Pittsburgh, Pa. – Sophomores
Jessica DeSaro and
Danielle Smith of the Duquesne University rowing team were each honored by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Tuesday, as the pair garnered the 2025 CRCA Scholar-Athlete Award.
The CRCA Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes collegiate rowers who demonstrate a strong commitment to success in the classroom and on the water. Nominees must be in their second, third, fourth or fifth year of eligibility and hold a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher through the end of the fall semester or winter quarter. In addition, nominees must have rowed in at least 75 percent of a program's spring races in an NCAA or IRA (lightweight) eligible boat or must have competed in an NCAA boat at their respective conference championship.
"These scholar-athletes exemplify the discipline, work ethic and the give and take it takes to succeed at the highest level," said CRCA Executive Director Marnie Stahl. "Their achievements reflect the best of collegiate athletics."
DeSaro, a native of Kennett Square, Pa., who was also named to the
College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® At-Large Team Tuesday, is an accounting major who posted a perfect GPA of 4.00 through the fall 2024 semester. A coxswain, DeSaro helped the Duquesne Second Varsity 8 win the Petite Final at the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship with a time of 7:35.784 after opening with a time of 7:28.711 in heat competition.
Smith, a native of McLean, Va., is a nursing major who has compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.57. She spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Duquesne Varsity 8, sitting in the six seat at the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship. The Dukes won the Petite Final with a time of 6:54.369, outlasting both George Mason (7:04.411) and Dayton (7:06.146).
Both DeSaro and Smith were also paramount in helping Duquesne collect its third consecutive
Bluff Cup at the 2025 Dukes Awards Show. Given to the athletic program that demonstrates outstanding service, support and participation in the community, the Dukes logged almost 375 hours of community service, including participation in childhood cancer research, Friends of MSF with Doctors Without Borders, the Spiritan Campus Ministry and National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD).
The
2025 CRCA Scholar-Athlete Award includes a group of over 1,000 student-athletes that combined averaged an impressive GPA of 3.75, with over 60 student-athletes achieving a perfect 4.00.
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