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Rowing Welcomes Three Grad Transfers; Cikovic, Hunt to Return for Fifth Year
8/25/2021 4:23:00 PM | Rowing
DURHAM – Head Coach Megan Cooke Carcagno and the Duke rowing program are pleased to announce the addition of three graduate transfers who will join the team for the 2021-22 season.
The Blue Devils welcome Allison Carr, Casey Miller and Samantha Stehley, who each competed for Division-I programs prior to Duke. Additionally, two members of Duke's 2021 senior class – Sydney Cikovic and Olivia Hunt – have opted to use their additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are very excited to have our two fifth-year grad students and our three graduate transfers continue our mission," Cooke Carcagno said. "Having older student-athletes on our team is a real asset. They know how to be a Division-I athlete and their perspective is helpful to the larger group. They have no other reason to row other than wanting the challenge and enjoying our team, and that type of teammate is incredibly powerful."
Carr comes to Durham after four seasons at UCLA, where she worked her way from the Fourth Varsity Eight lineup as a freshman to the Varsity Eight as a senior. The Walnut Creek, Calif., native sat six seat in the V8+ in UCLA's dual-meet wins against Loyola Marymount and USC last season before rowing two seat with the Bruins' top crew at the Pac-12 Championships. She was named the team's Most Improved Rower in recognition of her efforts in 2021.
Carr's father, John, played soccer at Wake Forest from 1984-87, while her older sister, Stephanie, rowed at SMU from 2015-19. Allison will enroll in Duke's Master of Management Studies (MMS) program.
Miller joins the Blue Devils after a four-year career at Bucknell that culminated with her helping the Bison finish second at the 2021 Patriot League Championships. She became a fixture in the V8+ lineup during her sophomore campaign, when the crew earned a second-place finish at the Cooper Invitational and a runner-up result at the conference regatta. During the 2019 fall season, Miller raced in the Championship Eights at the Head of the Charles and helped the V8+ secure second at the 1969 Cup.
A native of Fort Montgomery, N.Y., Miller was also a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. She will pursue her master's degree in Medical Physics at Duke.
Stehley competed at Columbia University during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, before the spring 2020 and the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., she spent her freshman year racing in the Varsity Four, Third Varsity Four and Varsity Eight boats for Columbia and sat three seat in the C4 boat that took second at the Ivy League Championship. In her sophomore season, Stehley raced with the V8+ crew at the league regatta and helped the 2V8 squad take first at the Cherry Hill Invitational. Her lone competition of the fall 2019 campaign was the Head of the Housatonic, where she sat six seat in the V8+ lineup.
Stehley, alongside Carr, will enroll in the MMS program.
Cikovic returns to the Blue Devils for a fifth season after helping Duke's 2V8+ crew win the C Final at the 2021 NCAA Championships this past May. She was a key member of the 2V8+ lineup throughout her senior year, beginning with a win at the Carolina Cup that garnered ACC Crew of the Week honors. The Palm Beach, Fla., native also helped the Blue Devils win races against several ranked opponents in the regular season, including Virginia and Tennessee. As a sophomore in 2018-19, Cikovic was a member of the 2V8+ squad that claimed silver at the ACC Championship. She earned her bachelor's degree in Public Policy with a Markets & Management certificate in May.
Hunt joins Cikovic in returning to Duke after graduating with a degree in Political Science three months ago. A native of Lake Forest, Ill., she helped the 3V8+ boat win races at the Carolina Cup, Virginia Invite, Big Ten/ACC Double Dual, Lake Wheeler Invitational before earning a silver medal at the ACC Championship. During her sophomore season, Hunt rowed with the 2V4+ crew, winning at the Lake Wheeler Invitational and finishing second at the ACC regatta.
For more information on Duke rowing, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching 'DukeROW.'
#GoDuke
The Blue Devils welcome Allison Carr, Casey Miller and Samantha Stehley, who each competed for Division-I programs prior to Duke. Additionally, two members of Duke's 2021 senior class – Sydney Cikovic and Olivia Hunt – have opted to use their additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are very excited to have our two fifth-year grad students and our three graduate transfers continue our mission," Cooke Carcagno said. "Having older student-athletes on our team is a real asset. They know how to be a Division-I athlete and their perspective is helpful to the larger group. They have no other reason to row other than wanting the challenge and enjoying our team, and that type of teammate is incredibly powerful."
Carr comes to Durham after four seasons at UCLA, where she worked her way from the Fourth Varsity Eight lineup as a freshman to the Varsity Eight as a senior. The Walnut Creek, Calif., native sat six seat in the V8+ in UCLA's dual-meet wins against Loyola Marymount and USC last season before rowing two seat with the Bruins' top crew at the Pac-12 Championships. She was named the team's Most Improved Rower in recognition of her efforts in 2021.
Carr's father, John, played soccer at Wake Forest from 1984-87, while her older sister, Stephanie, rowed at SMU from 2015-19. Allison will enroll in Duke's Master of Management Studies (MMS) program.
Miller joins the Blue Devils after a four-year career at Bucknell that culminated with her helping the Bison finish second at the 2021 Patriot League Championships. She became a fixture in the V8+ lineup during her sophomore campaign, when the crew earned a second-place finish at the Cooper Invitational and a runner-up result at the conference regatta. During the 2019 fall season, Miller raced in the Championship Eights at the Head of the Charles and helped the V8+ secure second at the 1969 Cup.
A native of Fort Montgomery, N.Y., Miller was also a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. She will pursue her master's degree in Medical Physics at Duke.
Stehley competed at Columbia University during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, before the spring 2020 and the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., she spent her freshman year racing in the Varsity Four, Third Varsity Four and Varsity Eight boats for Columbia and sat three seat in the C4 boat that took second at the Ivy League Championship. In her sophomore season, Stehley raced with the V8+ crew at the league regatta and helped the 2V8 squad take first at the Cherry Hill Invitational. Her lone competition of the fall 2019 campaign was the Head of the Housatonic, where she sat six seat in the V8+ lineup.
Stehley, alongside Carr, will enroll in the MMS program.
Cikovic returns to the Blue Devils for a fifth season after helping Duke's 2V8+ crew win the C Final at the 2021 NCAA Championships this past May. She was a key member of the 2V8+ lineup throughout her senior year, beginning with a win at the Carolina Cup that garnered ACC Crew of the Week honors. The Palm Beach, Fla., native also helped the Blue Devils win races against several ranked opponents in the regular season, including Virginia and Tennessee. As a sophomore in 2018-19, Cikovic was a member of the 2V8+ squad that claimed silver at the ACC Championship. She earned her bachelor's degree in Public Policy with a Markets & Management certificate in May.
Hunt joins Cikovic in returning to Duke after graduating with a degree in Political Science three months ago. A native of Lake Forest, Ill., she helped the 3V8+ boat win races at the Carolina Cup, Virginia Invite, Big Ten/ACC Double Dual, Lake Wheeler Invitational before earning a silver medal at the ACC Championship. During her sophomore season, Hunt rowed with the 2V4+ crew, winning at the Lake Wheeler Invitational and finishing second at the ACC regatta.
For more information on Duke rowing, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching 'DukeROW.'
#GoDuke
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