T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y MARK DAVIS / HEAD COACH Mark Davis is in his first year as head coach of the men’s rowing at The George Washington University. Davis replaces former head coach Greg Myhr, who resigned in August to accept a similar position at the University of Pennsylvania. Davis will be responsible for all aspects of the Colonials men’s rowing program, which opens the 2009-10 season on Oct. 11 at the Occoquan Chase in Woodbridge, VA. Davis comes to Foggy Bottom from Yale University, where he spent three seasons as head coach and lead recruiter of the Heavyweight Freshman Men’s Rowing team in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, Davis’ Freshmen Eight finished in the grand finals of the Eastern Sprints all three seasons. His freshmen eight in 2008 also finished fourth at the IRA Nationals. Davis brings 16 years of coaching experience to George Washington. Davis also was the head men’s rowing coach at the University of California at San Diego for three years prior to his stint at Yale. His crews won five medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, while UCSD won the overall point trophy at the 2006 WIRA championship for the first time in the program’s history. Prior to UCSD, Davis was the assistant women’s rowing coach at the University of Texas at Austin. While at Texas, Davis spent three years helping to elevate the Texas program to its first bid to the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship in 2003. Texas finished 12th in the nation that year, its best performance. From 1996-2000, Davis was the head men’s and women’s rowing coach at Colby (ME) College. He transformed a struggling club team into an elite Division III varsity program. His crews won medals at the New England Championships, Dad Vails, Champion Regatta, IRAs and the Head of the Charles. Davis began his coaching career at his alma mater, Hobart College, where he studied under his mentor and former Yale coach, Jim Joy. A 1993 graduate of Hobart, Davis earned a B.A. in United States history and was captain of the rowing team.
JAMES SANDS / ASSISTANT COACH James Sands is in his third season serving as the freshmen coach at the George Washington University. In his second season with the Colonials, Sands led the Colonials’ second freshman eight, which capped off a very nice season by racing their way into the Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints, finishing a close sixth overall in the event. This marked the first time GW has been in a Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints. As GW heads into another year in the EARC, Sands has brought in a powerful recruiting class and appears poised to build on last year’s success. A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Sands coxed the freshman eight in his first year with the
Badgers and went undefeated in dual racing that year. Sands spent his next three years as an oarsman, no small feat for an overgrown coxswain on a nationally ranked heavyweight squad. Sands prided himself on pressing his teammates to new heights. In the process, he captured several Midwest Championship titles as an oarsman. A four-year coxswain at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, Sands coxed the men’s lightweight eight at Youth Nationals in Cincinnati before taking over the varsity eight for his next three years. Sands led the Lions’ varsity eight to the Florida State Scholastic Championship title in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and in 2002 went on to take third at Scholastic Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Sands graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Sands resides in Washington, DC.
FACILITIES The George Washington University men’s crews row on the historic Potomac River. Headquartered at the H.T. Thompson Boat Center, GW rowers are only one-quarter mile from campus. The boathouse holds the crew’s fleet of racing eights, fours and small boats. A carefully designed equipment turnover plan assures that the student-athletes are racing in the latest top-of-the-line equipment. GW has a four-lane fully buoyed racecourse for its 2,000-meter spring home races. GW hosts several home regattas during the year, but the largest is the annual George Washington Invitational Regatta. Large crowds often line the boardwalk at Washington Harbour and the waterfront park during the regattas. George Washington University Rowing also has access to a number of on-campus training facilities. Charles E. Smith Center is home to the team’s strength training facilities and other cross training equipment. The teams rowing ergometers are kept nearby in the state-of-the-art Lerner Health and Wellness Center.
Quick Facts The George Washington University 600 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20052
Founded: ............................................................................................1821 Enrollment: ......................................................................................20,327 Nickname:....................................................................................Colonials Colors: ..................................................................................Buff and Blue Conference: ......................................................................................ECAC President: ............................................................................Steven Knapp Director of Athletics:..............................................................Jack Kvancz Head Coach: ..................................Mark Davis (Hobart ‘93) — 1st year Assistant Coach: ..................James Sands (Wisconsin ‘07) — 2nd year Women’s Rowing Office: ..................................................(202) 994-8603 Women’s Rowing Fax Number:........................................(202) 994-6818 E-Mail: Address: ................................................................mrd@gwu.edu Home Course:....................................................................Potomac River Boathouse:..........................................................Thompson Boat Center Phone Number:..................................................................(202) 333-9543 Rowing Contact:....................................................................Simon Ogus Rowing Contact E-mail: ....................................ogus@gwmail.gwu.edu Athletics Communications: ..............................................(202) 994-9003 Athletics Communications fax: ........................................(202) 994-2713 Web site: ..................................................................www.GWsports.com
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y
2 0 0 9 - 10 M E N ’ S ROW I NG
2009-10 OUTLOOK In 2009, the George Washington Men’s Rowing team broke through the ranks of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), finishing in ninth place at the Eastern Sprint Championships in the varsity eight. This was George Washington’s strongest performance at Sprints. The strong showing secured a full-team invitation for the IRA National Championships. At the IRA’s the varsity eight finished 15th in a very tightly packed field. Colonials Men’s Rowing finished the fall head racing season with its best Head of the Charles and Princeton Chase finishes in school history, and the team is looking forward to an ambitious EARC dual race schedule. With more than two eights of varsity oarsmen on the roster, competition for seats in the varsity boats will be fierce all season long. The separation between oarsmen and boats in practice has been minimal, and the intra-squad competition that has resulted has led to every practice being surprisingly fierce. This bodes well for a very competitive and successful spring season in 2010. Third-year freshman coach James Sands is working with a strong recruiting class and by all measures, they will be a force to be reckoned with. The athletes of the Class of 2013 began their collegiate careers auspiciously, with excellent finishes against top collegiate competition in all three of their fall head races. It will be exciting to watch what this class can do not only as a freshman team, but also as they make their way onto the varsity squad in years to come. One thing is for certain — the Class of 2013 will play a significant role as GW climbs the ranks of the EARC.
ROWING AT GW 2009-10 ROSTER
2009-10 SCHEDULE
Name Dominic Abruzzese Eric Anderson Adam Bair Margaret Barone Curtis Batts Robert Berns David Besnainou Karel Bryukhanov Scott Caplan Tom Caruso Adam Cella Cameron Chen Clay Cohen Brendan Dentino Mark Dissen Andy Engvall Sean Fago Matthew Freeman Jim Gallagher Adam Gardy Sam Goldberg Max Greenblum Craig Helmstetter Eric Herrera Matthew Hochrein Peter Joyce James Kelly Zach Krahmer Taylor Lindman Andrew Miller Jake Miner David Morgenstern Anthony Paladino Larissa Peizer
Yr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr.
Date 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/7 3/27 4/9 4/10 4/24 5/1 5/16 6/3-5
Johannes Schmidt Tom Schryver Lia Simeone Ivan Soto-Wright Luke Stone Katherin Suarez-Quijano Guy Tawney Peter Van da Beek Colin York
Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr.
Ht. Hometown/High School 6-2 Ridley Park, PA/The Haverford School 5-11 Pacifica, CA/Junipero Serra 6-5 Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood 4-6 Huntington, NY/Huntington 6-2 Bellevue, WA/Bellevue 6-0 Greenwich, CT/The Lawrenceville School 6-1 Paris, France/Ecole Active Bilingue 6-2 Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-2 Penn Valley, PA/The Haverford School 6-2 Medford, NJ/Shawnee 6-2 Happy Valley, OR/Lake Oswego 6-0 /Berkshire School 6-0 Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-4 Barrington, RI/Barrington 6-4 Skillman, NJ/Montgomery Township 6-3 San Diego, CA/Westview 6-2 Milton, MA/St. Sebastian’s School 6-0 Rochester, NY/Brighton 6-0 Freehold, NJ/Freehold 6-0 Austin, TX/Austin 6-4 Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan 6-0 Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy 6-4 Pawling, NY/Canterbury 6-2 Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny 6-0 Westerville, OH/Westerville Central 6-1 Portland, OR/Jesuit 6-2 Rockford, IL/Taft 6-1 Radner, PA/Radner 6-3 Bethel, CT/Bethel 6-0 Simsbury, CT/Simsbury 6-1 Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair 5-0 Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences 5-5 Washington, DC/Gonzaga College 6-2 York, PA/York Suburban 5-0 New Orleans, LA/Blair Academy 6-2 Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle 6-2 Marion, MA/Tabor Academy
So. Jr. Fr. So.
5-1 Madisonville, KY/Phillips Andover Academy 6-2 Baltimore, MD/St. Paul’s 6-5 Wayne, PA/Radnor 6-3 Mount Holly, NC/Cannon
Head Coach - Mark Davis Assistant Coach - James Sands
Event (Location) Result/Time Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) 1st of 14 Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th of 39 Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 7th out of 43 Novice Head Race (Charlottesville, VA) 8:00 a.m. ET McCausland Cup (Philadelphia, PA) 8:00 a.m. ET George Washington Invitational 1:30 p.m. ET George Washington Invitational 8:00 a.m. ET at Rutgers w/Georgetown 8:00 a.m. ET at Boston University 8:00 a.m. ET EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA All Day IRA National Championships (Cherry Hill, NJ) All Day
2008-09 VARSITY RESULTS Date 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/1 1/2 3/14 3/28 4/4 4/10-11 4/26 5/2 5/10 5/28 6/4-6
Opponent/Event (Location) Finish Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) All Day Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 15th at Virginia w/ Georgetown (Charlottesville, VA) 3rd Winter Training Trip (Augusta, GA) All Day Spring Break Training (Washington, D.C.) All Day McCausland Cup vs Penn (Washington, D.C.) W, 1-0 at Saint Joseph’s (Philadelphia, PA) Cancelled GW Invitational Regatta (Washington, D.C.) 6th (of 12) Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) 1st of 2 Boston University, Dartmouth, MIT (Chicago, IL) 2nd of 3 EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA) 9th of 18 at Navy (Scrimmage) 6:00 a.m. ET IRA National Championships (Sacramento, CA) All Day
U.S. Olympians Aquil Abdullah ‘95 ......................................................................2004 Tina Brown ‘90 ............................................................................1992 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD) ............................................................2000 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86 ..................................................1992, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..........................................................................2000 U.S. National Team Members (World Championships) Aquil Abdullah ‘95........................................................2000, ‘01, ‘04 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86............................................1992, ‘93, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..................................................1997, ‘98, ‘99, 2000 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD)............1991, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, 1998, ‘99, 2000 Tina Brown ‘90 ....................................................................1991, ‘92 Jonathan D’Alba ‘07 ............................................................2006, ‘07 Jen Edwards ‘97..........................................................................2001 Molly Hoyle ‘89 ..........................................................................1989 Others Rob Bartlett ‘87 (British National Team)..............................1985, ‘86
Being a member of the George Washington University Men’s Rowing team means being part of a tradition of success. The modern rowing program at George Washington began in 1956 by a group of eager students and has not stopped growing since. From its humble beginnings as a college club crew to its present status as a member of the EARC, George Washington has become one of the nation’s elite programs. With campus only a half mile from the Thompson Boat Center and Potomac River which has miles of rowable water, George Washington University is a perfect location for rowing. The team wastes no time in transit to and from the boathouse. Each year nearly 100 freshmen will make a pilgrimage to the river to try out for a spot on the team. For those willing to make the commitment and to work hard, the payoff is both enormous and lifelong. As a member of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), our racing season starts with several dual races against league opponents. We also host the annual GW Invite, going into its 23rd year, the largest regatta in DC. We invite top programs from the west and east coast to compete in two days of dual racing. It is a highly competitive regular season, culminating in the EARC Eastern Sprints Championship in mid-May. From there the team returns to campus for several weeks of training leading up to the IRA National Championship. Highly successful crews representing GW also have traveled to the Henley Royal Regatta for international racing. George Washington Rowing has a long history of current team members and graduates competing for the United States at the World Championships and Olympic Games. In fact, former oarsmen and women from GW have represented the United States at every Olympic Games since 1992. Most recently, Aquil Abdullah ‘95 finished in sixth place in the double sculls at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Continuing in this tradition, a handful of the best oarsmen and women of GW’s current squads are participating in national team testing in preparation for summer development, pre-elite, and senior team rowing camps. Coaches are often asked what they are looking for in a recruit. What does ones erg time have to be? How tall? How successful? At George Washington we are looking for recruits who are willing to work hard and never settle for second best. We are more concerned with toughness than erg scores, with determination than size. How competitive are you? If the answer is “extremely,” then GW is the place for you.
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y
2 0 0 9 - 10 M E N ’ S ROW I NG
2009-10 OUTLOOK In 2009, the George Washington Men’s Rowing team broke through the ranks of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), finishing in ninth place at the Eastern Sprint Championships in the varsity eight. This was George Washington’s strongest performance at Sprints. The strong showing secured a full-team invitation for the IRA National Championships. At the IRA’s the varsity eight finished 15th in a very tightly packed field. Colonials Men’s Rowing finished the fall head racing season with its best Head of the Charles and Princeton Chase finishes in school history, and the team is looking forward to an ambitious EARC dual race schedule. With more than two eights of varsity oarsmen on the roster, competition for seats in the varsity boats will be fierce all season long. The separation between oarsmen and boats in practice has been minimal, and the intra-squad competition that has resulted has led to every practice being surprisingly fierce. This bodes well for a very competitive and successful spring season in 2010. Third-year freshman coach James Sands is working with a strong recruiting class and by all measures, they will be a force to be reckoned with. The athletes of the Class of 2013 began their collegiate careers auspiciously, with excellent finishes against top collegiate competition in all three of their fall head races. It will be exciting to watch what this class can do not only as a freshman team, but also as they make their way onto the varsity squad in years to come. One thing is for certain — the Class of 2013 will play a significant role as GW climbs the ranks of the EARC.
ROWING AT GW 2009-10 ROSTER
2009-10 SCHEDULE
Name Dominic Abruzzese Eric Anderson Adam Bair Margaret Barone Curtis Batts Robert Berns David Besnainou Karel Bryukhanov Scott Caplan Tom Caruso Adam Cella Cameron Chen Clay Cohen Brendan Dentino Mark Dissen Andy Engvall Sean Fago Matthew Freeman Jim Gallagher Adam Gardy Sam Goldberg Max Greenblum Craig Helmstetter Eric Herrera Matthew Hochrein Peter Joyce James Kelly Zach Krahmer Taylor Lindman Andrew Miller Jake Miner David Morgenstern Anthony Paladino Larissa Peizer
Yr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr.
Date 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/7 3/27 4/9 4/10 4/24 5/1 5/16 6/3-5
Johannes Schmidt Tom Schryver Lia Simeone Ivan Soto-Wright Luke Stone Katherin Suarez-Quijano Guy Tawney Peter Van da Beek Colin York
Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr.
Ht. Hometown/High School 6-2 Ridley Park, PA/The Haverford School 5-11 Pacifica, CA/Junipero Serra 6-5 Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood 4-6 Huntington, NY/Huntington 6-2 Bellevue, WA/Bellevue 6-0 Greenwich, CT/The Lawrenceville School 6-1 Paris, France/Ecole Active Bilingue 6-2 Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-2 Penn Valley, PA/The Haverford School 6-2 Medford, NJ/Shawnee 6-2 Happy Valley, OR/Lake Oswego 6-0 /Berkshire School 6-0 Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-4 Barrington, RI/Barrington 6-4 Skillman, NJ/Montgomery Township 6-3 San Diego, CA/Westview 6-2 Milton, MA/St. Sebastian’s School 6-0 Rochester, NY/Brighton 6-0 Freehold, NJ/Freehold 6-0 Austin, TX/Austin 6-4 Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan 6-0 Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy 6-4 Pawling, NY/Canterbury 6-2 Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny 6-0 Westerville, OH/Westerville Central 6-1 Portland, OR/Jesuit 6-2 Rockford, IL/Taft 6-1 Radner, PA/Radner 6-3 Bethel, CT/Bethel 6-0 Simsbury, CT/Simsbury 6-1 Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair 5-0 Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences 5-5 Washington, DC/Gonzaga College 6-2 York, PA/York Suburban 5-0 New Orleans, LA/Blair Academy 6-2 Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle 6-2 Marion, MA/Tabor Academy
So. Jr. Fr. So.
5-1 Madisonville, KY/Phillips Andover Academy 6-2 Baltimore, MD/St. Paul’s 6-5 Wayne, PA/Radnor 6-3 Mount Holly, NC/Cannon
Head Coach - Mark Davis Assistant Coach - James Sands
Event (Location) Result/Time Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) 1st of 14 Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th of 39 Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 7th out of 43 Novice Head Race (Charlottesville, VA) 8:00 a.m. ET McCausland Cup (Philadelphia, PA) 8:00 a.m. ET George Washington Invitational 1:30 p.m. ET George Washington Invitational 8:00 a.m. ET at Rutgers w/Georgetown 8:00 a.m. ET at Boston University 8:00 a.m. ET EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA All Day IRA National Championships (Cherry Hill, NJ) All Day
2008-09 VARSITY RESULTS Date 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/1 1/2 3/14 3/28 4/4 4/10-11 4/26 5/2 5/10 5/28 6/4-6
Opponent/Event (Location) Finish Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) All Day Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 15th at Virginia w/ Georgetown (Charlottesville, VA) 3rd Winter Training Trip (Augusta, GA) All Day Spring Break Training (Washington, D.C.) All Day McCausland Cup vs Penn (Washington, D.C.) W, 1-0 at Saint Joseph’s (Philadelphia, PA) Cancelled GW Invitational Regatta (Washington, D.C.) 6th (of 12) Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) 1st of 2 Boston University, Dartmouth, MIT (Chicago, IL) 2nd of 3 EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA) 9th of 18 at Navy (Scrimmage) 6:00 a.m. ET IRA National Championships (Sacramento, CA) All Day
U.S. Olympians Aquil Abdullah ‘95 ......................................................................2004 Tina Brown ‘90 ............................................................................1992 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD) ............................................................2000 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86 ..................................................1992, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..........................................................................2000 U.S. National Team Members (World Championships) Aquil Abdullah ‘95........................................................2000, ‘01, ‘04 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86............................................1992, ‘93, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..................................................1997, ‘98, ‘99, 2000 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD)............1991, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, 1998, ‘99, 2000 Tina Brown ‘90 ....................................................................1991, ‘92 Jonathan D’Alba ‘07 ............................................................2006, ‘07 Jen Edwards ‘97..........................................................................2001 Molly Hoyle ‘89 ..........................................................................1989 Others Rob Bartlett ‘87 (British National Team)..............................1985, ‘86
Being a member of the George Washington University Men’s Rowing team means being part of a tradition of success. The modern rowing program at George Washington began in 1956 by a group of eager students and has not stopped growing since. From its humble beginnings as a college club crew to its present status as a member of the EARC, George Washington has become one of the nation’s elite programs. With campus only a half mile from the Thompson Boat Center and Potomac River which has miles of rowable water, George Washington University is a perfect location for rowing. The team wastes no time in transit to and from the boathouse. Each year nearly 100 freshmen will make a pilgrimage to the river to try out for a spot on the team. For those willing to make the commitment and to work hard, the payoff is both enormous and lifelong. As a member of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), our racing season starts with several dual races against league opponents. We also host the annual GW Invite, going into its 23rd year, the largest regatta in DC. We invite top programs from the west and east coast to compete in two days of dual racing. It is a highly competitive regular season, culminating in the EARC Eastern Sprints Championship in mid-May. From there the team returns to campus for several weeks of training leading up to the IRA National Championship. Highly successful crews representing GW also have traveled to the Henley Royal Regatta for international racing. George Washington Rowing has a long history of current team members and graduates competing for the United States at the World Championships and Olympic Games. In fact, former oarsmen and women from GW have represented the United States at every Olympic Games since 1992. Most recently, Aquil Abdullah ‘95 finished in sixth place in the double sculls at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Continuing in this tradition, a handful of the best oarsmen and women of GW’s current squads are participating in national team testing in preparation for summer development, pre-elite, and senior team rowing camps. Coaches are often asked what they are looking for in a recruit. What does ones erg time have to be? How tall? How successful? At George Washington we are looking for recruits who are willing to work hard and never settle for second best. We are more concerned with toughness than erg scores, with determination than size. How competitive are you? If the answer is “extremely,” then GW is the place for you.
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y
2 0 0 9 - 10 M E N ’ S ROW I NG
2009-10 OUTLOOK In 2009, the George Washington Men’s Rowing team broke through the ranks of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), finishing in ninth place at the Eastern Sprint Championships in the varsity eight. This was George Washington’s strongest performance at Sprints. The strong showing secured a full-team invitation for the IRA National Championships. At the IRA’s the varsity eight finished 15th in a very tightly packed field. Colonials Men’s Rowing finished the fall head racing season with its best Head of the Charles and Princeton Chase finishes in school history, and the team is looking forward to an ambitious EARC dual race schedule. With more than two eights of varsity oarsmen on the roster, competition for seats in the varsity boats will be fierce all season long. The separation between oarsmen and boats in practice has been minimal, and the intra-squad competition that has resulted has led to every practice being surprisingly fierce. This bodes well for a very competitive and successful spring season in 2010. Third-year freshman coach James Sands is working with a strong recruiting class and by all measures, they will be a force to be reckoned with. The athletes of the Class of 2013 began their collegiate careers auspiciously, with excellent finishes against top collegiate competition in all three of their fall head races. It will be exciting to watch what this class can do not only as a freshman team, but also as they make their way onto the varsity squad in years to come. One thing is for certain — the Class of 2013 will play a significant role as GW climbs the ranks of the EARC.
ROWING AT GW 2009-10 ROSTER
2009-10 SCHEDULE
Name Dominic Abruzzese Eric Anderson Adam Bair Margaret Barone Curtis Batts Robert Berns David Besnainou Karel Bryukhanov Scott Caplan Tom Caruso Adam Cella Cameron Chen Clay Cohen Brendan Dentino Mark Dissen Andy Engvall Sean Fago Matthew Freeman Jim Gallagher Adam Gardy Sam Goldberg Max Greenblum Craig Helmstetter Eric Herrera Matthew Hochrein Peter Joyce James Kelly Zach Krahmer Taylor Lindman Andrew Miller Jake Miner David Morgenstern Anthony Paladino Larissa Peizer
Yr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr.
Date 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/7 3/27 4/9 4/10 4/24 5/1 5/16 6/3-5
Johannes Schmidt Tom Schryver Lia Simeone Ivan Soto-Wright Luke Stone Katherin Suarez-Quijano Guy Tawney Peter Van da Beek Colin York
Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr.
Ht. Hometown/High School 6-2 Ridley Park, PA/The Haverford School 5-11 Pacifica, CA/Junipero Serra 6-5 Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood 4-6 Huntington, NY/Huntington 6-2 Bellevue, WA/Bellevue 6-0 Greenwich, CT/The Lawrenceville School 6-1 Paris, France/Ecole Active Bilingue 6-2 Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-2 Penn Valley, PA/The Haverford School 6-2 Medford, NJ/Shawnee 6-2 Happy Valley, OR/Lake Oswego 6-0 /Berkshire School 6-0 Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-4 Barrington, RI/Barrington 6-4 Skillman, NJ/Montgomery Township 6-3 San Diego, CA/Westview 6-2 Milton, MA/St. Sebastian’s School 6-0 Rochester, NY/Brighton 6-0 Freehold, NJ/Freehold 6-0 Austin, TX/Austin 6-4 Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan 6-0 Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy 6-4 Pawling, NY/Canterbury 6-2 Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny 6-0 Westerville, OH/Westerville Central 6-1 Portland, OR/Jesuit 6-2 Rockford, IL/Taft 6-1 Radner, PA/Radner 6-3 Bethel, CT/Bethel 6-0 Simsbury, CT/Simsbury 6-1 Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair 5-0 Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences 5-5 Washington, DC/Gonzaga College 6-2 York, PA/York Suburban 5-0 New Orleans, LA/Blair Academy 6-2 Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle 6-2 Marion, MA/Tabor Academy
So. Jr. Fr. So.
5-1 Madisonville, KY/Phillips Andover Academy 6-2 Baltimore, MD/St. Paul’s 6-5 Wayne, PA/Radnor 6-3 Mount Holly, NC/Cannon
Head Coach - Mark Davis Assistant Coach - James Sands
Event (Location) Result/Time Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) 1st of 14 Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th of 39 Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 7th out of 43 Novice Head Race (Charlottesville, VA) 8:00 a.m. ET McCausland Cup (Philadelphia, PA) 8:00 a.m. ET George Washington Invitational 1:30 p.m. ET George Washington Invitational 8:00 a.m. ET at Rutgers w/Georgetown 8:00 a.m. ET at Boston University 8:00 a.m. ET EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA All Day IRA National Championships (Cherry Hill, NJ) All Day
2008-09 VARSITY RESULTS Date 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/1 1/2 3/14 3/28 4/4 4/10-11 4/26 5/2 5/10 5/28 6/4-6
Opponent/Event (Location) Finish Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) All Day Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 15th at Virginia w/ Georgetown (Charlottesville, VA) 3rd Winter Training Trip (Augusta, GA) All Day Spring Break Training (Washington, D.C.) All Day McCausland Cup vs Penn (Washington, D.C.) W, 1-0 at Saint Joseph’s (Philadelphia, PA) Cancelled GW Invitational Regatta (Washington, D.C.) 6th (of 12) Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) 1st of 2 Boston University, Dartmouth, MIT (Chicago, IL) 2nd of 3 EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA) 9th of 18 at Navy (Scrimmage) 6:00 a.m. ET IRA National Championships (Sacramento, CA) All Day
U.S. Olympians Aquil Abdullah ‘95 ......................................................................2004 Tina Brown ‘90 ............................................................................1992 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD) ............................................................2000 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86 ..................................................1992, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..........................................................................2000 U.S. National Team Members (World Championships) Aquil Abdullah ‘95........................................................2000, ‘01, ‘04 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86............................................1992, ‘93, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..................................................1997, ‘98, ‘99, 2000 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD)............1991, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, 1998, ‘99, 2000 Tina Brown ‘90 ....................................................................1991, ‘92 Jonathan D’Alba ‘07 ............................................................2006, ‘07 Jen Edwards ‘97..........................................................................2001 Molly Hoyle ‘89 ..........................................................................1989 Others Rob Bartlett ‘87 (British National Team)..............................1985, ‘86
Being a member of the George Washington University Men’s Rowing team means being part of a tradition of success. The modern rowing program at George Washington began in 1956 by a group of eager students and has not stopped growing since. From its humble beginnings as a college club crew to its present status as a member of the EARC, George Washington has become one of the nation’s elite programs. With campus only a half mile from the Thompson Boat Center and Potomac River which has miles of rowable water, George Washington University is a perfect location for rowing. The team wastes no time in transit to and from the boathouse. Each year nearly 100 freshmen will make a pilgrimage to the river to try out for a spot on the team. For those willing to make the commitment and to work hard, the payoff is both enormous and lifelong. As a member of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), our racing season starts with several dual races against league opponents. We also host the annual GW Invite, going into its 23rd year, the largest regatta in DC. We invite top programs from the west and east coast to compete in two days of dual racing. It is a highly competitive regular season, culminating in the EARC Eastern Sprints Championship in mid-May. From there the team returns to campus for several weeks of training leading up to the IRA National Championship. Highly successful crews representing GW also have traveled to the Henley Royal Regatta for international racing. George Washington Rowing has a long history of current team members and graduates competing for the United States at the World Championships and Olympic Games. In fact, former oarsmen and women from GW have represented the United States at every Olympic Games since 1992. Most recently, Aquil Abdullah ‘95 finished in sixth place in the double sculls at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Continuing in this tradition, a handful of the best oarsmen and women of GW’s current squads are participating in national team testing in preparation for summer development, pre-elite, and senior team rowing camps. Coaches are often asked what they are looking for in a recruit. What does ones erg time have to be? How tall? How successful? At George Washington we are looking for recruits who are willing to work hard and never settle for second best. We are more concerned with toughness than erg scores, with determination than size. How competitive are you? If the answer is “extremely,” then GW is the place for you.
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y
2 0 0 9 - 10 M E N ’ S ROW I NG
2009-10 OUTLOOK In 2009, the George Washington Men’s Rowing team broke through the ranks of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), finishing in ninth place at the Eastern Sprint Championships in the varsity eight. This was George Washington’s strongest performance at Sprints. The strong showing secured a full-team invitation for the IRA National Championships. At the IRA’s the varsity eight finished 15th in a very tightly packed field. Colonials Men’s Rowing finished the fall head racing season with its best Head of the Charles and Princeton Chase finishes in school history, and the team is looking forward to an ambitious EARC dual race schedule. With more than two eights of varsity oarsmen on the roster, competition for seats in the varsity boats will be fierce all season long. The separation between oarsmen and boats in practice has been minimal, and the intra-squad competition that has resulted has led to every practice being surprisingly fierce. This bodes well for a very competitive and successful spring season in 2010. Third-year freshman coach James Sands is working with a strong recruiting class and by all measures, they will be a force to be reckoned with. The athletes of the Class of 2013 began their collegiate careers auspiciously, with excellent finishes against top collegiate competition in all three of their fall head races. It will be exciting to watch what this class can do not only as a freshman team, but also as they make their way onto the varsity squad in years to come. One thing is for certain — the Class of 2013 will play a significant role as GW climbs the ranks of the EARC.
ROWING AT GW 2009-10 ROSTER
2009-10 SCHEDULE
Name Dominic Abruzzese Eric Anderson Adam Bair Margaret Barone Curtis Batts Robert Berns David Besnainou Karel Bryukhanov Scott Caplan Tom Caruso Adam Cella Cameron Chen Clay Cohen Brendan Dentino Mark Dissen Andy Engvall Sean Fago Matthew Freeman Jim Gallagher Adam Gardy Sam Goldberg Max Greenblum Craig Helmstetter Eric Herrera Matthew Hochrein Peter Joyce James Kelly Zach Krahmer Taylor Lindman Andrew Miller Jake Miner David Morgenstern Anthony Paladino Larissa Peizer
Yr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr.
Date 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/7 3/27 4/9 4/10 4/24 5/1 5/16 6/3-5
Johannes Schmidt Tom Schryver Lia Simeone Ivan Soto-Wright Luke Stone Katherin Suarez-Quijano Guy Tawney Peter Van da Beek Colin York
Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr.
Ht. Hometown/High School 6-2 Ridley Park, PA/The Haverford School 5-11 Pacifica, CA/Junipero Serra 6-5 Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood 4-6 Huntington, NY/Huntington 6-2 Bellevue, WA/Bellevue 6-0 Greenwich, CT/The Lawrenceville School 6-1 Paris, France/Ecole Active Bilingue 6-2 Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-2 Penn Valley, PA/The Haverford School 6-2 Medford, NJ/Shawnee 6-2 Happy Valley, OR/Lake Oswego 6-0 /Berkshire School 6-0 Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood 6-0 Pittsburgh, PA/Taylor Allderdice 6-4 Barrington, RI/Barrington 6-4 Skillman, NJ/Montgomery Township 6-3 San Diego, CA/Westview 6-2 Milton, MA/St. Sebastian’s School 6-0 Rochester, NY/Brighton 6-0 Freehold, NJ/Freehold 6-0 Austin, TX/Austin 6-4 Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan 6-0 Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy 6-4 Pawling, NY/Canterbury 6-2 Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny 6-0 Westerville, OH/Westerville Central 6-1 Portland, OR/Jesuit 6-2 Rockford, IL/Taft 6-1 Radner, PA/Radner 6-3 Bethel, CT/Bethel 6-0 Simsbury, CT/Simsbury 6-1 Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair 5-0 Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences 5-5 Washington, DC/Gonzaga College 6-2 York, PA/York Suburban 5-0 New Orleans, LA/Blair Academy 6-2 Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle 6-2 Marion, MA/Tabor Academy
So. Jr. Fr. So.
5-1 Madisonville, KY/Phillips Andover Academy 6-2 Baltimore, MD/St. Paul’s 6-5 Wayne, PA/Radnor 6-3 Mount Holly, NC/Cannon
Head Coach - Mark Davis Assistant Coach - James Sands
Event (Location) Result/Time Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) 1st of 14 Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th of 39 Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 7th out of 43 Novice Head Race (Charlottesville, VA) 8:00 a.m. ET McCausland Cup (Philadelphia, PA) 8:00 a.m. ET George Washington Invitational 1:30 p.m. ET George Washington Invitational 8:00 a.m. ET at Rutgers w/Georgetown 8:00 a.m. ET at Boston University 8:00 a.m. ET EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA All Day IRA National Championships (Cherry Hill, NJ) All Day
2008-09 VARSITY RESULTS Date 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/1 1/2 3/14 3/28 4/4 4/10-11 4/26 5/2 5/10 5/28 6/4-6
Opponent/Event (Location) Finish Occoquan Chase (Woodbridge, VA) All Day Head of the Charles (Boston, MA) 20th Princeton Chase (Princeton, NJ) 15th at Virginia w/ Georgetown (Charlottesville, VA) 3rd Winter Training Trip (Augusta, GA) All Day Spring Break Training (Washington, D.C.) All Day McCausland Cup vs Penn (Washington, D.C.) W, 1-0 at Saint Joseph’s (Philadelphia, PA) Cancelled GW Invitational Regatta (Washington, D.C.) 6th (of 12) Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) 1st of 2 Boston University, Dartmouth, MIT (Chicago, IL) 2nd of 3 EARC Eastern Sprints (Worcester, MA) 9th of 18 at Navy (Scrimmage) 6:00 a.m. ET IRA National Championships (Sacramento, CA) All Day
U.S. Olympians Aquil Abdullah ‘95 ......................................................................2004 Tina Brown ‘90 ............................................................................1992 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD) ............................................................2000 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86 ..................................................1992, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..........................................................................2000 U.S. National Team Members (World Championships) Aquil Abdullah ‘95........................................................2000, ‘01, ‘04 Michelle Knox-Zaloom ‘86............................................1992, ‘93, ‘96 Linda Miller ‘94 ..................................................1997, ‘98, ‘99, 2000 Christine Collins ‘97 (JD)............1991, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, 1998, ‘99, 2000 Tina Brown ‘90 ....................................................................1991, ‘92 Jonathan D’Alba ‘07 ............................................................2006, ‘07 Jen Edwards ‘97..........................................................................2001 Molly Hoyle ‘89 ..........................................................................1989 Others Rob Bartlett ‘87 (British National Team)..............................1985, ‘86
Being a member of the George Washington University Men’s Rowing team means being part of a tradition of success. The modern rowing program at George Washington began in 1956 by a group of eager students and has not stopped growing since. From its humble beginnings as a college club crew to its present status as a member of the EARC, George Washington has become one of the nation’s elite programs. With campus only a half mile from the Thompson Boat Center and Potomac River which has miles of rowable water, George Washington University is a perfect location for rowing. The team wastes no time in transit to and from the boathouse. Each year nearly 100 freshmen will make a pilgrimage to the river to try out for a spot on the team. For those willing to make the commitment and to work hard, the payoff is both enormous and lifelong. As a member of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC), our racing season starts with several dual races against league opponents. We also host the annual GW Invite, going into its 23rd year, the largest regatta in DC. We invite top programs from the west and east coast to compete in two days of dual racing. It is a highly competitive regular season, culminating in the EARC Eastern Sprints Championship in mid-May. From there the team returns to campus for several weeks of training leading up to the IRA National Championship. Highly successful crews representing GW also have traveled to the Henley Royal Regatta for international racing. George Washington Rowing has a long history of current team members and graduates competing for the United States at the World Championships and Olympic Games. In fact, former oarsmen and women from GW have represented the United States at every Olympic Games since 1992. Most recently, Aquil Abdullah ‘95 finished in sixth place in the double sculls at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Continuing in this tradition, a handful of the best oarsmen and women of GW’s current squads are participating in national team testing in preparation for summer development, pre-elite, and senior team rowing camps. Coaches are often asked what they are looking for in a recruit. What does ones erg time have to be? How tall? How successful? At George Washington we are looking for recruits who are willing to work hard and never settle for second best. We are more concerned with toughness than erg scores, with determination than size. How competitive are you? If the answer is “extremely,” then GW is the place for you.
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y MARK DAVIS / HEAD COACH Mark Davis is in his first year as head coach of the men’s rowing at The George Washington University. Davis replaces former head coach Greg Myhr, who resigned in August to accept a similar position at the University of Pennsylvania. Davis will be responsible for all aspects of the Colonials men’s rowing program, which opens the 2009-10 season on Oct. 11 at the Occoquan Chase in Woodbridge, VA. Davis comes to Foggy Bottom from Yale University, where he spent three seasons as head coach and lead recruiter of the Heavyweight Freshman Men’s Rowing team in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, Davis’ Freshmen Eight finished in the grand finals of the Eastern Sprints all three seasons. His freshmen eight in 2008 also finished fourth at the IRA Nationals. Davis brings 16 years of coaching experience to George Washington. Davis also was the head men’s rowing coach at the University of California at San Diego for three years prior to his stint at Yale. His crews won five medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, while UCSD won the overall point trophy at the 2006 WIRA championship for the first time in the program’s history. Prior to UCSD, Davis was the assistant women’s rowing coach at the University of Texas at Austin. While at Texas, Davis spent three years helping to elevate the Texas program to its first bid to the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship in 2003. Texas finished 12th in the nation that year, its best performance. From 1996-2000, Davis was the head men’s and women’s rowing coach at Colby (ME) College. He transformed a struggling club team into an elite Division III varsity program. His crews won medals at the New England Championships, Dad Vails, Champion Regatta, IRAs and the Head of the Charles. Davis began his coaching career at his alma mater, Hobart College, where he studied under his mentor and former Yale coach, Jim Joy. A 1993 graduate of Hobart, Davis earned a B.A. in United States history and was captain of the rowing team.
JAMES SANDS / ASSISTANT COACH James Sands is in his third season serving as the freshmen coach at the George Washington University. In his second season with the Colonials, Sands led the Colonials’ second freshman eight, which capped off a very nice season by racing their way into the Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints, finishing a close sixth overall in the event. This marked the first time GW has been in a Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints. As GW heads into another year in the EARC, Sands has brought in a powerful recruiting class and appears poised to build on last year’s success. A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Sands coxed the freshman eight in his first year with the
Badgers and went undefeated in dual racing that year. Sands spent his next three years as an oarsman, no small feat for an overgrown coxswain on a nationally ranked heavyweight squad. Sands prided himself on pressing his teammates to new heights. In the process, he captured several Midwest Championship titles as an oarsman. A four-year coxswain at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, Sands coxed the men’s lightweight eight at Youth Nationals in Cincinnati before taking over the varsity eight for his next three years. Sands led the Lions’ varsity eight to the Florida State Scholastic Championship title in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and in 2002 went on to take third at Scholastic Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Sands graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Sands resides in Washington, DC.
FACILITIES The George Washington University men’s crews row on the historic Potomac River. Headquartered at the H.T. Thompson Boat Center, GW rowers are only one-quarter mile from campus. The boathouse holds the crew’s fleet of racing eights, fours and small boats. A carefully designed equipment turnover plan assures that the student-athletes are racing in the latest top-of-the-line equipment. GW has a four-lane fully buoyed racecourse for its 2,000-meter spring home races. GW hosts several home regattas during the year, but the largest is the annual George Washington Invitational Regatta. Large crowds often line the boardwalk at Washington Harbour and the waterfront park during the regattas. George Washington University Rowing also has access to a number of on-campus training facilities. Charles E. Smith Center is home to the team’s strength training facilities and other cross training equipment. The teams rowing ergometers are kept nearby in the state-of-the-art Lerner Health and Wellness Center.
Quick Facts The George Washington University 600 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20052
Founded: ............................................................................................1821 Enrollment: ......................................................................................20,327 Nickname:....................................................................................Colonials Colors: ..................................................................................Buff and Blue Conference: ......................................................................................ECAC President: ............................................................................Steven Knapp Director of Athletics:..............................................................Jack Kvancz Head Coach: ..................................Mark Davis (Hobart ‘93) — 1st year Assistant Coach: ..................James Sands (Wisconsin ‘07) — 2nd year Women’s Rowing Office: ..................................................(202) 994-8603 Women’s Rowing Fax Number:........................................(202) 994-6818 E-Mail: Address: ................................................................mrd@gwu.edu Home Course:....................................................................Potomac River Boathouse:..........................................................Thompson Boat Center Phone Number:..................................................................(202) 333-9543 Rowing Contact:....................................................................Simon Ogus Rowing Contact E-mail: ....................................ogus@gwmail.gwu.edu Athletics Communications: ..............................................(202) 994-9003 Athletics Communications fax: ........................................(202) 994-2713 Web site: ..................................................................www.GWsports.com
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y MARK DAVIS / HEAD COACH Mark Davis is in his first year as head coach of the men’s rowing at The George Washington University. Davis replaces former head coach Greg Myhr, who resigned in August to accept a similar position at the University of Pennsylvania. Davis will be responsible for all aspects of the Colonials men’s rowing program, which opens the 2009-10 season on Oct. 11 at the Occoquan Chase in Woodbridge, VA. Davis comes to Foggy Bottom from Yale University, where he spent three seasons as head coach and lead recruiter of the Heavyweight Freshman Men’s Rowing team in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, Davis’ Freshmen Eight finished in the grand finals of the Eastern Sprints all three seasons. His freshmen eight in 2008 also finished fourth at the IRA Nationals. Davis brings 16 years of coaching experience to George Washington. Davis also was the head men’s rowing coach at the University of California at San Diego for three years prior to his stint at Yale. His crews won five medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, while UCSD won the overall point trophy at the 2006 WIRA championship for the first time in the program’s history. Prior to UCSD, Davis was the assistant women’s rowing coach at the University of Texas at Austin. While at Texas, Davis spent three years helping to elevate the Texas program to its first bid to the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship in 2003. Texas finished 12th in the nation that year, its best performance. From 1996-2000, Davis was the head men’s and women’s rowing coach at Colby (ME) College. He transformed a struggling club team into an elite Division III varsity program. His crews won medals at the New England Championships, Dad Vails, Champion Regatta, IRAs and the Head of the Charles. Davis began his coaching career at his alma mater, Hobart College, where he studied under his mentor and former Yale coach, Jim Joy. A 1993 graduate of Hobart, Davis earned a B.A. in United States history and was captain of the rowing team.
JAMES SANDS / ASSISTANT COACH James Sands is in his third season serving as the freshmen coach at the George Washington University. In his second season with the Colonials, Sands led the Colonials’ second freshman eight, which capped off a very nice season by racing their way into the Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints, finishing a close sixth overall in the event. This marked the first time GW has been in a Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints. As GW heads into another year in the EARC, Sands has brought in a powerful recruiting class and appears poised to build on last year’s success. A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Sands coxed the freshman eight in his first year with the
Badgers and went undefeated in dual racing that year. Sands spent his next three years as an oarsman, no small feat for an overgrown coxswain on a nationally ranked heavyweight squad. Sands prided himself on pressing his teammates to new heights. In the process, he captured several Midwest Championship titles as an oarsman. A four-year coxswain at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, Sands coxed the men’s lightweight eight at Youth Nationals in Cincinnati before taking over the varsity eight for his next three years. Sands led the Lions’ varsity eight to the Florida State Scholastic Championship title in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and in 2002 went on to take third at Scholastic Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Sands graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Sands resides in Washington, DC.
FACILITIES The George Washington University men’s crews row on the historic Potomac River. Headquartered at the H.T. Thompson Boat Center, GW rowers are only one-quarter mile from campus. The boathouse holds the crew’s fleet of racing eights, fours and small boats. A carefully designed equipment turnover plan assures that the student-athletes are racing in the latest top-of-the-line equipment. GW has a four-lane fully buoyed racecourse for its 2,000-meter spring home races. GW hosts several home regattas during the year, but the largest is the annual George Washington Invitational Regatta. Large crowds often line the boardwalk at Washington Harbour and the waterfront park during the regattas. George Washington University Rowing also has access to a number of on-campus training facilities. Charles E. Smith Center is home to the team’s strength training facilities and other cross training equipment. The teams rowing ergometers are kept nearby in the state-of-the-art Lerner Health and Wellness Center.
Quick Facts The George Washington University 600 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20052
Founded: ............................................................................................1821 Enrollment: ......................................................................................20,327 Nickname:....................................................................................Colonials Colors: ..................................................................................Buff and Blue Conference: ......................................................................................ECAC President: ............................................................................Steven Knapp Director of Athletics:..............................................................Jack Kvancz Head Coach: ..................................Mark Davis (Hobart ‘93) — 1st year Assistant Coach: ..................James Sands (Wisconsin ‘07) — 2nd year Women’s Rowing Office: ..................................................(202) 994-8603 Women’s Rowing Fax Number:........................................(202) 994-6818 E-Mail: Address: ................................................................mrd@gwu.edu Home Course:....................................................................Potomac River Boathouse:..........................................................Thompson Boat Center Phone Number:..................................................................(202) 333-9543 Rowing Contact:....................................................................Simon Ogus Rowing Contact E-mail: ....................................ogus@gwmail.gwu.edu Athletics Communications: ..............................................(202) 994-9003 Athletics Communications fax: ........................................(202) 994-2713 Web site: ..................................................................www.GWsports.com
T H E G E O R G E WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y MARK DAVIS / HEAD COACH Mark Davis is in his first year as head coach of the men’s rowing at The George Washington University. Davis replaces former head coach Greg Myhr, who resigned in August to accept a similar position at the University of Pennsylvania. Davis will be responsible for all aspects of the Colonials men’s rowing program, which opens the 2009-10 season on Oct. 11 at the Occoquan Chase in Woodbridge, VA. Davis comes to Foggy Bottom from Yale University, where he spent three seasons as head coach and lead recruiter of the Heavyweight Freshman Men’s Rowing team in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, Davis’ Freshmen Eight finished in the grand finals of the Eastern Sprints all three seasons. His freshmen eight in 2008 also finished fourth at the IRA Nationals. Davis brings 16 years of coaching experience to George Washington. Davis also was the head men’s rowing coach at the University of California at San Diego for three years prior to his stint at Yale. His crews won five medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, while UCSD won the overall point trophy at the 2006 WIRA championship for the first time in the program’s history. Prior to UCSD, Davis was the assistant women’s rowing coach at the University of Texas at Austin. While at Texas, Davis spent three years helping to elevate the Texas program to its first bid to the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship in 2003. Texas finished 12th in the nation that year, its best performance. From 1996-2000, Davis was the head men’s and women’s rowing coach at Colby (ME) College. He transformed a struggling club team into an elite Division III varsity program. His crews won medals at the New England Championships, Dad Vails, Champion Regatta, IRAs and the Head of the Charles. Davis began his coaching career at his alma mater, Hobart College, where he studied under his mentor and former Yale coach, Jim Joy. A 1993 graduate of Hobart, Davis earned a B.A. in United States history and was captain of the rowing team.
JAMES SANDS / ASSISTANT COACH James Sands is in his third season serving as the freshmen coach at the George Washington University. In his second season with the Colonials, Sands led the Colonials’ second freshman eight, which capped off a very nice season by racing their way into the Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints, finishing a close sixth overall in the event. This marked the first time GW has been in a Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints. As GW heads into another year in the EARC, Sands has brought in a powerful recruiting class and appears poised to build on last year’s success. A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Sands coxed the freshman eight in his first year with the
Badgers and went undefeated in dual racing that year. Sands spent his next three years as an oarsman, no small feat for an overgrown coxswain on a nationally ranked heavyweight squad. Sands prided himself on pressing his teammates to new heights. In the process, he captured several Midwest Championship titles as an oarsman. A four-year coxswain at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, Sands coxed the men’s lightweight eight at Youth Nationals in Cincinnati before taking over the varsity eight for his next three years. Sands led the Lions’ varsity eight to the Florida State Scholastic Championship title in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and in 2002 went on to take third at Scholastic Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Sands graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Sands resides in Washington, DC.
FACILITIES The George Washington University men’s crews row on the historic Potomac River. Headquartered at the H.T. Thompson Boat Center, GW rowers are only one-quarter mile from campus. The boathouse holds the crew’s fleet of racing eights, fours and small boats. A carefully designed equipment turnover plan assures that the student-athletes are racing in the latest top-of-the-line equipment. GW has a four-lane fully buoyed racecourse for its 2,000-meter spring home races. GW hosts several home regattas during the year, but the largest is the annual George Washington Invitational Regatta. Large crowds often line the boardwalk at Washington Harbour and the waterfront park during the regattas. George Washington University Rowing also has access to a number of on-campus training facilities. Charles E. Smith Center is home to the team’s strength training facilities and other cross training equipment. The teams rowing ergometers are kept nearby in the state-of-the-art Lerner Health and Wellness Center.
Quick Facts The George Washington University 600 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20052
Founded: ............................................................................................1821 Enrollment: ......................................................................................20,327 Nickname:....................................................................................Colonials Colors: ..................................................................................Buff and Blue Conference: ......................................................................................ECAC President: ............................................................................Steven Knapp Director of Athletics:..............................................................Jack Kvancz Head Coach: ..................................Mark Davis (Hobart ‘93) — 1st year Assistant Coach: ..................James Sands (Wisconsin ‘07) — 2nd year Women’s Rowing Office: ..................................................(202) 994-8603 Women’s Rowing Fax Number:........................................(202) 994-6818 E-Mail: Address: ................................................................mrd@gwu.edu Home Course:....................................................................Potomac River Boathouse:..........................................................Thompson Boat Center Phone Number:..................................................................(202) 333-9543 Rowing Contact:....................................................................Simon Ogus Rowing Contact E-mail: ....................................ogus@gwmail.gwu.edu Athletics Communications: ..............................................(202) 994-9003 Athletics Communications fax: ........................................(202) 994-2713 Web site: ..................................................................www.GWsports.com