Rowing Staff Completed
Sept. 20, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – University of Miami head women’s rowing coach Debra Morgan has announced the hiring of Cinda Ewton as an assistant coach for the varsity women, as well as recruiting coordinator. Morgan has also added former Hurricane rower Liz Payer as an assistant coach working with the novice women’s crew.
Ewton is a USRowing Level II certified coach and has nine years of rowing experience, including seven years of collegiate racing while studying at the University of Virginia, Duke University and abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. She most recently competed for three years at the University of Virginia while completing her master’s degree in Marine Affairs.
Ewton comes to Miami after spending the past year and half as the sculling coordinator and rowing coach at the Rivanna Rowing Club in Charlottesville, VA. She also served as a student assistant for the University of Virginia women’s rowing program. In addition, Ewton spent just over a year as a stewardship assistant for The Nature Conservancy, working with policies and legal matters regarding Virginia’s shoreline.
“We are very fortunate to have Cinda on our staff,” said Morgan. “Her experience as a rower at the collegiate and national level will help us in achieving our goals at the University of Miami.”
Following her undergraduate career at Duke, Ewton spent the following eight months in Durham, NC, as the novice women’s coach. Her first eight claimed the 1996 ACC title and placed in the finals at the national Dad Vail Regatta.
Ewton double-majored at Duke where she earned bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Science and Policy and Biology in 1995. She spent 1994 studying abroad at New South Wales. Among the accolades she has achieved as a rower was the 1994 Australian University Champion in the women’s eight and a selection to the United States Development Camp in 1995, earning a Bronze Medal at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival. In the summer of 1998, Ewton ventured to Lithuania, where she placed fifth in the FISA International Amber Oars Regatta. Two months later, she aided her women’s senior eight to victory at the 1998 Royal Canadian Henley.
Perennially on the ACC Academic Honor Roll during her tenure at the University of Virginia, Ewton was an integral part of Virginia’s rise to national prominence in NCAA women’s rowing. She assisted the Virginia Cavaliers’ first varsity eight that earned a Silver Medal at the 1999 NCAA Rowing Championships. Her team tied for first with Brown University in overall team points. The NCAA team title was given to Brown, while Virginia was awarded the honor as second place team.
In 1998, Ewton was a member of the Cavalier’s National Champion second varsity eight, while Virginia placed third as a team. In 1997, she assisted the second varsity eight to a Bronze Medal at the inaugural NCAA Rowing Championships, while the team came in fourth.
Other notable finishes during her Virginia rowing career was a fourth place finish at the 1998 Head of the Charles in the Championship Eights event, losing only to Denmark, Canada and the United States. She also won the 1997 Princeton Chase in the open women’s fours and eights events. A three-time winner of the women’s double at the Head of the Ohio, Ewton also captured the victory in the single in 1999.
Payer, a four-year letterwinner for the Hurricanes from 1997-2000, will handle the program’s novice women, assisting with the on-campus recruiting and coaching. In her final season with Miami, Payer served as co-captain of the varsity women.
“Liz brings a lot of enthusiasm to the sport of rowing,” added Morgan. “Her energy and interest in rowing are crucial in spreading the word around on campus and developing a top novice program.”
Originally from Jacksonville, FL, Payer came to Miami as one of the state’s top rowers from Stanton College Prep. She finished her high school career at West Potomac HS, in Alexandria, VA, as her team’s MVP, as well as a Washington Post All-Met selection.
At Miami, Payer, who earned her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, was a familiar face in the varsity eight rowing in nearly every seat. Along with being a very effective rower whether in the stern or bow, Payer was able to row from either side with positive result.
Her crews at Miami were consistently the top finishers at the Florida and Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association regattas, claiming back-to-back first-place titles in 1998 and 1999. Additionally, she assisted the varsity eight to its top two finishes at the Head of the Charles Regatta in 1999 (13th) and 1998 (15th).
The women’s rowing season begins October 7 with the annual Head of the Creek Regatta on Indian Creek in Miami Beach.
