Traci Arnold returns for her final semester with the Rutgers-Camden crew program after competing in the Lady Raptors’ two regattas during the fall. She was in the bow seat for the Raptors’ Four at both the Navy Day Regatta (Oct. 13) and the Head of the Charles Regatta (Oct. 20).

        Arnold has been a key member of the Rutgers-Camden crew program since joining the team during the spring semester of her freshman season in 2005. She had her first collegiate athletic experience as a member of the 2004 Lady Raptors’ soccer team.

        Arnold had a fine junior season at Rutgers-Camden, both athletically and academically. During the 2007 spring season, she sat bow seat for the Lady Raptors in all five of their regattas. She helped the team place first in its Women’s Novice Four heat at the Murphy Cup (March 24) and second in its Women’s Varsity Four heat at the Knecht Cup (April 14), advancing to a third-place finish in the finals at both events. She helped the team win the Women’s Novice Four and place fourth in the Women’s Varsity Four at the Atlantic Collegiate League Springs (April 28). She also was in the bow seat when the Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Four finished second in its heat at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta May 11 to advance to the Dad Vail semifinals for the first time in program history.

        Arnold’s most impressive accomplishments came in the classroom, as she received a trio of prestigious academic honors during the 2006-07 school year. A dual Political Science and Criminal Justice major, Arnold was inducted into the 2007 National Political Science Honors Society. Her combined talents as a student-athlete, meanwhile, helped her earn honors on the 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women’s Rowing Team. The Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Teams, voted by members of Philly-SIDA (Sports Information Directors Association) are based on the Academic All-American program run by Co-SIDA, the national organization. Among the numerous qualifications for that honor, students must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing, be a starter or a significant reserve on their team and carry the minimum of a 3.2 GPA.

        Arnold capped her spring season by being named as one of the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s (CRCA) 2007 Scholar Athletes. The CRCA standards include a minimum 3.5 GPA.

        Arnold rowed in all six of the Lady Raptors’ regattas during the 2006 spring season. She was the team’s bow seat in both the Varsity Four and Varsity Eight boats as Rutgers-Camden continued to develop its young program. The Women’s Varsity Four finished second at the season-opening Murphy Cup March 25 (8:12.72).

         At the Johns Hopkins Invitational April 15, the Women’s Varsity Eight had its top time (6:48) and finished third in the finals. The Eight boat also was third in the final (7:08.9) at the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Crew Championships May 7, and finished second in the Repechage Div. II and III Second Final at the Dad Vail Regatta May 13, posting a 7:28.0 clocking.

        Arnold joined the crew program during the spring of 2005 and was in the Lady Raptors’ boat when the team posted the first victory in Rutgers-Camden varsity crew history. She was the 5 seat in the Women’s Frosh/Novice Eight boat which won the Division IIII finals at the Knecht Cup Regatta April 17, 2005.

        Arnold competed in eight varsity races over five regattas during the spring 2005 season, rowing the 5 seat in the Raptors’ Eight boat and the bow in the Four. She continued her crew career last fall during the Navy Day Regatta (Oct. 15) and the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta (Oct. 29), rowing in three races as the bow on the Four boat and the 3 seat on the Eight.

        Arnold made her collegiate athletic debut in the fall of 2004 as a member of the Rutgers-Camden women’s soccer team. She started four of her 18 games as a freshman midfielder, and her one goal helped the Raptors defeat host Marywood University Sept. 5 to capture the championship of the Pepsi Kickoff Classic in Scranton, PA.

        A three-sport star at Pitman High School, Arnold earned the Unsung Hero Award as a soccer freshman and the High Expectations Scholarship Award as a senior, in addition to numerous other soccer honors. During her four-year career as a varsity soccer letterwinner, Arnold captured Honorable Mention Tri-County Conference Classic Division honors as a freshman, Second Team Tri-County Conference honors during her sophomore and junior years and First Team Tri-County Conference honors as a senior, when she led her team to a 15-5-1 record under coach Nick Danze. She also earned the Outstanding Defensive Award and played in the All-Star Senior Game during her final scholastic soccer season.

        Arnold also earned three varsity letters apiece in swimming and track at Pitman. As a swimmer, she captured Second Team Tri-County Conference honors in the 400 freestyle relay as a sophomore, junior and senior. She also earned Honorable Mention Tri-County Conference in the 500 freestyle as a junior and a senior. In addition to her letters, she added a Senior Award in track.

        While taking AP courses, Arnold was an Honor Roll student all four years at Pitman High School. A member of SADD and the National Honor Society, she attended the Trooper Youth Week at the State Police Headquarters. Among the many scholarships she received were ones from the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee in Pitman and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office (for females going to college for Criminal Justice).

        Traci is the daughter of Richard and Susan Arnold of Pitman.