ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan rowing team announced Wednesday (Dec. 18) the addition of 10 student-athletes who signed their commitments to Michigan. Included in the signing class are Olivia Carroll, Lucy Hallett, Alice Joyce, Jade Postma, Danelia Price-Hughes, Avery Rodeheffer, Novella Rusman, Sydney Swick, Alice Taillefer and Caitlin Woods. The 10 newcomers […]
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan rowing team announced Wednesday (Dec. 18) the addition of 10 student-athletes who signed their commitments to Michigan.
Included in the signing class are Olivia Carroll, Lucy Hallett, Alice Joyce, Jade Postma, Danelia Price-Hughes, Avery Rodeheffer, Novella Rusman, Sydney Swick, Alice Taillefer and Caitlin Woods. The 10 newcomers will join the U-M rowing program in the fall of 2025 as first-year students. The program plans to announce additional commitments that will help round out the Class of 2025 later in the spring.
“We are excited for this class of Michigan student-athletes,” said head coach Mark Rothstein. “These 10 future Wolverines will be great additions to the University of Michigan rowing program and the staff, team and I want to welcome each of them as they join our program. I also want to thank your current team of student-athletes who are gracious hosts in recruiting and for being the kind of team that attracts such great recruits to join them. At Michigan, it is all about the TEAM, and that will continue to drive our success, year-in and year-out.
“Our staff continues to identify talented and driven athletes like this group, and I want to especially give credit to Liz Tuppen, who is our lead recruiter, and to Fran Raggi and Rachel Rane for their work in assembling this class. The Class of 2025 will contribute greatly to our program, the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor community.
“Each year, our program continues to set goals of building Big Ten- and NCAA championship-caliber teams. In order to meet these standards, we must bring hard-working and dedicated student-athletes into our program, and we believe this class of rowers will help us achieve our goals of being championship-caliber both on and off the water. We are thrilled to call them Wolverines.”
Olivia Carroll
• Attends Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in Toorak, Australia
• Currently competes with The Mercantile Rowing Club
• Represented Victoria in the 8+ at the 2024 U18 World Championships
• Two-time gold medalist at the Head of Schoolgirls Regatta (2023-24)
• Earned Most Improved honors in 2020
• Previously competed at a regional level for track and field as a sprinter
• Daughter of Simone and Chris Carroll
Lucy Hallett
• Attends Oak Bay High School in Victoria, British Columbia
• Currently competes with Victoria City Rowing Club
• Represented Canada at the 2024 Junior World Rowing Championships in the Junior Women’s Pair
• Earned gold in the at the 2024 Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association U19 Championships (W2-)
• Placed second in the 2023 Canadian National Rowing Championships (JW1x)
• Won two golds (8+, 1x) at the 2023 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in the U17 division
• Previously competed as a swimmer; multi-time provincial title winner and two-time National Team Trials participant (2022-23)
• Daughter of Emma Taylor and Todd Hallett
Alice Joyce
• Attends Christian College Geelong in Geelong, Australia
• Currently competes with Barwon Rowing Club
• Recipient of the Christian College Endeavour Award
• Three-time first-place finisher (2020-22) at the Victorian Junior State Championships in the 1x
• Two-time silver medalist (2021-22) at the Head of Schoolgirls Regatta (1x)
• Placed first in the 2024 Victorian Open Schoolgirls Regatta
• Gold medalist at the 2024 Melbourne Head Regatta
• 2024 Barwon Rowing Club Rower of the Year
• Daughter of Kerry and Terence Joyce
Jade Postma
• Attends Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
• Currently competes with Ridley’s Rowing Team
• Competed in the 2024 U19 World Rowing Championships in the Canadian Women’s Eight
• Won two golds (8+) at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta
• First-place finisher in the junior division at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta (2x)
• Two-time gold medalist (2023-24) at the Canadian Secondary School Regatta (2-, 4+)
• As a high school swimmer, placed fifth at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Championships in the 50-meter breaststroke
• Won four championships between the 50- and 100-meter breaststroke at the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Associations Championships (2023-24)
• Daughter of Kim and Lance Postma
Danelia Price-Hughes
• Attends St Mary’s School, Waverly in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Previously competed with St Mary’s Rowing Club
• Earned academic honors at St Mary’s School
• Member of the South African Junior National rowing team
• Earned silver at the 2024 Junior World Rowing Championships (JW1x)
• Placed sixth at the 2023 Junior World Rowing Championships (JW2x)
• Placed first in two events (4x Scullery Regatta, 8x+ Bedford Regatta) in England as a member of the 2022 South African Schools Rowing Union Development Team
• Earned bronze at the Wallingford and Scullery Regattas (1x) during the 2022 England tour
• Finished in first place in three events (1x, 2x, 4x+) at the 2024 South African Schools Championships
• Three-time gold medalist (2021-23) at the South African Schools Boat Race in the 4x+
• Daughter of Ronelle and Hugh Price-Hughes
Avery Rodeheffer
• Attends Phillips Academy Andover in Andover, Mass.
• Hometown is New Haven, Conn.
• Competes on the rowing team at Phillips Academy Andover
• Three-time Connecticut and one-time Massachusetts state champion in hockey
• Invitee of the U15 and U16-17 USA Hockey Development Camp
• Daughter of Valerie Horsley and Matt Rodeheffer
Novella Rusman
• Attends Brentwood College School in Mill Bay, British Columbia
• Member of academic honor roll throughout high school
• Brentwood grad and Athletic Council representative
• Competes for and named captain of the Brentwood College Rowing Club
• Trains at the British Columbia NextGen Performance Centre
• Placed in the 4- and 8+ at the 2023-24 World Rowing Championships while representing Canada
• Three-time gold (JW8+, JW4+, SW4+), one-time silver (SW8+) and two-time bronze (SW8+, SW4+) medalist at the Canadian Schools National Regatta
• Rowed for the first U19 crew in Canadian Henley Championships history to place first in the Championship W8+ and to win all three Senior, Championship and Dash W8+ in one year
• Two-time winner of the Windermere Cup (JW4+)
• Provincial-champion competitive swimmer and volleyball player
• Daughter of Terra and Ben Rusman
Sydney Swick
• Attends Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario
• Currently competes with Ridley’s Rowing Team
• Trains at the Ontario NextGen Performance Centre
• Four-year athletic and academic scholarship recipient at Ridley
• Represented Canada at the CanAmMex Regatta (2022-23) and the Junior World Rowing Championships (2024)
• Gold medalist at the 2024 Stotesbury Cup Regatta (2x) and silver medalist at the event in 2022-23 (4x)
• Placed fifth at the 2024 Head of the Charles Regatta (youth 8+)
• Won gold at the 2023 Ontario Indoor Rowing Championships
• Finished first in three events at the 2024 Royal Canadian Henley regatta (Championship, Senior and Dash 8+)
• Also competes in hockey, playing in the U22 Elite Women’s Hockey League (named assistant captain in 2023 and captain in 2024)
• Daughter of Twylla and Nathan Swick
Alice Taillefer
• Attends Cégep de Granby in Granby, Quebec
• Currently competes with Knowlton Rowing Club and on the Quebec Provincial Rowing Team
• Has competed in volleyball, track and field, cross-country, soccer, and figure skating in high school
• Daughter of Rachel Harris and Éric Taillefer
Caitlin Woods
• Attends Wesley College in Melbourne, Australia
• Competes with Wesley’s Rowing Team and Melbourne University Boat Club
• Won gold in the U19 Interstate Regatta at the 2023 Australian World Trials (8+) as a member of the Victorian Elite Pathways program
• Bronze-medal recipient in the School Girl Division 1 at the 2022 Australian National Championships (8+)
• First-place finisher at the 2022 Head of River Championship
• Received honors at Wesley for rowing (captain), cross country (vice-captain), track and field, water polo and cross-country skiing
• Australian National and Victoria State champion in track and field in the 1500-meter
• Daughter of Tonia Woods and Scott Wyllie