ORLANDO – UCF rowing head coach Mara Allen announced her first signing class Wednesday afternoon.
Allen’s inaugural recruiting class includes 15 student-athletes, including six international athletes hailing from The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria and Australia. Three athletes come from Florida (Melbourne, DeBary and Doral) while six athletes come from Kansas, New York, Ohio, Washington D.C. and Virginia.
“We are excited about the talent that will be joining us next season,” Allen said. “Our recruiting coordinator Marten Martensson and assistant coaches Lauren Roman and Sophie Carmosino did a great job identifying not only great athletes, but great people who will embrace what it means to be a Knight.”
The 2024 freshmen recruiting class includes several accomplished athletes, including Luna Kuiper, who competed for The Dutch National Team at the Junior World Rowing Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Two graduate transfers will join the team in the fall with Madlen Markova joining UCF from Tulsa and Elisa Faiola joining the Knights from William Smith.
Markova participated at the Junior World Championships twice for the Bulgarian National Team in 2017 and 2018 and the World Rowing Cup in 2019. Markova also competed at the European World Championships in 2020. Fiola was invited to the US Under-23 National Team Selection Camp beginning this summer.
Here are the 15 UCF additions:
| Name (Class) | Hometown | High School (Club) | Other Schools/National Teams |
|
Luna Kuiper (Fr.) |
Haarlem, The Netherlands | Coornhert Lyceum (Willem III Rowing Club) | Dutch National Team |
| Lucy Buckingham (Fr.) | Luton, United Kingdom | Millfield School | |
| Sofia Naboni Nevado (Fr.) | Ensenada de San Miguel, Spain | University of Seville | |
| Sofia Scott (Fr.) | Melbourne, Australia | Firbank Grammar School | |
| Kesha Bruinette (Fr.) | London, England | Streatham & Clapham | |
| Sofia Palacios (Fr.) | Cincinnati, Ohio | Walnut Hills High School (Queen City Rowing Club) | |
| Sidney Norman (Fr.) | Melbourne, Florida | Satellite High School (Space Coast Crew) | |
| Morgan Northey (Fr.) | DeBary, Florida | University High School (Lyman Rowing Association) | |
| Amira Marquez (Fr.) | Doral, Florida | Miami Christian School | |
| Deanna Jones (Fr.) | Kansas City, Kansas | Piper High School | Kansas City CC |
|
Alexandra Meserino (Fr.) - Coxswain - |
Carle Place, New York | Kellenberg Memorial High School (Port Rowing) | |
|
Charlotte Marrone (Fr.) - Coxswain - |
Washington, D.C. | Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School (TBC Racing) | |
|
Vianna Smith (Fr.) - Coxswain - |
McLean, Virginia |
Langley High School (TBC Racing) |
|
| Madlen Markova (Grad.) | Sofia, Blugaria | General Vladimir Stoychev Sports School (Electron Rowing Club) | Tulsa/Bulgarian National Team |
| Elisa Faiola (Grad.) | Auburn, New York | Tyburn Academy | William Smith |