Our Coaches

Our Staff

Craftsbury Outdoor Center coaches include Olympians and former World Champions, as well as coaches of some of the most competitive universities, schools, and clubs from around the world. Heading up the COC staff are these distinguished coaches:

Sara Gronewold, Director

Michele Africa, Associate Director

Carol Bower, Associate Director

Troy Howell, Associate Director

Kevin MacDermott, Associate Director

Ric Ricci, Associate Director

Helen Tilghman, Associate Director

Will Ruth, Assistant Director

Craftsbury Sculling Center Coach List

Josh Accomando, Nobles and Greenough

Stephanie Acerra, Holton Arms School

Toby Ayer, Salisbury School

Janet Bellantoni, Redwood Scullers

Peter Belmonte, Xavier High School

Libby Boghossian, Riverside Boat Club

Ali Boileau, Durham University

Scott Bowman, Hockaday School

Ellen Braithwaite, Open Water Rowing Center

Erik Breiland, Green Mountain Rowing

Meredith Breiland, Green Mountain Rowing

John Brisson, NYAC

Izzie Brown, Oakland Strokes

Ronnie Cantrell, Michigan State University

Rowan Carroll, Upper Valley Rowing

Landon Carter, Marin Rowing Association

Rich Connell, Middlebury College

Maura Conron, Cambridge Boat Club

Isa Darvin, University of Wisconsin

Terry Davison, South Orlando Rowing Association

Diane DeLuca, Michigan State

Kate Erickson, St. Mark’s School

Maria Esway, Hockaday School

Tracy Falkenthal, Texas Rowing Center

Maggie Fellows, GRP Alumni

Cate Field, Washington State University

Steve Fiske, Boston College

Jen Forbes, Georgetown University

Will Forteith, Hockaday School

Jeanne Friedman, Mount Holyoke

Peter Graves, Trinity College

Mark Grinberg, Riverside

Patrick Guelakis, Choate Rosemary Hall

Molly Hamrick, Stanford

Dan Harrison, University of Michigan

Jack Heaslip, Riverside Boat Club

Susan Herman Seybolt, Whitemarsh Boat Club

Lizzy Houston, Boston College

Troy Howell, Episcopal School of Jacksonville

Brannon Johnson, BLJ Community Rowing

Nadia Kean, Texas Rowing Center

Devon Lafferty, Texas Rowing Center

Laura Larsen-Strecker, Austin Rowing Club

Jim Lauderdale, St Paul’s School

Terra Levin, Northwestern University

Lawrence Lopez-Menzies, Belmont Hill School

Lisa Lowe, Riverside Boat Club

Brendan Lynch, University College Dublin

Kelly Salchow MacArthur, 2-time Olympian

Sally Machin, Stonington High School

Josh Accomando:  Josh is Head Boys Coach at Nobles and Greenough where he also teaches in the English department. He has been rowing and sculling for the past 19 years, first learning to scull in private lessons, then rowing at Belmont Hill and for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and returning to sculling at the Cambridge Boat Club.

Back to Top

Stephanie Acerra: Stephanie played collegiate field hockey and lacrosse until she had the opportunity to begin rowing after college in 1996. She has been rowing competitively since then, both sweep and sculling with several clubs, currently with Capital Rowing Club in Washington DC. As a high school teacher, Stephanie has additionally coached rowing at the schools where she taught since 2002, including Choate Rosemary Hall, Greenwich Academy, and currently The Holton Arms School where she has been the head coach since 2014. She has been coming to Craftsbury since 2005!

Back to Top

Michele Africa: Michele began rowing for Humboldt State in 1996. She continued on to medal in the single at Henley and US Nationals. She has coached at all levels of rowing from juniors to collegiate and masters. She has coached at Moss Bay, Gorge Rowing Center, Camosun College, Humboldt State and Humboldt Bay Rowing Association.

Back to Top

Toby Ayer: Toby grew up in Burlington, VT and spent the summers of his youth juggling with Circus Smirkus, based in Greensboro, just south of Craftsbury. He began rowing as a freshman at MIT, and for a couple of summers stole over to Great Hosmer for early-morning sculling sessions while the circus was in training. He attended graduate school at Oxford, and rowed in the Boat Race for four years, ending with a streak-breaking win against Cambridge in 2000. Returning to Boston, Toby was a coaching assistant to Harry Parker at Harvard for two years and continued training out of the Harvard boathouse for several more years. During this time he taught freshman physics at MIT and coached the Brookline High School boys’ team. He also spent two summers rowing with the elite men at Penn AC in Philadelphia. In 2008 he and his wife moved to Salisbury School in northwest Connecticut, where Toby teaches physics and coaches the rowing team. He turned his experiences at Harvard into The Sphinx of the Charles, a year-long profile of Harry Parker. Toby continues train and race in masters events, both on the water and on the erg, with recent wins at CRASH-Bs, the Head of the Charles, and other regattas.

Back to Top

Janet Bellantoni: Janet has been rowing and coaching for over 30 years, including coaching men and women at all levels (elite, club, masters, college, and juniors). She enjoys working with all athletes, from brand new rowers to seasoned competitive masters. She is currently an assistant coach for the nationally-ranked Redwood Scullers junior team and the Technical Director of the venerable Twin Donut Rowing Club. She has coached at Craftsbury since 2016.

Janet learned to row at the University of Rochester in 1986, where she served as team captain and stroked a gold medal eight at Eastern Sprints. After college, she trained at the U.S. National Lightweight Team training center in Boston while attending selection camps for the US lightweight 4-. During this time, she earned medals at the Lucerne Regatta, World University Games, Elite Nationals, Head of the Charles, and Canadian Henley. She remains an active master’s rower, with recent wins at the Head of the Charles, the Heineken Roeivierkamp, and the San Diego Crew Classic. Her current home club on the west coast is the Bair Island Aquatic Center (BIAC) where she serves on the Board of Directors.

Back to Top

Peter Belmonte: In 2007 Peter was first introduced to rowing as a walk-on at Wesleyan University, where Norm Graf served part-time as assistant coach. After college, Peter raced briefly with the Riverfront Recapture men’s masters’ team, before getting more competitive and training in the single with Guenter at GMS in New Milford, CT. During that time, Peter served as head coach at Xavier High School from 2012-2018 and assistant coach at his alma mater from 2015-2018. More recently, Peter’s served as assistant coach at DCNRC on the Upper Potomac River from 2019-2021 and TBC Racing in downtown Washington, DC since the summer of 2022. 

Back to Top

Libby Boghossian:  Libby is a 2009 graduate of Brown University, where she studied biology and became a two time NCAA champion and a three time Eastern Sprints champion while rowing with the Bears. She then spent nearly a decade coaching scholastic and club rowing, in addition to teaching high school science. In 2017, she earned a Master's degree from Harvard University while coaching the Harvard Lightweight Men. She is now working at an education-related nonprofit in the Boston area, and continues to row for Riverside.

Back to Top

Ali Boileau: Ali was an enthusiastic rower when he had a near fatal car-crash in 1998 and was told he would never row again due to injuries. So, he took up sculling, coaching and yoga. He studied Ashtanga and Vinyasa flow yoga in Rishikesh, in the Himalayas of northern India, and did an advanced yoga teacher training course in gentle hatha yoga in Kerala, southern India. He went on to win gold at both the British and World Masters in his single, a double and stroking a quad. He became a school teacher (Geography and Japanese) in London where he built up and ran a large and successful school rowing program. He now coaches sculling and yoga in London, England and Bergerac, France.

Back to Top

Carol Bower: Carol learned to row during her junior year at UCLA in 1978. She raced for the United States from 1979 to 1984, and won many medals, including Gold in the 1984 Olympics in the Women’s 8+.  Carol was named Female Athlete of the Year in 1982 by the US Olympic Rowing Committee. In 1980, Carol began coaching with a position at Yale University, coaching the Novice Women. Since then, she has been a head coach of University of Pennsylvania from 1987 - 1996, and Bryn Mawr from 1996 until 2022. Carol coached the US Women's Olympic 4+ in 1988, and has twice been honored as a Hall of Fame athlete, both in 1984 and in 1991. She retired from Bryn Mawr in 2022 and now lives in Portland, Maine, enjoying surfing and hiking in the summers and cross-country skiing in the winters. Carol has coached at Craftsbury since 2005.

Back to Top

Scott Bowman: Scott was introduced to rowing as a member of Brown University Crew in the late 1990’s. After graduating, he was a History teacher and rowing coach at the Salisbury School followed by many years of practicing law, interspersed with teaching roles. Scott returned to being a full-time educator in 2020 at the Hockaday School in Dallas, TX, where he has assisted with its rowing team.

Back to Top

Ellen Braithwaite:  Ellen learned to row as an adult at Craftsbury while she was a member of the Center's office staff in the early 90s. Sculling led to lots of new friends, and a new career. She combined teaching and administration for four years as the Director of the Open Water Rowing Center in Sausalito, California, and now specializes in teaching sculling to adults, both on the challenging water of San Francisco Bay and on various calmer bodies of water in California and Vermont. As a competitor in sprint events, Ellen has won sculling gold medals at the FISA Masters Worlds, as well as U.S. Rowing National and Regional regattas. She competes in long distance events in the ocean as well as on lakes and rivers, and though she has medaled in the Monterey Bay Crossing, the Catalina Crossing, marathons in Ottawa, Vermont, and California, and the North American Open Water Rowing Championship, she believes strongly in the satisfaction of modulated participation.

Back to Top

Erik Breiland: Erik is the founding president of Green Mountain Rowing in the greater Burlington, Vermont, area. Erik rowed sweep at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1994-1998) and started sculling on the Merrimack River in the summer of 1995. He coached women's novice crew at the University of Vermont in 2000 and took the novice eight to their first berth in the petite final at the New England Rowing Championships. Competitively, Erik has medaled in sculling boats at the Head Of The Charles, US Nationals, Canadian Henley, and “more prestigious races” such as the Green Mountain Head Race and Black Fly Regatta. He encouraged his mom to start rowing back in 2001; she is an active member of Merrimack River Rowing Association. Erik and his wife, Meredith, both row on the Lamoille River. Erik has been a coach at Craftsbury since 2002.

Back to Top

Meredith Breiland: Meredith's rowing career began in high school at Norwalk River Rowing Club (Norwalk, CT) and continued at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, 1997-2000). After taking years off to compete in triathlons and marathons, Meredith returned to rowing professionally and personally. Meredith joined Concept2's marketing team in 2007, where she spent over 15 years promoting the lauded fitness brand. She joined HUDSON Boat Works in 2024 as the Marketing Manager. Meredith rows on the Lamoille River as a member of Green Mountain Rowing (Milton, Vermont) with her husband (and fellow coach), Erik Breiland.

Back to Top

John Brisson:  John started rowing in 1973 at SUNY Stony Brook and has never stopped. John began coaching at Craftsbury in 1978 and thereafter competed at the 1980, '84 and '88 Olympic trials, won several national championships, Canadian Henleys, and many other races too. John retired his law practice in 2011 but not from coaching. He has coached at the High School, elite, pre-elite, Collegiate and masters levels. John is currently coaching at the NYAC, guest coaching at clubs, and still comes to Craftsbury where his love for the 1x can flourish as he teaches people of all levels to row it better.

Back to Top

Izzie Brown: Izzie learned to scull at Craftsbury in 1983. For the following four summers, attending camp at Craftsbury became an annual tradition for Izzie and her mom, as a way to spend time together before returning to college in the fall. Izzie transitioned to coaching at Craftsbury in the early 1990s, and is thrilled to be a part of the Craftsbury camp experience for all who participate.

Izzie began rowing at Northfield Mount Hermon and competed in the World University Games in the 4x and earned silver at the Pan American Games in the lightweight 2x. In addition to coaching at Craftsbury, she has been a part of the coaching staff at Temple University, Mount Holyoke College and the Florida Rowing Center. As a transition to empty-nesting, she is currently a part-time coach at Oakland Strokes for the men’s program. In graduate school, Izzie studied rowing physiology and biomechanics. She also created The Boathouse Row Cookbook; an inspirational example of the strong and uplifting bond among the Philadelphia rowing community. When not coaching or sculling with Janet Bellantoni, a fellow Craftsbury coach, she is a professor teaching sports nutrition and exercise physiology at San Jose State University.

Back to Top

Ronnie Cantrell: Ronnie rowed for Skyline High School and Washtenaw Rowing Center in Ann Arbor Michigan, and Oxford Brookes University Boat Club in England. Some of his accomplishments include quarterfinalist in the Royal Henley Regatta, British Championship finalist, six-time Midwest Championship winner, and two-time Scholastic National Championship medalist. He has coached on the high school and college level, and is currently coaching at Michigan State University, as well as in the USRowing junior and U23 Olympic Development Programs.

Back to Top

Rowan Carroll: Rowan started rowing at Mount Holyoke College in 1989. She went on to row at Nottingham University and then Notts County Rowing Association, where she competed for England and Great Britain between 1994 and 2001. Rowan’s favorite races were competing at Women’s Henley in 1994 and 1997, where she won the open single sculls, and racing at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in the women’s eight. Rowan moved to America in 2001, she now lives in Hanover, NH, and coaches and competes with Upper Valley Rowing.

Back to Top

Landon Carter: Landon began sculling at 48 and won the US Masters Nationals single after one year. Since that time he has won numerous regattas in the single and in both sculling and sweep boats: FISA Worlds, San Diego Crew Classic, US, Canadian and New Zealand Masters Nationals, Henley Masters, and The Head of the Charles in the single. He has been coached by some of the world's best coaches and now enjoys passing on what he knows to others as a coach and mentor. He is a member of Marin Rowing Association and lives in California and New Zealand.

Back to Top

Rich Connell: Rich began rowing as an undergrad at Franklin Pierce College in 2004, becoming the assistant coach of that program from 2007-2009 upon graduating, and later joined the Merrimack River Rowing Association (MRRA) from 2008 to 2015. In addition to coaching FPC, he was the head coach of the Dublin School in New Hampshire from 2010-2016, was the varsity boys coach at Vermont Academy from 2016-2017, and was the head coach at the Anchorage Rowing Association (ARA) in Alaska from 2017-2019. Currently, Rich is the head coach of men's and women's rowing at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Working with those who love the sport is his passion, and he has coached aspiring rowers of all ages (from 10 through 87 years of age) and ability levels (including para-rowing) at the junior, collegiate, and master’s level.

Back to Top

Maura Conron:  Maura began rowing at Brown University and Narragansett Boat Club and now rows at Cambridge Boat Club (MA). Maura has coached at various programs including CRI and Riverside. She was Co-Race Director of the Head of the Charles Regatta in 2013 and 2014, the 50th running. Maura now works full time at a sustainability non-profit.

Back to Top

Isa Darvin: Isa is a 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was also a member and captain of the women’s rowing team. She trained as a U23 at Craftsbury and has coached post-collegiately nearly all age groups and abilities from middle school learn-to-row to collegiate novices and masters, as well as participating in US National Team selection in summer of 2022. Outside of rowing, she works as a software developer and enjoys reading and trail running.

Back to Top

Terry Davison: Terry is originally from Belfast, Ireland, and is a retired British Police Officer. A lifelong involvement in sport and fitness fell into rowing coaching through his two sons in 2009. He is presently head coach at South Orlando Rowing Association.

Back to Top

Diane DeLuca:  Diane began rowing at Michigan State's club program; competing in regional races, the Dad Vails, and the Head of the Charles. She continued rowing after college in Philadelphia at The Vesper Boat Club; competing in regional regattas, Club and Elite National Championships, and the Canadian Henley. She has also raced in Mexico City and rowed in Florence Italy under the Ponte Vecchio. Diane started coaching when the Fairmount Rowing Club (Philly) needed a summer coach for their novice junior boys. That was over 20 years ago, and she has been coaching ever since. Diane is a volunteer coach at Michigan State, and a regatta volunteer for the Knecht Cup and San Diego Crew Classic.

Back to Top

Kate Erickson: Kate learned to row somewhat later in life as a PhD student at Oxford University, where she joined her college's intramural team in exchange for the promise of a free hamburger on tryout day. She went on to row for the Oxford University Women's Boat Club for three varsity seasons between 2015 and 2018 and was team captain in her final year. She has previously coached at The Hill School and is now Head Varsity Boys Coach at St. Mark's School in Southborough, MA.

Back to Top

Maria Esway: Maria has been rowing for over 20 years with several organizations, including: Dallas Rowing Club; Lincoln Park Boat Club; Columbus Rowing Association; and Green Lake Rowing Club. She competes annually at regional and national regattas in both sculling and sweep events. Maria has also held leadership roles across multiple rowing venues, instructed all rowing levels, and interacts regularly with high school, collegiate and adult athletes. Maria is currently coaching at The Hockaday School in Dallas, TX.

Back to Top

Tracy Falkenthal: Tracy started rowing in 1982 at Berkeley High, then Varsity Boston University, NBRC, Marin, Coeur D’Alene, Chinook, and Texas Rowing Center. She is a Level 3 USRowing coach and lives in Austin, TX, where she rows and coaches full time. Tracy’s rowing accomplishments include winning UK Henley Masters, FISA Master’s Worlds Championships, 4x Head of The Charles, and 6x Masters National Championships. Tracy has also won the IFBB Pro (International Federation of BodyBuilding) in Physique & Figure in 2016, and is a personal trainer and health coach in addition to rowing. Her goal is to promote rowing for all by adding culture and diversity to the sport, changing the “elitist“ attitude and appearance of rowing to help our sport grow and thrive.

Back to Top

Maggie Fellows: Maggie started rowing in high school at Northfield Mount Hermon. She attended Saint Lawrence University intending to ski, but ended up rowing instead. Maggie was an All-American at Saint Lawrence and came to row for the Green Racing Project upon graduating in 2013. She has since coached and rowed at multiple locations in the USA. Maggie made the Pan-American Team in 2018 and 2019, won the Head of the Charles in the women’s championship single in 2021 and placed fourth in Olympic Singles Trials that year, was on the Senior National Team in 2022, and is currently training for the 2024 Olympics and assistant coaching with the Row Boston Program at Community Rowing Inc in Boston, MA.

Back to Top

Cate Field: Cate learned to row in middle school and has been continuing her involvement in the sport ever since. She rowed throughout high school, earning two varsity letters. Cate was then recruited to row in college at Washington State University, where she was team captain three years in a row, participated in the PAC12 Championship 3 times, and made an NCAA appearance in 2021. After graduating in the spring of 2023, Cate is now pursuing a career in strength and conditioning.

Back to Top

Steve Fiske: Steve began his sculling career at Craftsbury, and returned to coach in the summers from 2000-2004. He has close to 3 decades of coaching experience, working collegiately for long stints at Fordham University and his current gig, Head Women’s Coach at Boston College. At BC, Steve has utilized small boats to develop his athletes leading to consistent success both regionally and nationally. He competed at Fordham University, where his career included team records on the ergometer (6K/2K), and medals at Dad Vails, the IRA Regatta, and racing in the Henley Royal Regatta. Steve continued to train and race competitively for the New York Athletic Club for the better part of a decade, winning 5 national titles in both sweep and sculling events. He also raced internationally, representing the Commercial Rowing Club of Ireland. Steve remains active, sculling and running road races, including a number of marathons and half marathons.

Back to Top

Jen Forbes: Jen began rowing in 2005, and continued at Northeastern University from 2008-2011. She has made two National Teams. Jen joined the GRP in 2017, and has coached rowing since 2011 in different capacities and settings.

Back to Top

Will Forteith: Will began rowing at St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas where he raced quads, doubles, and singles. During high school, he came to Craftsbury twice as a camper, and his Vermont experiences resulted in a lifelong affinity for New England rarely found in those born elsewhere. He did his university rowing at Cornell on the men's lightweight team. From 2000-2002, Will was the assistant men's crew coach at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. In 2003, Will returned to his alma mater, St. Mark's, where he served as the Assistant Head of Middle School for five years and the Head Rowing Coach for eight years. From 2012-2015, Will served as the Middle School Principal at The Walker School outside of Atlanta and coached rowing at multiple clubs, including Atlanta Junior Rowing Association, Atlanta Rowing Club, and Peachtree City. Will earned his M.Ed. from Teachers College at Columbia University in May 2016, and he served as the Director of Rowing Programs at Blair Academy beginning in the fall of 2017. In the fall of 2018, Will and his family returned to Dallas, where he is teaching and coaching sculling at The Hockaday School.

Back to Top

Jeanne Friedman:  Jeanne is a USRA Level III certified coach, and has been involved in sculling since 1975. During her tenure as head coach at Mount Holyoke College (1992-2014) she led the team to four Seven Sisters Championships, two NEWMAC Championship, and numerous medals at the ECAC and New England Championships. In 2009, she was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, Jeanne was inducted in to the Boston University athletic Hall of Fame. Coach Friedman believes in the importance of a holistic approach to rowing - mental training as well as physical.

Back to Top

Peter Graves: Peter learned to scull at the age of 9 on the Thames River in a 2x with his dad, Harry Graves. Twenty years later he proudly competed at the 2012 London Olympics not far from where he took his first strokes. Through the years Peter rowed for Cincinnati Country Day School ('03), Trinity College ('07), and the US National Team ('06,'09,'11,'12,'14,'16). Peter stroked the Trinity College 8+ that won the 2005 Henley Royal Regatta. Peter has won the Head of the Charles six times, twice in the Men's Collegiate 8+ and four times in the Men's Championship 2x. He has had the distinct honor of representing the USA internationally with his older brother Tom in the M2x ('09,'11) and in the M4x ('14,'16) with his younger brother John. Most years while on the national team he trained in Newport Beach, CA during the winter and at Craftsbury, VT during the summer. He eventually became part of the newly created Craftsbury GRP from 2013-2016. One of his favorite highlights is winning a Bronze Medal at the 2014 Lucerne World Cup in the M4x with his Craftsbury teammates: Steve Whelpley, John Graves, and Ben Dann. Peter has coached at the junior, collegiate, and international level including the Craftsbury sponsored USA M2x in 2017. He currently is the Interim Head Women's Coach at Trinity College in Hartford, CT and also program manager at Long Beach Junior Crew in Long Beach, CA.

Back to Top

Mark Grinberg: Mark is the retired Head Coach of Riverside Boat Club's High Performance Group in Cambridge, MA. The 2014 USRowing Fan's Choice Coach of the Year, his focus is on developing the individual athlete through a focus on small boats and sculling. Mark has coached athletes to top finishes at USRowing Youth Nationals and Head of the Charles. His former athletes row at some of the top rowing programs in the country. He has coached several boats at the U19, U23, and Senior National team levels.

Back to Top

Sara Gronewold: Sara learned to row at Boston University and was a member of BU’s Eastern Sprints and National Championship Gold Medal crew in 1992. After college, Sara raced on the United States Rowing Team from 1996-2000. She won a gold medal in the women’s 4- at the 1996 World Championships, a bronze medal in 1999 and was a member of the U.S. women’s 4X in 1998. She began coaching at Craftsbury in 2002, and discovered a love of coaching sculling. In addition to coaching every summer at Craftsbury, Sara coached with CRI in Boston, Boston University Summer Program, Duke University, Carolina Masters and, most recently, the Ann Arbor Rowing Club, where she was the director for several years. Sara was named to the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.

Back to Top

Patrick Guelakis: Patrick has coached at Craftsbury since 2006. A 2003 graduate of Trinity College, Pat coached for two years at Connecticut College under the direction of Ric Ricci. In these two years, the first novice fours were undefeated and novice team took gold in three events in the New England Fours Championships. Pat rowed for four years with the Bantams, competing in the NESCAC under the direction of coaches Stew Stokes and Steve Fluhr. He then coached at Worcester Polytechnic Institute for five years as the Assistant Varsity Coach while teaching physics at Worcester Academy and earning his Master's in electrical engineering. He is currently Head Coach for the boy's team and a physics teacher at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, CT.

Back to Top

Molly Hamrick:  Molly began rowing in 2005 at Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. She has competed on several U.S. Junior and Under-23 teams in both sweep and sculling events, winning two world championships with the junior women's 8+ in 2008 and 2009. A 2012 Craftsbury U23-SBTC and 2013 Princeton University alumna, Molly currently trains in Boston with Riverside Boat Club, where she also coaches junior girls.

Back to Top

Dan Harrison: Dan found rowing in college at Seattle University and ended up spending lots of time in small boats on Lake Washington, eventually leading to an ACRA national title in the pair. He made his way into coaching after graduating in 2013 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and has spent time coaching at Oregon State University, Ohio State University, and is currently at the University of Michigan. Dan spends his time outside of coaching on a bike of some kind, with gravel riding being the discipline of choice.

Back to Top

Jack Heaslip: Jack rowed for the University of Rhode Island before rowing in Germany. He coached and rowed for Ann Arbor Rowing Club and was also the head coach of the men's novice team and overall sculling coach for Huron High School. Jack became the director of sculling for Ann Arbor Rowing club (2019-2021) before moving for work to Boston, where he currently rows at Riverside Boat Club.

Back to Top

Susan Herman Seybolt: Susan began her rowing career at the University of Texas in 1989. She went on to train and compete primarily in sculling after college . She enjoys coaching at all levels.  She has coached at Vesper, the University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel. She was the head coach of Germantown Academy for 14 years. The last 15 years she is focused on coaching juniors and masters out of Whitemarsh Boat Club in Conshohocken PA. 

Back to Top

Lizzy Houston: Lizzy grew up in Hartsdale, NY, and was a member of the Hobart and William Smith rowing team until graduating in 2019. She currently coaches the Boston College Women, works for Wintech Racing and is a member of the Women's Sweeps team at Riverside Boat Club. Lizzy has a 3-year-old border collie, Gunnel, who is a big fan of the outdoors and being on the water. When she's not working, she enjoys hanging out with Gunny and taking nice long hikes together, eating lots of ice cream, and spending time with family and friends.

Back to Top

Troy Howell: Troy was at the Outdoor Center since 2007, first as a coach, then as Fleet Manager from 2009-2014, when he became Director of Sculling Programs upon Norm Graf's retirement until Troy moved on in 2022. Troy has been coaching rowing and sculling continuously since 1991, in varied settings from the Rivanna Rowing Club, Wichita State University, Duluth Rowing Club, Episcopal School of Dallas, Middlebury College, and here at Craftsbury.

Back to Top

Brannon Johnson: Brannon is the Owner and Head Coach of BLJ Community Rowing, the first Black-owned-and-operated rowing organization in the USA. She rowed in high school, placing in both The Stotesbury Cup and City Champs in the single. Brannon then went to University of Texas on a full athletic rowing scholarship. Her racing career has taken her all over the globe, but Philadelphia is home. Sculling is a passion of hers and she has spent decades mastering it as an athlete and a coach.

Back to Top

Nadia Kean: Nadia started coaching rowing in Austin, Texas in 2000, presently coaching at Texas Rowing Center and Burnaby Lake Rowing Club. Nadia prefers to focus on the more specific technical aspects of the rowing stroke and is always seeking out new and different concepts about rowing to further her knowledge base. Naturally inquisitive, Nadia caters her coaching style to that of the rower she is working with. Her intention is to help athletes intrinsically learn their sport rather than memorize information. When Nadia is not coaching rowing, she is helping other coaches develop their coaching style and teaching Pilates. Nadia, her wife Carla, and their son divide their time between Austin, Texas and Vancouver, BC Canada.

Back to Top

Devon Lafferty: Devon learned to row as an adult at Texas Rowing Center in 2010. She began competing in 2013 and has medaled in 2x, 4x, 4+/- and 8+ at National and regional regattas, FISA Worlds, San Diego Crew Classic and HOCR. She is a certified USRowing Level 2 coach and has been teaching at Texas Rowing Center since 2019. She enjoys teaching new rowers and helping them feel at ease in a boat along with coaching more experienced rowers who want to focus on technique. 

Back to Top

Laura Larsen-Strecker: Laura lives and coaches in Austin, TX, most recently at Austin Rowing Club and Texas Rowing Club. She was the Graduate Assistant Coach at UT Austin until 2020. Before moving to Austin, she coached at Mount Holyoke College. Laura started rowing as a freshman at Brookline High School and has been in the sport ever since. She rowed in college at Harvard and on the US National team, winning gold medals in the W8+ in 2009 and at the U23 World Championships in 2008. Laura first coached at Craftsbury in 2012.

Back to Top

Jim Lauderdale: Jim started as the Boatman at St. Paul's School In 1986. He was privileged to work with great coaches as well as Graeme King. While at the school, Jim coached small boats and the ASP as Head Coach. In the 1990s he began coaching sculling at the Center. he is excited to row and coach again at COC.

Back to Top

Terra Levin: Terra has been rowing for over four decades; 20 years as a sweep rower, and the past 20 years as a sculler. During that time, she has coached Learn-to-Row both sweep and sculling for the Lincoln Park Boat Club, Chicago. She has also coached a high school women’s team. After retiring from her full-time position in the healthcare field, she decided coaching a sport she loves, would make the perfect part-time position. Since 2019, she has been coaching the Northwestern University novice women. Terra is a longtime fan of Craftsbury Center, where she learned how to scull.

Back to Top

Lawrence Lopez-Menzies: Lawrence started rowing in 2007 at Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT, and captained the team his senior year. He then went on to row at Yale University under the guidance of Steve Gladstone, and spent one summer during that time training in Craftsbury’s Small Boat Training Center (now the U23 Green Racing Project). Following graduation, Lawrence moved to Shanghai, China, where he continued racing competitively, served as a rowing ambassador, and coached local and international rowers. In 2020, Lawrence joined Greenwich Crew’s coaching staff where he coached multiple Junior Women’s Varsity regional and national championship winning crews. That same year, with a mission to increase diverse access and opportunity within the sport of rowing, Lawrence joined forces with a few other Yale Crew Alumni to start New Haven’s first high school rowing program, Crew Haven. As of fall 2023, Lawrence is a faculty member at Belmont Hill School in Belmont, MA, where he coaches in addition to furthering the school’s unflinching endeavor to create a more multiculturally rich academic and athletic environment.

Back to Top

Lisa Lowe: Lisa started rowing in 2007, fell in love with the sport, and is excited that her career now revolves around rowing. She was a collegiate rower at Ithaca College where she graduated with undergraduate (2011) and graduate (2013) degrees to become a Physical Therapist. She practices at Champion Physical Therapy and Performance in Waltham, MA. Lisa is also a medical classifier for para rowing, volunteers with US Para rowing, and writes about rowing and physical therapy topics online. A classified PR3 para rower herself, she continues to row in Boston at Riverside Boat Club.

Back to Top

Brendan Lynch: Brendan learned to row with what is now Lake Davidson Sculling in North Carolina, following in the footsteps of his siblings and mother. He continued to develop at the McCallie School, then at Trinity College for Craftsbury’s own Kevin MacDermott. As a senior at Trinity, stubborn injury led to an opportunity coaching novice sculling. After graduation, he moved to Ireland and began coaching with University College Dublin, first in the Ladies' Boat Club before moving to the men’s squad to focus on small boats. When not coaching rowers, he makes a living coaching software salespeople to better demo their products.

Back to Top

Kelly Salchow MacArthur: Kelly Salchow MacArthur is an 8-time USA National Team member, and 2-time Olympian, competing internationally in the 2x, 4x, 4- and 8+. She has coached for the Cincinnati Rowing Club Juniors and Brown University, and is a Professor of Graphic Design at Michigan State University. She is a member of the IOC's Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission, and was an Olympian Artist-in-Residence for Tokyo 2020.

Back to Top

Kevin MacDermott: Kevin joined the Craftsbury coaching staff in 2002, began serving as a head coach in 2005 and was named an Associate Director of the program in 2009. Outside of Craftsbury, Kevin is the Head Coach of Men's Rowing at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Since Kevin took the helm in 2009, the program has won five Men's Team Titles at the New England Rowing Championships and three ECAC Men's team championships. In 2010-11, Kevin was the Head Coach for the United States Junior National Team, leading the men's team to the Junior World Championships in Eton, UK. Prior to his appointment as Head Coach at Trinity, he served as the program's Assistant Coach, working with first-year oarsmen and coordinating recruiting. Kevin cut his teeth in collegiate coaching as the Assistant Coach for Men's Crew at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, his alma mater. Kevin has coached high school and masters rowers in Hartford and Middletown and since 2010 has served as the ergometer coach for two local CrossFit affiliates. Kevin learned to scull at The Haverford School, before going on to row for Northfield Mount Hermon, and as an undergraduate at Wesleyan.

Back to Top

Sally Machin: Sally began rowing in high school out of the Ottawa Rowing Club in Ontario, Canada. Though mainly a sweep rower throughout high school, she spent a substantial portion of her training in the pair and developed a love for small boat rowing, which of course led to sculling. She rowed for four years at Boston University, finishing her time there with a 2nd place finish in the Championship Women's 4+ at Head of the Charles. Since graduating in 2010, she has been more consistently sculling and racing the 1x. In 2018, she started coaching for Stonington High School and in 2019, she took on the role of head boy's coach.

Back to Top

Jenny (McIlvane) Malmborg: Jenny began rowing in 2010 as a single sculler on Cape Cod, car-topping her Peinert to various lakes and beaches each morning. Jenny interned for a handful of Summers as part of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center's Sculling Program, aiming to make the boat go as fast as possible each week in the Head of The Hosmer. Jenny trained with the Green Racing Project from the Fall of 2015 until the Summer of 2019. During her time with the GRP, the most memorable race moments were breaking 11:00 minutes on the Head of The Hosmer and winning gold in the U23 Women's Quad at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Having retired from being a full-time athlete, Jenny works for a tech company as a Construction Project Manager for the East Coast, training for marathons and Spartan races on the bookends of each day.

Back to Top

Graham Marks: Graham currently serves as the Assistant Coach of Men’s Crew at Williams College, where he has coached since 2018. In addition to his time at Williams, Graham has coached at the junior level at the West Side Rowing Club and Nichols School in Buffalo, New York and at Crescent Boat Club in Philadelphia. As an oarsman, Graham began his career as a freshman at Nichols School, where he was a four year varsity letter winner. Upon graduation, he attended Boston University where he earned a BA in English and was a member of the Men’s Rowing Team. Graham has also competed for Vesper Boat Club as a member of the U23 and High Performance teams.

Back to Top

Pat McDonough: Pat has rowed continuously since joining the freshman crew at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1984. He was in the IRA-winning first freshman 8+ in 1985 and 2V 8+ in 1986 and served as men's team captain for the 1987-88 season. Pat coached masters and juniors at Mendota Rowing Club in Madison, WI for a year after college before moving to Texas and coaching juniors and masters for Austin Rowing Club. He has raced primarily in sculling boats for Fort Worth Rowing Club since 1996 but also for a Rolodex of open and master’s teams from Austin, Dallas, Denver, Madison, Minneapolis, and Detroit, as well as clubs in England and Scotland. 

Back to Top

Kevin Meador: Kevin began rowing in 2010 for Berkeley High Crew in California, for the only public high school rowing team on the west coast, where he managed to be part of a lightweight 4 that placed 3rd at youth nationals. Kevin enrolled in Northeastern University to begin studying engineering, and walked on the men's rowing team. He spent the next 4 years rowing for the Northeastern Huskies, steadily moving up in the ranks and being awarded the NU Boathouse award his senior year for contributions to the team. Kevin graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and began working full time in Boston for Micro-Leads, a medical device startup. Wishing to continue his rowing career, he joined Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge and after a successful season with the club sweep team, began taking a more serious interest in sculling. He placed 5th at the national selection regatta in the single, and feeling encouraged, went on to win the senior 1x trials allowing him to represent the US as the men's single at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships where he placed 20th and 21st respectively.

Back to Top

Krystal Melendez: Krystal began rowing as a walk-on at Middlebury College under associate director Noel Wanner, captaining the team her senior year. Her first time sculling was at a Craftsbury sculling camp after sophomore year. She’s since competed for GMS, Wellington BC, and Vesper BC. She began coaching sculling at the high school level and has since coached collegiate men, collegiate women and masters. Currently, she is a full time assistant coach to the resident Green Racing Project racing squad with Steve Whelpley. 

Back to Top

Austin Meyer: Austin began rowing in Albany, NY for Shaker High School in 2005 and has competed with the U.S. Junior, U23, and Senior National Teams in both sweep and sculling events for the past five years. He won a bronze medal in the 2010 U23 World Rowing Championships in the lightweight men's four and placed fourth at this year's U23 World Rowing Championships in the lightweight men's double. Austin currently rows for Harvard University, and is in his final year of school studying energy and public policy.

Back to Top

Lindsay Meyer-Clarke: Lindsay is a coach and teacher from Philadelphia, Pa. In her 15 years of coaching, she has worked with everyone from middle school to masters and currently serves as the head coach of South Jersey Rowing Club. In her own rowing career, Lindsay began rowing at the age of 12 out of a friend’s marina in her hometown of Seattle, Wa. She was a member of the 2008 Olympic Women’s Quadruple sculls, won multiple medals at Junior and Under 23 world championships in the single and quadruple sculls, earned silver medals in the women’s double and quadruple sculls at the 2015 pan American games, and helped Stanford to its first NCAA championship in 2009. Outside of rowing, in 2022 Lindsay completed her PhD in Neuromotor Science at Temple University where she now teaches Biomechanics. She lives in Philly with her husband.

Back to Top

Taryn Miller: Taryn has been rowing since 2004 having both sculled and swept at the high school, Division III (Marietta College), and Division I (University of Massachusetts) level. During her rowing career she won several conference championships and made three NCAA Rowing Championship appearances. Taryn spent several years coaching for her alma mater before serving as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach of Marist College. Taryn has since continued her work with health and wellness having run the Adult Sports program for Marine Corps Community Services in Okinawa, Japan and is now currently serving as the Wellness Director for the Capital District YMCA in Albany, NY. In addition to continuing to row, Taryn is a certified group fitness instructor through the American Council on Exercise and CPR, AED and First Aid instructor through the American Red Cross and Health and Safety Institute. 

Back to Top

Al Morrow: Al rowed for 11 years and was a member of the Canadian National team six times at two Pan American Games, three World Championships and one Olympics. Al has coached rowing since 1976 at all levels. He has been a Head Coach at the University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Western University and the Canadian National team. Crews that he has coached have won medals at many international events including four Gold, one Silver and three Bronze at the Olympic Games.  

Back to Top

Jonathan Moss:  Jonathan learned to row with the Wesleyan University Crew where he later became Assistant Coach. He has since instructed many youth and club masters. He was a member of the U.S. Lightweight National Team for four years. During his rowing career, Jonathan won gold medals at FISA World Championships, Pan-American Games, U.S. National Championships, Canadian Henley, and several large head races including the Charles, Connecticut, Housatonic, and Green Mountain. Jonathan is founder and President of the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, a 501(c)3 organization in Springfield, MA trying to grow river activities on an under-utilized part of the Connecticut River. His other athletic pursuits have included two Boston Marathons and competing in his first Half-Ironman Triathlon in July 2010.

Back to Top

Alexandra Morss: Alex began rowing as a sophomore at Groton School in 2007. She then rowed for the Princeton lightweights for four years, winning Eastern Sprints in 2011 and serving as captain her senior year. She sculled for the U23 National team in the lightweight single (2012) and lightweight double (2013). Following graduation, she trained at Vesper Boat Club and SoCal scullers. She began coaching in 2016as a volunteer assistant for the MIT open weight women, then was an assistant for the Nobles and Greenough girls and the Cambridge Boat Club juniors’ summer program. Currently, she is the assistant coach for the Princeton Lightweight Women. 

Back to Top

Emilie Muller: Emilie rowed at Bates College where she was a member of the 2015 NCAA championship team and graduated in 2016. Soon after, she began coaching at the Nashville Rowing Club in Nashville, TN, where she coached juniors, masters, learn to row groups and competitive teams. In 2017 she joined the coaching staff at Wellesley College where she is currently the Associate Head Coach. Highlights have included NCAA championships in 2022 and 2023, spring break training camps in sunny Clemson, SC, and helping to guide countless Blue Crew novices through their first-ever rowing strokes. When not on the water, Emilie enjoys biking, cooking, hanging out with her dog, friends and family, and playing tennis very poorly.

Back to Top

Linda Muri: In addition to MIT, Linda has coached at Cornell University (’98-’01), Harvard College (’01-’14), and Dartmouth College (’14-17). Muri began rowing as an undergraduate at MIT after spending her freshman year competing on the Field Hockey, Basketball, and Track & Field teams. As a rower, she went on to become a two-time captain and MVP. Muri graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering. Muri was a nine-time US National Team member and a three-time World Champion. In 1994, she was a semi-finalist for the James E. Sullivan Award, which recognizes the top amateur athlete in the country.  She is also an 18-time US National Champion and has won 12 Head of the Charles Regattas and 2 CRASH-B Hammers. A committed competitor, she continues to enjoy training for masters level competitions. Muri has extensive international coaching experience, coaching at 13 different World Championship events. From 2011 to 2014, she coached former Harvard Lightweight rower Andrew Campbell to four medal finishes in the single sculls, including two gold medals at the 2013 and 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships.  Prior to that, she helped guide three US crews to gold medals at the 2010 World Rowing U23 Championships. From 2004-05, she served as an assistant coach on the US Women's Junior Team, helping the 4- and 2- earn places in the grand final at the Junior World Championships both years.

Back to Top

William Mwanga: Mwanga began coaching in 2010 in Uganda where he quickly became the Head Coach for the Uganda Para Rowing Team and the National Rowing Team (U18). He has coached athletes at all levels in Uganda and Kenya, helping them succeed at international competitions including the Eastern Central African Championships, the Gavirate International Para Rowing Camp and Regatta, as well as the Tokyo Olympics. As an athlete, Mwanga has been competing throughout Africa and the US since 2011 in singles, doubles, and quads. His race credits include the East and Central African Championships, the Head of the Schuylkill, the Independence Day Regatta in Philadelphia, and the Head of the Charles. He lives and rows in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Back to Top

Cian Noone: Cian is the men’s assistant at Bates College. He originally grew up in Dublin, Ireland where he learned to scull and coach at Neptune Rowing Club. Since arriving in America in 2017 he has coached programs such as Arlington Belmont Crew, Riverside Boat Club and Mercyhurst University before arriving at Bates. He has coached at almost all levels from learn to row, to masters, to collegiate teams and is excited to join the staff at Craftsbury.

Back to Top

Henry Nuzum: Henry sculled on the U.S. National and Olympic teams from 2000-2004, rowing for Igor Grinko, Ted Nash, Kris Korzeniowski, and Charley Butt; in the 2004 Olympics, Henry and partner Aquil Abdullah finished sixth and set an American record in the Men’s Heavyweight Double that stands today. Henry rowed for Harry Parker at Harvard, where he also participated in NROTC.  Henry is a Navy veteran, leading a boarding party and Tomahawk missile strikes during two Arabian Gulf deployments.  For over a decade, Henry has worked in shipping for SEACOR Holdings.  He is married with four children and lives in Washington, D.C. 

Back to Top

Ciara O’Sullivan: Ciara began rowing at Archbishop Carroll High School on the Schuylkill River in 2012 and has been in love with the sport ever since. She raced with Temple University for four years during her undergraduate education, racing in 8+s and using the Summers to train in small boats. After graduating in 2019 she joined the Vesper High Performance Group and learned to hone in her sculling ability while training at the elite level. In 2021 she followed her passion for coaching to Smith College, an NCAA Division III program in Western Massachusetts, while earning her Masters degree in Exercise and Sport Studies. During the Summers (when not at Craftsbury) she coaches with Penn AC Junior Gold, which serves junior athletes seeking to race at the collegiate level, and brings her back to her beloved city of Philadelphia.

Back to Top

Hank Osborn: Hank learned to scull on Lake Hosmer at age 15.  He later coached at Craftsbury for 25 consecutive summers.  As a prep school rower, he was Stroke and Captain of the Tabor Academy Crew.  Highlights included winning first place in the Reading Regatta in England over the US National Champions.  As Stroke of the Rutgers University Heavyweights, Hank’s crew was seeded first for the 1992 IRA national Championships.  Hank began his coaching career at Tabor Academy in 1995 where his crews’ victories included undefeated seasons and 2 New England Championships—the first for the school in 65 years.  Hank coached Heavyweight rowing at Columbia university for 5 years and the Varsity Heavyweight Summer Crews at Dartmouth College from 1999-2005.  Victories included first place finishes at Canadian Henley.  Over the years, Hank coached 9 crews for the Henley Royal Regatta in England after competing in the event as a rower himself 4 times.  He was selected as a Member of the Leander Club and an 8-oared shell was named in his honor.  Dozens of Hank’s former athletes have gone on to row or cox for the United States National Team.

Back to Top

Naomi Patino: Naomi learned to row at Boston University, then raced as a lightweight sculler at Boston Rowing Center and Vesper Boat Club, winning many races, including national championships. She also competed as a pro inline-speedskater, winning races in distances from 5k to 87 miles. Naomi was the head coach at Drexel University, and then the director of Florida Rowing Center. She is now a personal trainer in New York City, with certifications including pre/postnatal exercise and corrective exercise. She has been coaching at Craftsbury since 1997.

Back to Top

Roger Payne: Roger brings almost 50 years of rowing and coaching experience to Craftsbury. He rowed at the University of Washington, sculled at Lake Washington RC, winning 4 Canadian Henley golds in the Lt 2X, worked for both Pocock Racing Shells and Owen Racing Shells, and coached at Lake Washington, Seattle Pacific, Oregon State, Wisconsin, and Virginia. He has coached at numerous USRowing development and selection camps for Jr. and Sr. men and women, sweep and sculling. Roger has worked with several national team and Olympic scullers, most recently with the bronze medalist Paralympic LTA 2X. He is a Boatman Emeritus and volunteer assistant coach at the University of Virginia.

Back to Top

Nick Peterson: Nick rowed at Alexandria City High School (then TC Williams) in Alexandria, VA (1988–1991), and Harvard (1992–1995). He competed at the World Championships in 1998 (M4x) and 1999 (M2x), as well as the Olympic Games in 2000 (M4x). Nick has worked as a strength and conditioning trainer and coach since 2010.

Back to Top

Aisyah Rafa’ee: Aisyah Rafa’ee raced the 1x in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, representing Singapore. She is a certified rowing coach in Singapore, Australia and the United States, and trained with the Institute for Rowing Leadership in Boston, MA. Aisyah coaches Mental Performance and is the founder of Mental Excellence Co, providing mental skills resources to athletes and coaches. Aisyah is also an avid runner, adding the Boston Marathon to her accomplishments, and she coaches runners as well as rowers through her Mental Excellence practice.

Back to Top

Bob Reichart: Bob is the Head of Coaching and Masters Sculling Coach at Capital Rowing Club in Washington DC, where he has been coaching since 2014. Bob learned to row and compete as a lightweight at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut (Class of '84). He has rowed with the Bantam, Minnesota, and San Diego Rowing Clubs, and is past Captain for the ARIEL TOY Virtual Rowing Team during the Concept 2 January Virtual Team Challenge. Today, he rows and competes for both Capital Rowing Club and Chinook Performance Racing, and has medaled at the US Rowing Masters National Championships, FISA World Masters Regatta, and the Head of the Charles.

Back to Top

Gary Reid: Gary started rowing at age twelve, encouraged by his father who had coached three New Zealand Olympic teams. He rowed for New Zealand in the 1980's, including as the single sculler at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Gary has been Concept2's New Zealand distributor since 1995 and has participated in the CRASH-B's many times. In his role with Concept2 and CRASH-B, he has been involved in the training of such New Zealand athletes as Rob Waddell and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell. Gary still actively trains in the single and on the C2 ergometer.

Back to Top

Ric Ricci: Ric has coached rowing for 49 years, including 40 at Craftsbury. He rowed at Trinity College in Connecticut, winning the 2- IRA National Championship in 1972 and '73. In '72 he competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials and the '71 and '73 Henley Royal Regatta. Ric is currently the men's coach at Connecticut College. He coached at Yale and the Blood Street Sculls RC in Old Lyme, Connecticut, was the head women's coach at Rutgers from '86-88, and coached the silver medal-winning pair at the '91 Pan American Games.

Back to Top

Charles Richardson: Charles's coaching experience spans 15 years with Illinois clubs including coaching juniors & masters at North Suburban Crew, Lincoln Park Boat Club (LPBC), Chicago Training Center, and New Trier High School. In the 13-plus years at New Trier, Charles has coached his boats to 5 Midwest Regional Champions in Lightweight 8 category, followed up with a national championship in 2022 at Scholastic Nationals (SRAAs). Charles' boats have always made grand finals at SRAA nationals medaling 5 other times in the Freshman 8, Junior 8+ and Junior 4+ categories. After rowing in high school, Charles graduated from Northeastern University where he earned a B.S. in Computer Science, but he did not row. However, he reunited with the sport in 2002 with Community Rowing, Inc (CRI) in Boston, MA where he medaled multiple times at US Rowing Master's Nationals and eventually competed in the prestigious Head of the Charles with the MIT Sloan Master's Club & LPBC. He continued his success competing with Lincoln Park Boat Club as a master's sweep rower local & national regattas. Charles is also a member of the Black Coaches and Rowers Association which was formed to increase access, participation, and inclusion of black people within the sport of rowing on all levels. Charles has recently relocated to Cleveland and is exploring new coaching opportunities in Cleveland's vibrant rowing community.

Back to Top

Nicole Ritchie:  Nicole started rowing as a high schooler in Putney, VT, spending time in small boats and racing the Green Mountain Head regatta. She then rowed for Bates College as the team made their first DIII NCAA appearances and second place performance as a team in 2009. After college, Nicole moved to Philadelphia to train at Vesper Boat Club. Nicole trained at Vesper for 7 years, competing in National Selection Regattas in 1x's and 2x's, the Henley Royal Regatta in the 4x, and qualifying for the Pan American team in 2014, and winning a silver medal in both the double and the quad. Most recently she finished 2nd place at the 2016 Olympic trials in the Women's Double. She was an assistant coach for the GRP Senior and U23 rowers for 1 season, and has coached at Philadelphia City Rowing, Bachelors Barge Club, and Temple University. Nicole attends UVM in their Physical Therapy program, and lives with her family in Underhill, VT. In her spare time, Nicole loves XC Skiing and also bananagrams. 

Back to Top

Dan Roock: Dan has been coaching since the mid-80s. His career started at Florida Institute of Technology, before extended involvement with Princeton University, including six years at the helm of the women's rowing program where the Tiger 1V went 59-2 in dual races with multiple EAWRC and National Championships. He spent the next 12 years at Cornell as Director of Rowing and Men's head coach, during which time the Big Red's men's 1V was a mainstay of the national top ten. Dan led the lightweight men of Dartmouth with the LM1V medaling at the EARC Sprints and IRA's in 2011 and 2012.Dan has extensive experience in a variety of USRA National Team postings at the Junior, U23, and Senior levels, including winning gold and bronze medals with the Men's U-23 8+ (then Nation's Cup), and winning a gold and silver medal coaching Junior Men's 8+ crews with Todd Jesdale. Most recently, Dan was head coach of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center's Green Racing Project, placing rowers and crews on the US National Team in 2013, '14, and '15, with a World Cup bronze medal in the M4X.

Back to Top

Marlene Royle: Marlene started rowing in 1977 competing for West Slide Rowing Club, Boston University, and Boston Rowing Club; her accomplishments include national collegiate, national sculling, and Head of the Charles titles. She first joined Craftsbury's coaching staff in 1986 and served as an Associate Director from 2004-2006. From 2006 to 2009, she was the Head Coach at the Florida Rowing Center. In 1999, Marlene founded Roylerow Performance Training Programs to design plans for individuals and teams. Marlene writes a monthly training column for Rowing News. Books include Tip of the Blade: Notes on Rowing and Skillful Rowing. In 2023, Marlene co-authored the USRowing Masters Coaching Certification Course.

Back to Top

Will Ruth: Will learned to row and scull in high school in Olympia, Washington, and then began coaching as the strength coach of the men’s team at Western Washington University. He coached at WWU for six years, assisting on-water as well as strength coaching, while also earning a BS in Kinesiology, an MA in Sport Coaching, and an NSCA-CSCS certification. Will moved to the nearby town of Barre in 2019 and started coaching in the sculling camps that summer. He joined the year-round staff after the 2021 camp season, and currently serves as Assistant Director to help with the sculling camp program equipment, management, and organization. In late 2022, Will became the strength coach for the Green Racing Project (GRP), working with the four high-performance sports of rowing, running, Nordic skiing, and biathlon.

Back to Top

Lisa Schlenker: Lisa has trained and coached at Craftsbury since the mid-2000s. She is a 2004 Olympian in the lightweight double, a 10-time National Team member with a few medals to claim to, and still holds two erg word records. Lisa has coached with the University of Wisconsin lightweight women, UNC men's rowing team, Carolina Masters, a plethora of youth programs, and still does private consulting. She’s always looking forward to a beautiful season at Craftsbury, leading and guiding individuals towards their goals. 

Back to Top

Bridget Schodorf: Bridget began rowing in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 11. She went on to row for The Ohio State University for four years, and helped the team to a National Championship her freshman year, and four BIG TEN Championship titles. She joined the Craftsbury Green Racing Project in 2018 after graduation, and was on the GRP until summer 2022. Bridget has coached all levels of rowing from middle school to masters. She was a volunteer coach at Ohio State, and coached at Oregon State for the 2022-2023 season. She now lives in the Methow Valley in Washington.

Back to Top

Will Scully: Will began rowing in 2008 at Simsbury High School in Simsbury, CT. He continued rowing at Trinity College in Hartford, CT where he was a member of a number of New-England and ECAC winning crews and where he served as captain his senior year. He rowed competitively in the U23 program at Penn AC in Philadelphia and at Mosman Rowing Club in Sydney, Australia before starting his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Trinity and Simsbury, and as a JV Coach at Middletown High School in Middletown, CT. He is currently a physics teacher and the head boys rowing coach at The Hill School, in Pottstown, PA and is the head boys coach of the Penn AC Gold summer junior program.

Back to Top

Edward Slater:  Ed started rowing in 1997 at St. Mark's School in Southborough, MA where he became a true student of the sport. He continued on at Trinity College in Hartford, CT where the arrival of Larry Gluckman as the Men's Varsity Coach in the fall of 2003, allowed him to gain a renewed passion for the sport. As an oarsman of the Trinity Men's Varsity Crew, as well as a captain for the '05-'06 season, Ed won gold at the Head of the Charles in 2004 and 2005, the New England Championships in 2005 and 2006, the ECAC National Championships in 2006 (the first time in Trinity's history), and the 2005 Henley Royal Regatta (as a spare for the Temple Challenge Cup 8+). When not in school, Ed trained at the pre-elite level with the New York Athletic Club, competing at USRowing Nationals and Canadian Henley. As a coach, Ed had his start at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, CT in 2002 and 2003, where he became the Director of Novice Programs as well as a junior and master’s coach. After working a tall in the Pacific in the Fall of 2006, Ed returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach to the Varsity Men's program, focusing on the 3rd Varsity 8+ which went on to win both the New England and ECAC Championships. Having coached at the New York Athletic Club during the summer of 2007, Ed joined with Craftsbury that fall. Outside coaching at Craftsbury, Ed resides in Boston where he trains independently and is an avid marathoner and triathlete. He is a member of NYAC, Power Ten NY and a coach for We Can Row-Boston, a rowing program for breast cancer survivors.

Back to Top

Erika Sloan: Erika began rowing in 2008 at Simsbury High School in Simsbury, CT. She went on to row at Middlebury College, where she started to pick up sculling (including a stint as a sculling intern at Craftsbury). Following her graduation, Erika spent the summer of 2016 racing and training in small boats at Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia. She returned to Middlebury as the assistant men’s coach for the 2016-2017 academic year, then moved to Craftsbury and spent the next four years living and working year round at the Outdoor Center, where she fleet managed, coached, and assisted then director Troy Howell in the off-season. Erika moved to the Boston area in 2021 and is currently the assistant men’s lightweight coach at MIT.

Back to Top

Harrison Soebroto: Harrison sculled for four years under Jim Barker at The Haverford School and rowed out of Undine along the Schuylkill. He then rowed as a lightweight at Columbia University. Harrison is currently an English teacher at Northfield Mount Hermon, where he also coaches rowing in the fall and spring.

Back to Top

Elizabeth Sonshine: Sonshine is the current assistant coach for the Trinity College Women's Rowing team. A 2012 graduate of Bates College with a degree in geology, Sonshine trained with the U.S. National Team for several years until the spring of 2021. She trained at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont as part of the Green Racing Project, with Riverside Boat Club, and with ARION in New York from 2012 to 2017. She debuted for Team USA at the 2017 World Championships in Florida as a member of the women's 4x, competed in the 4x at the World Championships in 2018 in Bulgaria and served as a spare at the 2019 World Championships in Austria.

Back to Top

Alex Spaulding: Alex started rowing as a walk-on at the University of Michigan. She then spent three years on the varsity team, where she was a three time captain, and earned first team All-Big Ten and All-American accolades in her senior year. In the summer of 2015 she was named to the Under-23 National Team. She raced in the Women’s 8+ that won Gold at the World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Alex spent the last two years training at the Olympic Training Center in Princeton, where she worked part time coaching the Mercer Junior Women’s rowing program. She moved to the center in May 2018 and fell in love with all things Craftsbury.

Back to Top

Kevin Stevenson: Kevin rowed at both Hobart and Dartmouth College, graduating in 2003 after leading the Hobart program to best-ever finishes at IRA's, ECAC Championships, and Head of the Charles. As a licensed mechanical engineer at Concept2 since 2010, he is active in the development and production of both oars and ergometers. Whether testing on the water or travelling to regattas, Kevin is focused on the interaction between rigging and stroke mechanics, how equipment can improve or hinder an athlete's development, and how advanced composites continue to shape the evolution of rowing and sculling.

Back to Top

Stefan Sztancsa: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Stefan grew up in an athletic family and started rowing very young. By 21, he had been national champion several times, in the national team and received a scholarship to row in college. Stefan fell in love with coaching and decided to study Physical Education to incorporate more knowledge into his method. Today, Stefan follows his passion in coaching the sport and lessons for life. 

Back to Top

Andrea Thies: The sport of rowing has been a lifelong pursuit for Andrea, culminating with competition at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Andrea first learned to row at Cornell University. Following her Olympic career, Andrea taught freshmen women to row at Princeton University and later attended Harvard University to become a mathematics teacher. Andrea spearheaded the effort to establish Otsego Area Rowing in Cooperstown, NY and has served as the head coach since 2017. Currently she supports the Para program at USRowing as a Talent ID and High Performance Coach. She was selected to coach the PR3 Mixed 2x event at the 2023 World Championships, which took home a sliver and Paralympic qualification. Andrea is devoted to diversifying the sport of rowing and helping people of all ages discover their ability to move a shell through the water.

Back to Top

Helen Tilghman: Helen began rowing at Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center as a youth athlete in 2003. She went on to row at the University of Washington before moving into coaching full time. After spending several years at the collegiate level with Seattle University, University of Dayton, and Michigan State University, Helen moved back to Seattle and Mt. Baker. She served as the Head Coach and Director of Rowing there for four years. Helen now leads the Pocock Youth Rowing program in Seattle as a part of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation. She has been coming to Craftsbury since 2010.

Back to Top

Wes Vear: Wes wrapped up his undergraduate studies in 2016 at the University of Michigan after taking his time to study chemistry and economics for five years. He rowed for Michigan for four of those years and spent his fifth year attempting to train on his own. He raced in the Varsity eight his junior and senior years, winning gold at the ACRA National Championships. He also won gold in the US Men's 8+ in South Korea at the World University Games. He refused to give up his obsession with rowing for four years after graduation and trained at Craftsbury on the Green Racing Project from 2016-2020, racing for the US at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. He was finally forced to confront the adult world and attend medical school at Columbia University in 2020. Wes has recently decided he may as well put everything off again for a couple years and pause school to get experience working in public health before he goes back to finally finish his MD.

Back to Top

Rebecca Veninsky: Becca is an upstate New York native, and was bitten by the rowing bug at an early age, learning to scull when she was ten years old. Following in her sisters' footsteps, Becca went on to compete as a sweep rower and sculler at Ithaca College. As a 2017 graduate, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Documentary Film Studies and Production. Becca's coaching career began in the fall of 2017 at the Cascadilla Boat Club in Ithaca, NY. Becca went on to Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, where she was the Assistant Coach to the Women's Rowing Team and earned her Masters degree. While living in CT, she also Head Coached Central Connecticut Rowing, a community rowing organization. Currently, Becca is the Assistant Coach of the Women's Rowing Team at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.

Back to Top

Magda Vidal: Magda began rowing in 2014 for Western Albemarle High School in central Virginia. She fell in love with sculling and worked her way to a first place finish at scholastic nationals and a second place finish at youth nationals in the Women’s 4x event. Since then, Magda has trained and competed with various clubs in every boat class, and currently enjoys coaching and competing with the Pocock Rowing Center in Seattle, Washington. Magda is continuing her education in sports medicine and leadership, and looks forward to a career of advancing wellbeing through sport.

Back to Top

Tolsun Waddle: Tolsun coaches the Women's Sweep Team at Potomac Boat Club in Washington, DC. In its first year of existence, the program finished third in the club eight at Head of the Charles, ninth in the club four at Head of the Charles, won the women's club championship eight at San Diego Crew Classic, and finished third in the women's open eight at Crew Classic. Tolsun's previous coaching experience includes a short stint at University of Georgia Crew Club, where his heavyweight men's four won the Dad Vail Regatta. Prior to coaching, Tolsun competed at several national team selection events and won national championships in every boat class from the eight to the single

Back to Top

Jim Washburn: Jim stroked the Lawrenceville School varsity four to the finals of scholastic national championships.  At Trinity College, he rowed in the stroke seat of the varsity heavyweight eight that won the New England championships. He has coached at Tabor, Lawrenceville, Swan Creek, and Dartmouth. Jim currently lives in New Jersey and coaches with Carnegie Lake Rowing Association. He has been coaching at Craftsbury since 1998.

Back to Top

Mike Wagner: Mike began rowing at Hofstra University in 1992. He learned to scull the following summer at the Sagamore Rowing Association (SRA). Mike has over 25 years of experience coaching athletes at all levels. He has coached at Friends Academy, Cold Spring Harbor High School, Hofstra University, and SRA. He began coaching at Craftsbury in 2006. Mike has also been involved in coaching education as the program manager for the Joy of Sculling Coaches Conferences with Jimmy Joy from 2013-2019. Mike is an active Masters sculler at SRA and enjoys sculling on his home waters in Oyster Bay, NY.

Back to Top

Noel Wanner: Noel learned to row as a walk-on at Wesleyan University and went on to row for the US National Team as a lightweight in 1992 and 1993. He has coached crews and athletes of all ages and abilities, most recently serving for seven years as the head coach of both men and women at Middlebury College. Wanner is currently the head coach of men's rowing at Tufts University. His current athletic pursuits involve attempting to keep his two young daughters, Fiona and Zoe, out of mayhem.

Back to Top

Doug Welling: Doug started rowing at Bates College in Maine. He rowed for four years for Bates and the University of Otago, New Zealand prior to starting his coaching career. Doug has coached rowing at Middlebury College, University of California Santa Barbara, and is currently the head coach at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. During the summer months, Doug coached with the US Junior National Team and at Maine Coast Rowing. His personal endurance journey has twice included the Ironman World Championships and most recently, the 100-mile Crazy Mountain Ultra in Montana. Doug loves all the time spent outdoors, especially with his family, wife and two kids.

Back to Top

Astrid Wettstein: Astrid first began rowing at Rochester Rowing Club of Minnesota in 2005. She spent most of her high school career sculling and developed an affinity for small boat work. She rowed at Princeton for four years and during this time medaled with the team at 4 NCAA championships and won the Women’s Champ 8+ at the 2010 Head of the Charles. She also spent two of those summers training at Craftsbury as part of their GRP U23 program. She joined Austin Rowing Club as the novice girls head coach in the fall of 2020 and served as the varsity girls head coach from 2021-23. She is currently an assistant coach for Syracuse Women’s Rowing.

Back to Top

Steve Whelpley: Steve started his rowing career in Wisconsin at the Milwaukee Rowing Club, where he and his high school friends started up a junior program that traveled locally and gave them all a taste for the sport. From there, he rowed at Colby College and was a NESCAC all-academic honoree for two out of his four years. After college, he moved to Penn AC in Philadelphia to continue his pursuit of rowing with aims of making the National Team. After a few years in pairs and fours, Steve finally made the full-time switch to sculling in 2008. In his first year of sculling, he finished fourth at Olympic Trials in the single. Subsequent years brought Steve to many different clubs and coaches as he attempted to climb the sculling ranks: Penn AC, GMS, Potomac, NYAC, the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, and the National Team Training Center in Princeton. He selected for two World Cup teams in the double in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, he raced to a second place finish in the double at the 2012 Olympic Trials. From here, Steve found his way to Craftsbury to be a member of the inaugural GRP rowing team. While a member of the GRP, Steve was the U.S. Men's Single in 2013 and a member of the U.S. Men's Quad in 2014 that medaled at World Cup III in Lucerne. In 2016, Steve along with fellow GRP member Willy Cowles, won Olympic Trials in the double, but failed to qualify the boat internationally. After 2016, Steve turned the page to begin coaching full time by spending a year with his alma mater. Most recently, Steve has returned to Craftsbury as the head coach of the GRP.

Back to Top

Craig White: Craig is the head coach and founder of St. Benedict’s Prep Rowing program since 2010 in Newark, NJ. President and co-founder of Brick City Rowing program which is dedicated to the expansion of competitive youth rowing within the city of Newark, NJ and the surrounding area.

Back to Top

Julia White-Hoppe Mines: Julia began rowing as a walk-on athlete at Oregon State University in the fall of 2000. She went on to train with the US National Team in Princeton from 2003 until 2007, where she took up sculling in 2004. Julia has coached both sweep and sculling at the Hun School of Princeton, OSU, UCSD, UC Davis, and was selected to attend Pocock's inaugural CoachCon in 2012. She served as Craftsbury's Fleet Manager for two years, where she also taught nordic skiing, and tuned skis at the Craftsbury Nordic Center in the winter. Julia currently works in Oregon's wine industry, and lives in northwestern Montana where she spends her time skiing, rafting, backpacking, and generally enjoying the PNW.

Back to Top

Tim Whitney:  Tim began rowing in 1993 while a student at Phillips Exeter Academy. He rowed at Wesleyan University, stroking the Varsity 8+ and competing twice at the Henley Royal Regatta. Tim first learned to scull at Craftsbury during his junior year at college. After college, he focused on sculling the 1x exclusively, training much of this time at the Long Beach Rowing Association in Long Beach, California, where he also worked as a coach for the Junior Program. In 2001 he won the U.S. National Team Trials in the 1x, and represented the U.S. at the World Championships that year in Lucerne, Switzerland, placing 15th. Tim lives in Brattleboro, VT - works as a psychotherapist and yoga teacher, and sculls and coaches on the Connecticut River with Row-BOC, the local rowing club.

Back to Top

Amy Wilton:  Amy began rowing as a high school student in Connecticut and continued at George Washington University. After college, she went on to coach at the University of Vermont, Wesleyan University and George Washington University. Amy has also coached at River Front Recapture, Middletown Rowing Club, Middletown High School, DC Strokes, Potomac Sculling, Litchfield Hills Rowing Club and was head coach at Megunticook Rowing. Amy is currently rowing with PCRA in Portland, ME. Along with coaching, Amy is a professional photographer and has photographed the sport for numerous rowing publications and companies, including Craftsbury. She began coaching at Craftsbury in 2000.

Back to Top