NO PRIOR ROWING EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
WALK-ON RECRUITING QUESTIONNAIRE
Former Walk-On Merve Pekdemir featured on ScarletKnights.com
The Rutgers Women’s Rowing team will be holding open tryouts for walk-ons this fall! We are looking for great athletes who love to compete to try our sport - no prior rowing experience is needed! More than half of our team learned to row at Rutgers and many go on to represent the University at the highest levels. We are looking to build on a rich tradition of walk-on success!
We are an NCAA Division I, fully-funded varsity sport at Rutgers competing in the Big Ten Conference. At the 2025 conference championship, walk-on athletes contributed to our highest placement ever, and at the 2025 NCAA championship, former walk-ons contributed to an eighth-place team finish against the very best teams in the country. It is a great opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself and represent Rutgers on the national stage.
In their first year, walk-on athletes compete against other first-year athletes in the Big Ten. Every athlete has a chance to earn athletic scholarship starting in their second year on the team!
What makes a successful rower?
- Athletic background in any sport
- Excellent attitude
- Competitive spirit
- Desire to win
- Strength and fitness
- Determination and work ethic
- Team player
- Height 5’ 7” or taller, or tough enough to make up the difference
If you are interested in being a part of and competing on our team, fill out the walk-on questionnaire and attend one of our three informational meetings:
WALK-ON RECRUITING QUESTIONNAIRE
- Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
College Ave Campus: Rutgers Academic Building Room 1170
Bus stop: The Yard or Student Activities Center
- Monday, September 1, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Cook/Douglass Campus: Institute of Food Nutrition and Health Room 101
Bus stop: Biel Road or Lipman Hall
- Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Busch Campus: Rodkin Academic Success Center Multipurpose Room
Bus stop: Stadium West Lot or Werblin Recreation Center
Participants in the tryout will need to complete an information packet and have proof of a recent physical/well-visit stating they are cleared for physical activity.
If you have any questions, please contact assistant coach Will Rafferty at 609-969-7113 or wrafferty@scarletknights.com
Meet Former Walk-Ons
Julia Wilson
Why did you decide to row?
College is all about newfound independence and experiences that help you grow as a person. After going to a team meeting I decided to join because it felt like I had found a place of belonging within such a large student body that would help develop my character and provide a support system during a transitional time.
Kathleen Butler
How has rowing had an impact on your life?
Rowing has given me the opportunity to be surrounded by dedicated, passionate, and hardworking individuals who so wholeheartedly value the meaning of shared team success. My teammates are my favorite people in this world and I wake up every morning excited to be able to be a part of this team and row alongside them. Rowing has provided me an environment where hard work and standards are matched with gratification and enjoyment. My teammates and being in this environment has made me a better student academically, a stronger athlete, but also a better person who now strives to earn my own successes in life. Walking on to this team has offered me the greatest and most rewarding experiences and I could never be more thankful that I found the courage to try it freshman year. This team is something that I will feel honored to have been apart of for the rest of my life.
Rebecca Chanin
Did rowing have an effect on your studies or grades?
Rowing only made me a better student. I took very challenging classes this year and excelled in all of them. I was able to maintain the same GPA taking harder classes as a sophomore. I attribute my success to the organization and support I got from the team. Without rowing, I might not have done as well! My teammates also became my study partners and since we were on the same schedule it was always easy to do work and study together.
Erin Miners
What do you enjoy most about being on the team?
The aspect of the team that I enjoy most is the energy that everyone brings. The spirit in the erg room and in the boathouse after a difficult yet rewarding row is like nothing that I had ever experienced before. I played sports in high school, but they pale in comparison to the team ethic that I've grown accustomed to now. Everyone is working hard not only for themselves, but also for the girls in front, behind, and next to them. The energy of all my teammates is so positive and enduring - it makes every single practice rewarding.
Merve Pekdemir
How has rowing prepared you for life after college?
As a freshman I wasn’t thinking much about my life after college. Little did I know that my curiosity and willingness to join a new sport would be the best investment I could make. As an athlete on the Rowing team, you will learn to develop leadership, teamwork, discipline, how to provide value, the fundamentals of success, and not to mention, you will share beautiful memories with girls you’ll have as friends for the rest of your life.
It’s even more clear now after graduating that being on the rowing team at Rutgers has given me a lead over many of my peers. When I was interviewed for my job, there was a lot of emphasis on the skills I obtained from being on the team. When meeting people for the first time, I noticed that they showed interest in my experience which always made for easy conversations. Even during my internship, there were so many core lessons I learned from being on a team that I could apply at work. People notice, and they value the skills you will develop from being on a team.
Investing 4 years of hard work, to have a lifetime of memories and transferable skills is by far the smartest decision I made in college.
Onyeka Oguagha
After learning to row at Rutgers, where has the sport taken you?
Through my rowing experiences, I have become a well-traveled individual. I have been fortunate to be able to travel with my team for winter and spring break training, as well as to race against some of the best athletes in the country. In 2017, I was invited to the United States U-23 Selection Camp in Princeton, NJ. The following summer, I was selected to train in Ypsilanti, Michigan before traveling to Shanghai, China to compete in the World University Championships in the Women’s 8+. In 2019, I had the opportunity to train at the Princeton Training Center. I would not have been able to take part in any of these experiences without the support I received along the way. The athletic department, as well as those who are invested in the overall success of the program and the student-athletes, played a great role in my athletic accomplishments and personal development.
