Saasha Bruce

Position:
Rower
Height:
5-7
Class:
Freshman
High School:
Mt. Aspiring College
Hometown:
Wanaka, New Zealand

OREGON STATE
2014-15
Saasha raced in the Varsity 8 the entire season … raced in the bow seat of the V8 in first place finishes at the Pac-12 Challenge, beating Oklahoma, and at the Oregon State Classic, ahead of Louisville and Minnesota … rowed in the bow seat of the V8 at the Clemson Invitational recording wins over Clemson (twice), Bucknell, Minnesota (twice), Tennessee, Oklahoma (twice), Duke, Michigan State and Penn … rowed in the 2-seat of the V8 at Pac-12 Championships … rowed in the 3-seat of the V8 at Gonzaga and in a home regatta against Washington State and UCLA.

2013-14
Saasha rowed in the bow seat of the Varsity 8 at the Princeton Chase finishing 16th, the best finish among West Coast crews … raced in the 2-seat of the Varsity 8 in a win over University of Victoria and Gonzaga … raced in the 2-seat of the V8 in a defeat of University of San Diego at the Pac-12 Challenge and in a pair of wins over Duke at the Oregon State Classic … rowed in the 2-seat of the Beavers’ V8 winning two out of three races at the Clemson Invitational, beating Gonzaga, Clemson, Columbia, Oklahoma (twice), Tennessee (twice), Texas, Syracuse, Penn, Miami (twice), Harvard, Duke and Iowa … raced in the 2-seat of the V8 in a tie at Washington State … rowed in the 2-seat of the V8 at Pac-12 Championships … earned Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention.

2012-13
Rowed in the 7-seat of the Varsity 8 in a second place finish at the Portland Fall Classic … raced in the 6-seat of the V8 in a win at the University of Victoria … raced in the 7-seat of the V8 in a win at Gonzaga … rowed in the 5-seat of the Second Varsity 8 of the Pac-12 Invitational including a win over Northeastern … rowed in the bow seat of the V8 at the Clemson Invitational notching wins over Miami, Penn, Tennessee, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Texas and Central Florida … rowed in the bow seat of the V8 at the Oregon State Classic helping her crew to victories over San Diego (twice) and Syracuse … rowed in the bow seat of the V8 at the Pac-12 Championships … earned 2013 Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention.

2011-12
Rowed in the Second Varsity 8 throughout the season … raced in the 2-seat of the 2V8 in wins against the University of Victoria and Gonzaga … rowed in the bow seat of the 2V8 at the San Diego Crew Classic finishing sixth in the Petite Final … rowed in the bow seat of the 2V8 at the Michigan Invitational earning a win over Tennessee … rowed in the 6-seat of the 2V8 at the Pac-12 Championships.

MT. ASPIRING COLLEGE
Played four sports as a prep – rowing, netball, rugby and cross country skiing … named Wanaka Rowing Club Rower of the Year award in 2010 and ‘11 … also named the Mt. Aspiring School Rower of the Year award in 2010 and ‘11 … won three national medals, 10 South Island medals and nine provincial titles mostly in the single sculls between 2007-11 … finished second in the U18 single sculls in the 2010 New Zealand Secondary School Championships … finished third in the U18 single sculls in the 2011 New Zealand Secondary School Championships … finished third in the Women’s Club single sculls of the New Zealand Rowing Championships … part of the Crew of the Day at the Otago Rowing Championships in 2009 as a women’s U17 double sculls … member of the Otago U20 rowing team 2009-10 … played netball 2006-10 … umpired netball all grades from 8 years to adults and as a traveling umpire for teams at tournaments from 2006-11 … played rugby 2008-09 at the prop and lock positions … was Mt. Aspiring cross country skiing champion 2009, ‘10 and ‘11 … attended a national development camp for cross country skiing in 2010 … named Mt. Aspiring Athletics Champion in 2011.

PERSONAL
Born in Dunedin, New Zealand ... daughter of Jill and Rob Bruce ... father, Rob, rowed for the New Zealand Lightweight 4 and also in the New Zealand University 8 ... four-time winner of the College Challenge Cup for arts and crafts … five-year member of the 40-hour famine committee … received awards in secondary school for 2011 Class Act, Principals Award, and Students in the Committee with Distinction … enjoys playing netball, baking and crochet … lists her favorite athletes as cyclist Alison Shanks and rower Hamish Bond … chose OSU because “I liked the family atmosphere and that the coaches value me as a person as well as an athlete” … majoring in business.