award. She was a member of the club 4 boat that not only won gold at the 2014 Head of the Charles but did so in course-record time. Di Franciesco also was a member of the varsity 8 this year, a boat that took third in the Kerr Cup, placed second in the petite final at the Atlantic 10 Championship and was third in the petite finals at the Dad Vail Championships.
 
Fung, a sophomore from Seattle, Washington, who is majoring in Finance, competed with the second varsity 8 this year, helping the boat to gold at the 2014 Fall Metropolitan Championships, bronze at the 2015 Kerr Cup and a win in the petite finals at the Atlantic 10 Championships.
 
O'Donnell, a sophomore from Holland, Pennsylvania, rowed with the varsity 8 in 2014-2015, helping the shell to a third place showing at the 2015 Kerr Cup, a third finish in the petite final at the 2015 Dad Vails and a second place showing in the petite finals at the Atlantic 10 Championships.
 
Sershon, a senior Chemistry major from Chicago, served as a coxswain this year, guiding the club 4 boat to a gold medal at the 2014 Head of the Charles. She also led the varsity 8 to gold at the 2014 Fall Metropolitan Championships, the varsity 4 to a fifth-place finish at the 2015 Kerr Cup and the second varsity 8 to a win in the petite final at the Atlantic 10 Championships.
 
To be eligible for consideration as a CRCA Scholar-Athlete, all rowers must be in their second, third or fourth year of eligibility and maintain a grade point average of at least 3.5 while also competing in at least 75 percent of the team's spring season.