Former Oregon State University rower Devery Karz realized a lifelong dream in late April when she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team in the women’s lightweight double sculls at the Olympic Trials in Sarasota, Fla. A graduate of Park City (Utah) High School, Karz originally teamed with Michelle Sechser in 2015 to qualify the LW2x boat to the Olympics. However, without a spot in the boat secured, Karz went back to work with four other rowers to identify the best pairing to represent the United States in the Rio Games. Karz ended up teaming with Kate Bertko and posted the fastest times all week leading up to the Olympic Trials. Karz lettered for the Beavers from 2009-11 and was OSU’s 2011 Most Valuable Oarswoman in her final season. She earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors three times and graduated with a degree in speech communication and minors in Spanish and Chinese. She helped OSU’s Varsity 8 to a third place finish at Pac-10 Championships in 2009. That V8 crew qualified to NCAA Championships for the first time since 2000 and took 18th at the national championship regatta. She is the second OSU women’s rower to qualify to the Olympics, joining Amy Martin of Sherman County, Ore. Martin took sixth place in the women’s eight in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
