CJ junior rowing her way to Team USA

Staff photo by Teesha McClam CJ coach Mike Miles on Molly Bruggeman: 'She's one of the best rowers I've ever coached.'

Molly Bruggeman, 16, Annie Haley, 18, Moriah Pendergrass, 18, Ally Flinn, 18 and Abby Meyers, 18, practice in the Great Miami River in Moraine on Monday, May 18.

Staff photo by Teesha McClam Molly Bruggeman, 16, Annie Haley, 18, Moriah Pendergrass, 18, Ally Flinn, 18 and Abby Meyers, 18, practice in the Great Miami River in Moraine on Monday, May 18.

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Molly Bruggeman, the team’s “stroke” and a Chaminade Julienne High School junior, will participate in the USA Crew Team selection camp in Connecticut in June.

Staff photo by Teesha McClam Molly Bruggeman, the team’s “stroke” and a Chaminade Julienne High School junior, will participate in the USA Crew Team selection camp in Connecticut in June.

By Joseph Stueve, Contributing Writer Updated 4:23 AM Tuesday, May 19, 2009

DAYTON — Molly Bruggeman’s infatuation with the sport of rowing became evident as soon as the two were introduced.

“It’s so different and unique that I had fallen in love with it from the start,” she said.

Bruggeman, a rower for Chaminade Julienne High School, recently earned a trip to the upcoming Junior Women’s National Team selection camp. She’ll compete June 22 through July 5 against 52 invited rowers from throughout the country. Eight will represent Team USA in the World Rowing Junior Championships in France in August.

“It’s really exciting, and it has happened so fast,” said the Oakwood resident. She earned the invite two months ago after attending a Team USA identification camp in Chicago.

Events are 2,000 meters long and take about eight excruciating minutes. Competitors must be strong, strong-willed and full of endurance.

Rowing success for Bruggeman came quickly. While growing up around basketball and volleyball, Bruggeman didn’t think to explore the world of rowing until CJ coach Mike Miles approached the 5-foot-11 junior.

“I loved the atmosphere, and all the girls were great,” Bruggeman said. “Rowing is such a different sport. It takes a lot of mental and physical strength. The newness of the sport was one of the things I loved about it.”

In less than three seasons, Bruggeman and her 3.8 GPA have already attracted a heavy dose of interested colleges. Bruggeman said schools such as Notre Dame, Princeton, Georgetown and Boston College have inquired.

Miles has seen his fair share of talent during his 18-year coaching career in Dayton. After coaching at the University of Dayton for 13 years, Miles moved on to CJ to help start its rowing program. The improvement he has seen from Bruggeman over the past two years is immense.

“It’s very evident how intense of a competitor she is,” he said. “On the water, you could just see that she’s giving it every little bit she has every stroke. She’s one of the best rowers I’ve ever coached.”

Bruggeman said Miles is a big reason for her success.

“I give a lot of credit to Coach Miles,” she said. “He definitely is the one who set me on the path to gain so much motivation for my rowing career.”

Bruggeman said her goal heading into the selection camp is to make the fastest boat possible.

“I want to be on that eight (person boat) so bad,” she said, “but I know it’s going to be a tough competition, and I’m going to have to work my butt off.”

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