St. Francis Senior Ranker to Sign with Cal for Rowing
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Sydney Ranker has committed to UC Berkeley and will sign with their nationally-ranked rowing program on the upcoming National Signing Day on Nov. 8.
“I am really excited to go to Cal,” said Ranker. “They are the No. 1 school for rowing and are a regular at NCAAs every year. It is a really competitive program that I want to be part of.”
Ranker, who competes for the local rowing program Capital Crew, is in her third season rowing. She competes in 4+ and 8+ person boats for the club and rows in the starboard left side position. She helped her boat win the Varsity Women’s 4+ at the USRowing Youth Nationals in Sarasota this summer with boat mates Hannah Broadland (Rio Americano), Abby Paiva (McClatchy), Gabby Costamagna and Meera Chakrabarti (Del Oro).
“We qualified in the four and the eight,” recalled Ranker about the meet. “I raced in the 4+ and placed first. We won by open water and it was a great race.”
The national success has led to berths in two big events and an exciting fall schedule including the first appearance for the club in the Head of the Charles in Boston and entry in the Head of the Lake in Seattle this month.
Crew was not Ranker’s first sport. She made the St. Francis varsity volleyball team as a 6-2 freshman, earning a letter after playing 19 sets and recording 14 kills. But a shoulder injury led doctors to suggest she quit volleyball and the repetitive nature of the sport.
“When I had to quit volleyball, it was a big point in my life,” said Ranker. “But it really opened the doors for rowing. I took advantage of it and made the most of it.”
She competed for Capital Crew as a sophomore but a second dislocated shoulder led to her torn labrum diagnosis and surgery. By then she was all in with the sport.
“It is really high intensity and you have to be super in shape,” said Ranker. “It is all about fitness and legs. You have stay fit and be on top of it. You have to be in sync with everyone on the boat and it is a really rewarding feeling at the end of the race.”
Ranker will join a program at Cal that won the 2016 NCAA Championship at Lake Natoma and was second at the 2017 event. The Bear roster includes St. Francis graduates Jacquiline Holben ’14 and Julianna Qvistgaard ’17.
“I knew I wanted to stay in California so it was one of my top schools (I considered),” said Ranker, who is undecided on a major. “I am going to get a really good education.”
Ranker will participate in a ceremony at the school on Nov. 8.