IRVING, Texas – The SMU Varsity 8 has been named the American Athletic Conference Women’s Rowing Boat of the Year as voted by the league’s head coaches. In addition, Charlotte Wiley of UCF and Tulsa’s Madlen Markova have been named the conference’s Newcomers of the Year.
 
SMU’s Varsity 8 captured the American Athletic Conference title by over 2.5 seconds on May 16 and led the Mustangs to their first team title. The crew consisted of Jasmine Brake, Victoria Franklin, Madison van Meel, Juliet Traylor, Peyton Matthews, Daisy Butterworth, Megan Hewison, Colombe de Rouvroy and coxswain Collen Gillis.
 
Brake, de Rouvroy, Gillis, Traylor and van Meel were all honored on the All-American Athletic Conference First Team.
 
The SMU crew went on to the NCAA Championships and won the C final to place 13^th overall, the highest NCAA finish in the event in conference history.
 
Wiley was part of the UCF Second Varsity 8 that finished second at the American Athletic Conference Championships and spent a large part of the season in the Knights’ top boat.
 
Markova overcame a serious back injury to help lead the Tulsa Varsity 8 to third place at the conference regatta from the stroke position. She was honored on the all-conference first team.