Boston University women's crew coach Holly Hatton, who has guided the Terriers to one of their most successful seasons ever, and three of her rowers, Kerry Ash (Liverpool, NY), Lisa Waterhouse (Amesbury, MA), and Lisa Masi (Goshen, CT) have been honored by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association for their efforts during the 1998-99 season.
Hatton, who is finishing her third season at B.U., was voted the New England Region Coach of the Year. In the meantime, Ash was named First Team All-Region, while both Waterhouse and Masi were selected to the Second Team. This is the first year the coaches have selected All-Region, All-America, and Coach of the Year awards.
The Region Coach of the Year Award recognizes a coach "who has experienced outstanding success during the season, demonstrated great team improvement from the prior season, fulfilled their team's potential, and demonstrated a high level of professionalism and integrity as a coach.
Last fall, at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the Terriers' varsity heavyweight crew finished 23rd. Earlier this spring, in the first national poll conducted by the coaches, B.U. was 16th. Then, at the Eastern Sprints, B.U. was 6th, while at the NCAA championships, the Terriers finished 8th. The season is still not over, though, for B.U., as the heavyweight boat will row May 19th and 20th at the Henley Women's Regatta on England's Thames River.
This will mark the first time a B.U. heavyweight boat will be entered at Henley. In 1982, the Terriers sent a Fours.
During the past spring season, B.U. finished the regatta schedule with a 2-4 record. One of the losses was to UMass/Amherst in the opening event of the season. A year ago, UMass finished third at the NCAAs, and entered this season with a veteran crew. However, the Terriers battled the entire 2000-meter course and lost to UMass by a bow ball.
Later in the season, B.U. lost to Northeastern, but came back to row past the Huskies at the Eastern Sprints and NCAAs.
It was this vast improvement that helped earn Hatton the Regional Coach of the Year award.
Ash, who was voted the team's Most Valuable Player, was named First Team All-Region. A senior majoring in physical therapy, she has rowed the past three years for the Terrier varsity, and has sat in the bow seat this past season. Her sophomore year, she rowed for the varsity that won a gold medal at the IRA regatta. Prior to matriculating at B.U., she had rowed four years in high school, and was selected the team's most improved rower her senior year. That season, the team won the national scholastic title and finished second at the Canadian Nationals.
Waterhouse and Masi were selected Second Team All-Region.
Waterhouse, a junior who is majoring in biomedical engineering, is finishing her second season with the varsity and will be sitting in the number-five seat in Henley. As a freshman during the 1997 season, she was in the novice 8 that won a bronze medal at the IRAs. While she did not row in high school, she was an outstanding all-around athlete. She ran cross country and track and played basketball for three years, while she played field hockey as a freshman and sophomore.
Masi, a sophomore who is majoring in conservation science and ecology, will be in the number two seat in the Henley Regatta. A year ago, while rowing in the novice 8, she won a bronze medal at the IRA. A veteran rower, she began competing in the sport as a freshman in high school Last summer, she was selected to the Junior National Development came and was in the junior 8 that won a silver medal and in the junior 4 that won a gold medal at the U.S. Rowing Championships. She also rowed in the straight 4 at the Canadian Henley. In addition to rowing, she played four years of varsity basketball in high school and scored over 1000 points and had more than 800 rebounds.
