Vernazza Earns All-Pac-12, Maritz Top Newcomer
SAN FRANCISCO – The Oregon State junior Bobby Vernazza earned Pac-12 All-Conference First Team and freshman Jesse Maritz was named the Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year as announced by the conference.
Maritz, a native of Stanwood, Wash., posted one of the top scores on the ergometer in school history for a freshman. He went on to accomplish a rare feat for Oregon State rowers earning a spot in the Varsity 8 boat. Maritz moved into the V8 at midseason at the Pac-12 Challenge where the Beavers upset then-No. 11 Wisconsin.
It is the first time an OSU rower has been named as the conference’s top newcomer.
Vernazza has been entrenched in the V8 for the past two seasons performing in the stroke seat throughout the 2015 season. Vernazza’s pace-setting has helped the Beavers’ V8 crew to rank as high as No. 13, where they resided for three weeks, in the nation this season and to an at-large berth at IRA Championships this weekend. Vernazza was a Pac-12 All-Academic First Team selection and was named to the IRA All-Academic Team in 2014.
Maritz, Vernazza and the rest of the Beavers are racing at the IRA National Championships this weekend at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. Follow their journey at osubeavers.com and via Twitter @beaverrowing.
