By Claire Regenstreif
Staff Editor
With college just around the corner, many seniors make an effort to boost their grade point averages to increase their chances of getting into their dream school.
Due to her extreme hard work and dedication outside the classroom, Mira Costa senior Jenna Mangiagli will attend Washington State University, a Division I school, next fall on a scholarship for crew.
Mangiagli’s scholarship will cover a percentage of the out-of-state tuition fee in addtion to paying for school supplies and potential turoting that she may need. This is only Mangiagli’s second year doing crew, and she practices vigorously Monday through Friday.
“I am humbled to receive a scholarship from the school I love,” Mangiagli said. “I am beyond excited to be a part of such a welcoming team of girls next year.”
Mangiagli decided to do crew because she was interested in trying something new. After participating on the Mira Costa swim team for two years, she wanted a change which soon led to a significant achievement.
“Crew has given me a sense of responsibility because I have a team of girls relying on me to make the right decision,” Mangiagli said.
Mangiagli is one of many members of the University of Southern Califonia Los Angeles Marina Aquatic Center. MAC is a club rowing team for high school students that rows out of the Marina Del Rey Bay.
“Crew has been an amazing experience because the girls on our team are from all over the place,” Mangiagli said.
Mangiagli is the coxswain for MAC, meaning she steers the boat, gives the rowers mental motivation and calls out instructions to the team. One of the coxswain’s job is that she must balance making practices not too physically tiring, but mentally difficult. Teammates rely on Mangiagli to steer the boat straight in order to avoid difficult strokes during a race.
“I have to be calm and give the rowers an extra boost of confidence while they are already physically drained,” Mangiagli said.
According to fellow MAC team members, Mangiagli’s determination helps the rest of the team focus on the task at hand and stay motivated during the race so they can finish it as successfully as possible.
“We are all incredibly excited for her and are very proud that she committed to Washington State for crew,” teammate senior Katey Connolly said. “It truly shows how dedicated she is because collegiate crew teams require more focus and professionalism than the average person has. But I think Jenna will handle it really well when she is at Washington State.”
Mangiagli plans to continue with crew throughout all four years of college. According to Mangiagli, her teammates are her biggest motivation, pushing her to improve in every race that she competes in.
“Jenna comes to practice everyday with such a positive attitude and an extraordinary work ethic,” teammate junior Megan Di Leva said. “These qualities motivate our team to work as hard as she does.”
When she first started crew, Mangiagli had no intention of continuing the sport into college. From the support of Mangiagli’s coaches, they gave her the direction she needed to succeed.
“The coaches will talk to us about anything and everything so that we can succeed in our goals,” Mangiagli said.
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