Tulsa Youth Rowing Association athlete, Sydney McMahan, has signed a national letter of intent with University of Southern California’s women’s rowing, a top twenty NCAA crew. Sydney, a senior at Booker T. Washington High School, has been rowing for just over two years and is the girls’ varsity captain. Tulsa Youth Rowing Association (TYRA) varsity coaches are head coach Tamara Clayton, Micah Hartwell and Katie Holtvogt. “We have had many successful athletes progress through our programs, and they have reached milestones in their lives that I truly believe would not have been possible without the character traits they developed while in TYRA,” said head coach Tamara Clayton and former TYRA rower. “It is my goal to positively impact the lives of our athletes in more ways than just rowing a boat on the water. And we welcome 7th-12th grade athletes of all shapes, sizes, and athleticism to join our team.”
In just two short years Sydney improved from a beginner novice athlete to currently the third fastest girl in the history of the club. “When I started rowing for the first time, I never thought it would lead to such possibilities. The sport has challenged me and helped me to gain confidence,” said Sydney. “And with hard work and the support of my coaches and team, I’m signing with an amazing school [USC] and incredible rowing team.” Additional honors include: Most Improved Novice Girl Athlete in 2014-15 and Hardest Working Varsity Girl Athlete in 2015-16. Sydney was also selected for and attended a U.S. Junior National Team Small Boat Development Camp last summer in Virginia to work with top U.S. junior team coaches. Most recently, Sydney and her team competed at a regatta in Wichita, KS and earned a silver medal in the Women’s Youth 4+ race. Sydney intends to study animation at USC.
For more information about Tulsa Youth Rowing Association, contact head coach Tamara Clayton at coacht@okrowing.org or 918-606-4596.