PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR  

USD men’s rowing recruited two female athletes to join their ranks this season. While rowing is often coed, this is the first time women have competed on the USD men’s rowing team. 

USD first-year Lilly Moyer from Colorado and USD first-year Annie Llamanzares-Bartolome from Virginia are both coxswains and the only two women recruited for the team this year. 

Llamanzares-Bartolome talked about the role of being a coxswain and what it requires to reach success. 

“A coxswain is essentially a coach on water. We steer, call out techniques, help with race plans etc. Tennis and crew are the only sports where coaches aren’t allowed to interfere during competitions,”  Llamanzares-Bartolome said.

Llamanzares-Bartolome also discussed the emotions around being one of two girls on the team and its impact. 

“I’ve enjoyed meeting the team and being able to do workouts with them. It’s made me so close with Lilly and I feel like I have 30+ brothers looking out for me,”  Llamanzares-Bartolome said. 

Llamanzares-Bartolome also discussed the reasons for choosing a coed team and how rowing in high school affected her decision. 

“I’ve always coxed guys since my freshman year of high school, so when I was looking to get recruited I reached out to men’s teams,” Llamanzares-Bartolome said. “I’ve done ballet and cheer, and the whole atmosphere is very different.” 

In Llamanzares-Bartolome’s recruitment post on the USD mens rowing instagram, USD head Coach Bart  Thompson  described the attributes that make her a perfect candidate for the role. 

“Annie is a high-achieving student, due to both her intellect and exceptional work ethic. She’s also succeeded as a leader in a multitude of endeavors outside of the classroom, rowing included. Most of all, I admire how rooted she is in faith, and the way it is visible in her kindness and character,” Thompson wrote.

She also wrote her reasons for wanting to attend the University of San Diego in her post featured on the USD men’s rowing instagram page. 

“The University of San Diego’s attributes as a school with intimate class atmospheres, successful athletic teams, and campus community rooted in faith and spirituality made USD the ideal choice when considering where to spend the next four years. I look forward to joining USDMR and immersing myself in a program with both talented teammates who will encourage and push me, as well as the leadership of a compassionate and intuitive coaching staff.”

On a similar post Thompson also expressed how first-year Lilly Moyer will help lead the men’s rowing team to success. 

 “Lilly has the tools to be a great coxswain at this level. She is whip-smart, which is a key ingredient to being a great coxswain. She is highly driven, with a strong desire to succeed in our sport, but at the same time is very likable, with a demeanor that makes her easy to chat with. Most importantly, she’s a great person,” said Thompson. 

Moyer  also  wrote  her     reasons for ultimately choosing USD. 

“I chose USD because of the fantastic group of guys and coaches I met, who made me already feel like a teammate when I was on my visit. It was such a gorgeous campus that I couldn’t see myself anywhere else. I also couldn’t wait to be on the coast, and you can’t beat San Diego’s weather.”

Lilly Moyer commits to men’s rowing as a coxswain. Photo courtesy of @usdmrowing/Instagram

USD men’s rowing will compete at the Head of the Charles Regatta from Oct. 18 to Oct. 20. The race takes place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Toreros have shown success at these races in the past. 

Last year, men’s rowing had their best performance at Head of the Charles in program history. In their first entry into an eights category at Head of the Charles Regatta, the Collegiate Eight crew started near the back of  the pack.

Meanwhile, last year the Collegiate Four passed both crews that were ahead of it and was the first crew across the finish line, ultimately finishing in 2nd place out of 44 entries overall. That silver medal spot is the best finish in program history, also beating the Toreros previous year’s 3rd-place finish.

Following the Head of the Charles Regatta, men’s rowing will compete at the Head of the American Regatta on Oct. 26 in Sacramento, California, And then in the San Diego Fall Classic which takes place in San Diego on Nov. 10, 2024. The mens rowing season also continues into the spring with more opportunities and the  Western Intercollegiate Rowing  Association Championships.

Llamanzares-Bartolome signing with USD men’s rowing. Photo courtesy of @usdmrowing/Instagram