BOSTON – Holly Hatton, 10-year head coach of the Boston University women’s rowing team, was today named the Division I New England Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season, as selected by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association. In addition, junior Lauren Priest (Tauranga, New Zealand) and sophomore Elene Brett-Evans (Toronto, Ont.) were selected as National Scholar Athletes, and junior Meghan Neufeld (St. Catherine’s, Ont.), senior Amanda Milborne (Toronto, Ont.) and Brett-Evans were selected to the All-New England Team.

Hatton led the varsity crew to a 6-7 record during the regular season, and then capped it off with a fourth-place finish at the EAWRC “Eastern” Sprints on May 14. Not only was it the team’s best finish at the Sprints in 13 years, but it also landed the Terriers an at-large bid to this weekend’s NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship in West Windsor, N.J.

During her 10 seasons thus far as the head coach of the BU women’s rowing program, the team has advanced to the NCAAs six times, while earning a national top-20 ranking every year. Currently the Terriers are ranked 13th in the nation as they make their first NCAA appearance since 2003.

Meanwhile, Priest and Brett-Evans both earned the distinguished title of CRCA National Scholar Athletes. The award recognizes student-athletes with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher that competed in 75 percent of their team's 2006 spring races. Also, the student-athletes must be upperclassmen in terms of eligibility and their head coaches must be good standing members of the CRCA.

Both Priest and Brett-Evans have been in the varsity eight boat since their freshman campaigns, while maintaining GPAs above the 3.5 level. Priest is studying human physiology, while Brett-Evans is an engineering student.

Making the All-New England First Team were Neufeld and Milborne. Neufeld strokes the varsity boat, while Milborne rows in the seven seat. Meanwhile, Brett-Evans was selected to the Second Team for her efforts in the four seat of the varsity boat.

The Terriers will begin action at the NCAA championship on Friday, May 26.