It’s almost summer and the Aztecs are preparing for a break from the boathouse. As the athletes enjoy some well-earned time off, the Beekley Rowing Foundation is hard at work planning events and raising funds to help the team succeed. A huge shout out to the seniors on the team: Mert Beyalizidirim (4 year rower), Tanner Harvey (4 year rower), John Balog, Brett MacHugh, and Ari Federico-Fernandez – thank you for your dedication and best of luck to you!
Board Update
Each year during the San Diego Crew Classic, the H Del Beekley Foundation holds its annual meeting and elects its Board of Directors. Thank you to everyone who attended the (online) Annual Meeting and participated in the voting.
The Foundation shared its successes (the Fall Alumni Row, the annual Golf Tournament) and its plans for the upcoming year (Homecoming tailgate, Padres game, 2023 Alumni Row, 2024 Golf Tournament).
The 2023-2024 Board of Directors are as follows:
- President – Steve Lewis
- Vice President – Royce Cumming
- Treasurer – Andy Olson
- Secretary – Kris Corley
- Alumni At-Large #1 – Joey Matus
- Alumni At-Large #2 – Kam Kennington
50th Annual Crew Classic
This year the San Diego Crew Classic celebrated its 50th year, and the Aztecs were there to represent SDSU rowing. The team entered one boat in the Men’s Varsity 8+ event, placing 6th in their initial heat and third in the 2nd Final. At the conclusion of the event on Sunday, the team helped break down the course as part of what has become an annual fundraising opportunity for the program. You can read the full recap here.
Current State of the Team
The team is in a rebuilding phase. It is impossible to overstate the damage done to Aztec Crew – and the majority of sports clubs at SDSU – by the pandemic. According to head coach Craig Doan, recruiting this year has been more difficult than any prior year. That being said, he and assistant coach Brett Stinson are planning on some major recruiting pushes for the early weeks of the school year. Also, a few experienced athletes have committed to SDSU and will be joining the team in the Fall. They, along with the returning rowers, will be the backbone of the 2023-2024 Aztec Crew.
Team Fundraiser
The team is sprinting towards the finish of the 2023 season and needs your help to stay in the black and finish pulling out of the financial hole that was left by the pandemic. Please consider making a donation directly to the team crowdfunding campaign in the next 12 days to keep SDSU Crew afloat. You can read the full story and donate online here.
Sign up for the Aztec Rowing Newsletter
The team has put a bigger focus on posting events and articles on AztecRowing.com and plan to develop and send periodic email updates. Anyone interested in getting updates directly from the team should sign up for the team newsletter to stay up-to-date on how next year’s team is doing! The sign up form can be found at the bottom of the AztecRowing.com homepage.
Upcoming Events
Padres Game 8/19
Come join your fellow Aztec Rowing alumni and their families for an afternoon at Petco Stadium! The Padres will be hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday 8/19 at 5:40pm. We’ll meet up for a pint or two before the game and then go cheer them on. You can reserve your tickets by contacting Brett Stinson here.
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