Harder becomes the first Hornet rower since 2002 (Mieke Boynton) to earn first team honors as the Redlands, Calif., native has competed with Sacramento State''s top boat (varsity eight) in 41-consecutive races dating back to the 2003 season.

Harder, who just finished her third year with the program, helped guide this season''s Hornet varsity eight to a perfect 8-0 dual-meet record. In fact, all but one of those eight dual-meet victories came by at least eight seconds. Against UC Davis on April 23, the Hornets'' varsity eight posted a time of 6:40.5, the team''s fastest mark since 2000.

In addition, Harder was named first team all-Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) earlier this year.

On Monday, May 23, it was also announced that Harder earned CRCA National Scholar-Athlete honors for the second-consecutive year. She is the sixth Sacramento State rower to receive the honor and the third to achieve the award in successive seasons, joining Boynton (2000-02) and Megan Spitze (2000-02). The award recognizes student-athletes with a 3.5 cumulative gpa or higher and competed in at least 75 percent of the team''s 2005 spring races. Harder currently has a 3.70 gpa as an accounting major.

Harder began her Sacramento State athletic career as a freshman in 2003 with no previous rowing experience. She began that year with the team''s novice eight, before moving up to the second varsity eight, and finally the varsity eight midway through the 2003 season. Since that time, she has never missed a race with the varsity eight and the team''s top boat has posted a 17-2 dual-meet record over that span.

Sacramento State, which finished third at the WIRA Championships earlier this month and has now medaled at the event six times in the last seven years, will lose just three letterwinners heading into next season.