Dec. 30, 2008

BOSTON - Sophomore Mariel Boomgaardt and freshman Cheryl Copson from the Boston University women's rowing team have been selected to the Feb. 18-22 Shawnigan Lake Camp, which is a pre-selection site for the Ontario team for the 2009 Canada Summer Games. The rowing teams are composed of athletes born in 1989 or later from all the Canadian provinces and territories.

Similar in structure to the Olympics, the Canada Games are held every two years alternating between summer and winter sporting events. The 2009 summer contest will be hosted by Prince Edward Island between Aug. 14-29.

A native of Ottawa, Canada, Boomgaardt will be making her third straight trip to Shawnigan Lake. In 2007, she participated in a junior national team camp and last year competed in an identification camp for the Canada Summer Games. For the Terriers this fall, she sat in the No. 3 seat, helping the varsity eight take 13th out of 38 at the Head of the Charles. A few weeks later in the Princeton Chase as the bow, she helped BU's varsity eight place fourth out of 43 and also as the bow assisted the varsity four finish seventh out of 40.

A gold medalist in the women's single at Rowing Canada's 2008 National Junior Trials, Copson joined the Terriers this fall from Peterborough, Ontario. Besides finishing third in the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association (CSSRA) Championships three consecutive years, she also earned the silver in the women's double as a senior. In the fall season, she was on the same varsity boat with Boomgaardt in the No. 6 spot at the Head of the Charles and Princeton Chase. During the varsity four, she stroked the "B" boat to an eighth-place finish.

First-year BU head coach Stacey Rippetoe and the Terriers are currently focusing on winter training and will have to wait under Saturday, March 28 before their first dual meet of the season with Syracuse at the DeWolfe Boathouse.