BOSTON – Boston University women’s crew announced the signings of Lee Persse, Lexie Somers, Kristina Scott, Brittany Tovee and Mariel Boomgaardt for the 2008 season this afternoon. The Class of 2011 hails from four different countries scattered across the globe.

Persse, a 5-11 stroke from Elgin, South Africa, played tennis and field hockey in addition to rowing for Somerset College. A senior captain of the rowing team, she earned honors for rowing as a senior and twice earned Junior Provincial Colors in crew. Persse picked up the Service Award for rowing and academic half-colors. As a sculler, she placed second at the 2006 junior national team trials and is currently trying out for the South African Under 23 team.

Somers rowed for the Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, Pa. The senior captain attended the US Junior Women’s Development camp as a sophomore and a junior, and was invited to selection camp as a senior. She led her varsity quad to the Philadelphia City Championships, the Stotesbury Cup and the Scholastic National Championship as a sophomore, and her boat finished second at the Philadelphia City Championships as a junior. The product of St. Davids, Pa., earned a spot on the Freshman Honor Roll, Junior High Honors and Senior Honors at Agnes Irwin.

Scott comes to BU from Sydney, Australia. Her eight was Australian National School Girl and Under-19 champions in 2005, and her U-19 eight finished third in 2006. In Scott’s senior year, her eight was the runner up in the Australian National School Girl Championship. The 5-9 rower is a three-time champion of the Heat of the River (2004-06) and competed in the 2005 Women’s Henley Regatta. She was a member of the New South Wales Institute of Sport Development squad in 2006 and finished second in the Junior World Selection Trials.

A 5-10 rower from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Tovee excelled in crew for Canterbury High School. She competed in the Royal Canadian Henley for three straight years in five different events and never placed below fourth, winning in the Junior B Coxed Four and the Junior Coxed Four. She also placed second in the Junior Eight. As a sophomore, Tovee won the Junior B Coxed Four and Eight in the Ontario Championships before winning the Junior Pairs and Coxed Fours as a junior. Tovee earned a pair of championships in the Junior Pair as a senior, coming in first at the Canadian Nationals and the Head of the Fish regattas. She also competed at the Head of the Charles in 2007 and placed 22nd in the Youth Eight. At the Canadian Secondary Schools Regatta, Tovee placed second in the senior pair in 2006, and won the senior pair and four in 2007.

The 5-9 Boomgaardt hails from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She competed in the Royal Canadian Henley as a senior, sitting stroke seat in the Junior Women’s four-plus, the Junior Women’s Eight and the Junior Women’s Pair and placing first through third, respectively. She stroked her coxed four and pair to wins at the 2006 Ontario Championships as well. Boomgaardt participated in the Canadian Henley and Ontario Championships in 2005, and her boats won the Junior B Coxed Four at the Canadian Henley and the Junior B Women’s Coxed Fours and Eight at the Ontario Championships. At the 2006 Canadian Secondary Schools Championships Regatta, Boomgaardt won the senior pair with Tovee. She was a participant in the 2006 Senior National Trials and was chosen to the Junior National Team Selection Camp. In June 2007, she and her partner were bronze medalists at the Junior National Team Trials and Boomgaardt was selected to represent Canada at the CanAmMex International Regatta, for top developmental junior athletes.