Liam McDermott ’29
Madeline Husain ’29
Though she has only been rowing for four years, Elsa Holleran ’26, senior captain of the girls’ crew team, shows how a deep love of sport and relentless pursuit can lead to remarkable growth.
Each day, Holleran and other members of the Winter Crew Team spend countless hours on the erg, lifting, and mentally preparing to get in the water for the Spring crew season. As captain of the girls’ crew team, Holleran performs with a ready-to-work attitude. Her strength, resilience, and determination have crafted her into the rower she is today, even though she only began the sport three years ago.
Holleran began rowing her freshman year of high school at Northfield Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Massachusetts, after leaving Episcopal in eighth grade. Although she was only at Northfield Mount Hermon for one year, Holleran fell in love with rowing in that short period of time. Holleran shares that her teammates at Northfield Mount Hermon were a crucial part of her early career. She explains, “There were a lot of [upperclassmen] that were serious about it… they really showed me what rowing could be like. And all my friends on the team pushed me to keep going and stick with it.” Holleran’s experience at Northfield Mount Hermon led her to take crew even more seriously when she returned to Episcopal at the start of her sophomore year.
As crew became a staple in her life, Holleran became a more focused and diligent rower. Co-captain Jordan Shanahan ’26 remarks, “She’s incredibly strong, both physically and mentally. Crew is a really grueling sport, and that’s something people don’t always see. She’s really good at pushing both herself and her teammates.” Her ability to persevere through the demanding challenges of crew further highlights her work ethic and natural talent for the sport.
Holleran’s mental strength is especially evident during winter training. Each day, Holleran and the rest of the team complete a different workout, with most of the time spent on the erg. The erg, unlike other cardio workouts, requires total body engagement by targeting different muscle groups. Holleran and the Winter Crew Team push themselves here each day. She shares, “I’ve never experienced something so physically challenging.” Holleran embraces the grind of winter training by pushing through the exhaustion with focus and determination. Her willingness to take the toughest train head-on not only proves her mental resilience but also her deep commitment to rowing.
Along with Holleran’s diligence, she also presents a sense of optimism and kindness to the team, fostering a feeling of community in and out of the crew room. “I’m always impressed by how positive she stays. Even if the first piece doesn’t go as well as she wants, she keeps a great attitude,” Shanahan explains.
Photo courtesy of James Quinn
Head Coach of the varsity women’s crew team, Molly Konopka, also expresses that one of Holleran’s best qualities is her supportive and uplifting personality. “She’s a really good teammate. She rallies the troops, and that’s important,” says Konopka.
Holleran was voted as captain by her fellow teammates as a result of her talent as a rower, her contagious positivity, and trust from her teammates and coaches. Holleran looks forward to being captain in the Spring season with excitement and high hopes. “I’m excited about it. I feel like it gives me a leadership opportunity. And I know it’s just a title, but I feel like people will really look to me for help or just like a role model.”
In preparation for a competitive season on the Schuylkill, Holleran has set goals to compete in some of the most competitive regattas. She shares, “I just want to do as well as we can.” Additionally, Elsa has set goals to proceed to higher rounds in the Stotesbury competition and be ambitious as a varsity-level team. She explains, “I’m excited to race in the varsity category. I’ve also only ever done sweep rowing, which is with one oar, versus sculling, which is with two. It’s possible we will be in a quad [this spring], with two oars, so that would be fun too.” Holleran’s enthusiasm and intentions for the team will undoubtedly inspire success in this year’s girls’ crew program.
This past summer, Holleran committed to the University of Virginia to continue her career rowing at the Division I level. She chose UVA because of its balance between academic and athletic excellence, sharing, “[UVA has] an amazing campus, amazing athletics, and amazing academics. It’s a school that is very well-rounded and has everything.” Holleran’s passion, leadership, and strength have been evident for the past four years of crew. As Holleran prepares for UVA, she leaves a program behind that is stronger and more cohesive as a result of her dedication to self and team improvement.
