Rowing announces the first five members of the 2023 signing class

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State Women's Rowing Head Coach Jane LaRiviere announced Monday, Dec. 12, the addition of five signees to kick off the 2022-23 National Signing Period for the Cougars.

Washington State welcomes five international talents in the first wave of announcements for the 2023 signing class, as Eliza Dawson (Trail, British Columbia), Malarie Jones (Wainfleet, Ontario), Elle Kadir (Manchester, United Kingdom), Lucy Munro (Nelson, New Zealand), and Lucy Thomson (Melbourne, Australia) each signed their National Letter of Intent to compete for the Cougars starting in the fall of 2023.

"We are proud to introduce the 2023 rowing recruits," said LaRiviere. "It has been a pleasure getting to know them. They are leaders who love rowing. They are strong, experienced in a wide variety of ways and I can't wait until they all get to campus. Each will make their their marks as Cougs and the future is in good hands."

Eliza Dawson | 6-1 | Trail, British Columbia/ University of Calgary
Eliza Dawson comes to Pullman as a graduate transfer from the University of Calgary in Alberta. She was Calgary's Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was named the school's Female Athlete of the Year in 2021. Prior to the University of Calgary, Dawson attended J. Lloyd Crowe Secondary School in Trail, British Columbia. At Calgary, Dawson has helped the Dinos take first place in the B final at the 2021 Canadian University Rowing Championships and helped her school to a gold medal finish at the 2021 Head of the Charles in the collegiate 4+ race. She played basketball, volleyball, and bowling in high school.

Dawson is the daughter of Keith and Karen Dawson. She was born on April 6 in Trail, British Columbia. She has one older sister, Emily, and one younger brother Izack. She intends to major in Kinesiology at Washington State.

Coach LaRiviere on Dawson: "Eliza is our first grad transfer and I am ecstatic she decided to take a chance on us. Her athleticism will have an immediate impact and she is an equally awesome person."

Dawson on Signing with WSU: "As a determined student-athlete, I am always striving towards finding opportunities that allow me to get another step closer to my full potential. I fully believe that Washington State University is the place where I will be able to push myself to the next level while continuing to strive toward my long-term goal of getting to row again with the maple leaf on my oar. Also, knowing that I will be coming into a team who values team culture is something that closely aligns with me and it creates a motivating environment that I am excited to be a part of. I'm looking forward to being able to represent crimson and grey very soon."

Malarie Jones | 6-0 | Wainfleet, Ontario/ E.L. Crossley
Malarie Jones comes to the Cougars from Wainfleet, Ontario. She attended E.L. Crossley in Pelham, Ontario. Jones recently competed with Canada at the Junior World Championships. Jones took home both a gold in the women's eight and a silver in the women's four at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. She is also a member of the Notre Dame Rowing Club in Welland, Ontario. Jones recently won the 2022 Ontario Ergometer Championships.

Jones was born on November 10 in Scarborough, Ontario.

Coach LaRiviere on Jones: " Malarie has achieved a lot in a relatively short amount of time. She is a tall, strong athlete with an excellent work ethic. Malarie will be a great teammate and has limitless potential."

Jones on Signing with WSU: "Washington State University not only matched my athletic identity but my future academic goals as well. As a student-athlete, it is important for me to be surrounded by others that share the same passion for pursuing challenges within this sport that I do. This team and the coaches can provide me with a familiar supportive environment that shares the same values which will motivate my potential."

Elle Kadir | 5-8 | Manchester, United Kingdom / Priestley College
Elle Kadir comes to the Palouse from Manchester, United Kingdom. She attended Priestley College in Cheshire, where she helped her school to the 'A' final in the quad at the National School regatta.

She is the daughter of Michael and Pamela Kadir. Born on May 5 in Bolton, United Kingdom. She has one brother, Michael, and one sister, Amy.

Coach LaRiviere on Kadir: "Elle possess the raw strength that we look for. Her mental and physical toughness will serve her well. She is a hard worker with big dreams and will work hard to obtain those goals."

Kadir on Signing with WSU: "Washington State matches my identity and culture because it's like a family. I love how everyone is so close and how where ever you would go someone would shout "Go Cougs". I really liked how it was so small as I love small towns and places. It just felt like the right place to go and it was a comfortable environment."

Lucy Munro | 5-11 | Nelson, New Zealand / Waimea College
Lucy Munro comes to the Palouse from Nelson, New Zealand. She has been the captain of the Nelson Rowing Club over the last two seasons. Munro attends Waimea College, where she won the school's best rower award, along with the school's best crew honor. She helped her crew capture silver in the women's premier coxless quad sculls at the 2022 South Island Championships back in February. She also played volleyball, netball, and danced during her prep career.

Munro is the daughter of Andrew and Lynne Munro. She was born on April 29 in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has three brothers, Benjamin (21), Jack (20), and Harry (15), and two sisters Hazel (32) and Bridget (15). She is undecided on a major at Washington State.

Coach LaRiviere on Munro: "Lucy is a straight forward, no nonsense athlete with great rhythm. She might seem quiet but she knows what she wants and isn't afraid of a little hard work.  She is tall and I am looking forward to seeing her develop."

Munro on Signing with WSU: "I pride myself on my hard work ethic, and ability to uplift others, in and outside of the boat. This is something that I saw in the WSU rowing team straight away. This only secured my belief that WSU is the team for me. It is going to be a place where I will strive to grow as an athlete and better myself as a person every day, for the next four years. I can't wait to get started."

Lucy Thomson | 5-7 | Melbourne, Australia / Wesley College
Lucy Thomson makes her way to Pullman from Melbourne, Australia. Thomson was a member of the Australian Junior Rowing Team, where she was member of the coxed four crew. She attended Wesley College in Melbourne, where she was a member of the first varsity eight for two seasons. Thomson also played volleyball, netball, and Australian-style football, and soccer at Wesley College. She helped her netball team win their division five years in a row and also represented her school at the GSV Netball Cup.

Thomson is the daughter of David and Nicki Thomson. She was born on May 5 in Melbourne. She has one older sister, Georgia. She plans to major in nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Washington State.

Coach LaRiviere on Thomson: "Lucy was an accomplished junior rower in Australia and will be a great addition to the team. Her positive, upbeat attitude is matched by her commitment to training.  She will be a great rower and an even better teammate."

Thomson on Signing with WSU: "Washington State from the beginning sounded like the place for me. The beautiful exteriors matched with the welcoming culture of the university all contributed to the final decision of me joining the Cougs! I was surprised by the nurturing and supportive network this university provides and that made me feel a lot more comfortable making this big decision and move to know that I would be taken care of. As well as thriving and growing as a person, I am confident I can excel knowing all the opportunities Washington State has to offer."

For more information on the Washington State rowing team, follow @WSUCougarRowing on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.