Aug. 2, 2022

Two rowers earn All-Midwest Academic Athlete Awards

Two members of the Upper St. Clair High School rowing team were recently named Midwest Scholastic Rowing Association (MRSA) All-Midwest Academic Athlete Award Honorees for 2021-22. Rising seniors Keira Fortunato and Markella Jahn are among 52 honorees from 64 high school teams from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and western Pennsylvania.

The All-Midwest Academic Athlete Award recognizes rising senior student-athletes who have performed at a high level athletically and academically. Criteria includes a grade point average of 3.5 or above; an SAT score of at least 1200 or ACT score of 27 or above; and achievement in the finals race of the MRSA Championship or participation in Scholastic Rowing Association of America nationals or world competitions.

“The MSRA Board congratulates these student-athletes for their hard work,” the MSRA Awards Committee wrote in an email.

This is the 11th year since the establishment of the award, and the first-time student-athletes from Upper St. Clair High School have achieved this honor. 

The Upper St. Clair Rowing team is a club sport that is open to students in grades 7-12. Rowing is a three-season sport – fall, winter and spring. Students may participate in any or all seasons. Students are transported via bus from Upper St. Clair High School to the boathouse in Coraopolis for practice.

According to the Upper St. Clair Rowing Association’s website, “each year our team has the opportunity to race against high schools and clubs in local, regional, and national regattas. Several USC alumni have competed at the collegiate level and some have received scholarships from their respective universities and colleges for rowing.”

For more information about USC Rowing, visit www.uscrowing.org.