ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst men's and women's rowing teams are excited to announce the commitments of two rowers and a coxswain.  Elizabeth Hook, Kevin McCarthy, and Lydia Voorhees will join the Lakers for the 2013-14 season.

“We're very excited to welcome these three to our program," said Mercyhurst head coach, Adrian Spracklen. "Each of them has displayed an ease with the coaches and the team and will fit very well into the environment that we have created at Mercyhurst."

Hook comes to Mercyhurst from Chevy Chase, Maryland where she rows for Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School for the majority of the year and for Thompson Boat Club in the summer. She has represented both B-CC and TBC well, earning gold medals at several regattas including USRowing Club Nationals in 2011.  Along with her athletic accomplishments, Hook is a strong student and volunteers at a local fire department.

“Elizabeth and I hit it off right away,” said Jamie Francis, Mercyhurst assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.  “I knew almost immediately that she would fit in well with the women on the team.  Her work ethic and focus are evident in her athletic and academic performance.  We expect that she will make an immediate impact on boat speed when she arrives in the fall.”

“I wanted to be in an excellent forensic anthropology program with faculty and students who are enthusiastic and caring," said Hook about why she is coming to Mercyhurst. "I also looked for a school with a competitive rowing program led by coaches who would challenge their team to take it to the next level and work hard. Mercyhurst has it all for me - one of the best forensic anthropology programs and faculty in the country and an excellent crew program with coaches who care about their athletes and not only help them reach their highest potential as athletes but in all other areas of their lives as well.”

McCarthy will become a Laker after completing his fourth year of coxing at Saint Johns High School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.  He has steered Saint Johns' boats to an eighth place finish at the New England Championships, a record-breaking time at the New Hampshire Championship Regatta, and a top-half finish at the Head of the Charles.

“Kevin is a very enthusiastic guy,” said Francis. “His passion for the sport of rowing and his ability to take charge of a crew are what attracted us to him.  We're graduating our senior men's coxswain after this year and we expect that Kevin, with a little guidance from us, will be able to move into the top coxswain's seat.”

“I was looking for a university that had a hometown feel," said McCarthy about Mercyhurst. "Mercyhurst's competitive rowing team initially caught my attention and, after learning more about the majors, campus life, and opportunities the university offered, I realized it was a perfect fit. I am very excited to continue my coxing career at Mercyhurst University.”

Finally, Voorhees comes to Mercyhurst from Columbus, Ohio where she rows for her high school program at Upper Arlington.  Rowing since she was a freshman, Voorhees has worked her way up the ranks at Upper Arlington, earning an eighth place finish at SRAA's, a gold at the Lubbers Cup, and a 14th place finish in the Youth Eights event at the Head of the Charles in capping off the fall.

“Lydia is an amazingly diverse person and the more we've gotten to know her, the more impressed we've become,” commented Francis.  “Adrian (Spracklen) has created an environment at Mercyhurst where the athletes can be successful both on and off the water.  I think Lydia will be one of those athletes who will make the most of this environment.”

“I chose Mercyhurst because of the team environment and the coaching staff," said Voorhees. "I'm very excited to continue my rowing career with Mercyhurst."