Our Speakers
Josy Verdonkschot
Keynote speaker
USRowing's Chief High Performance Officer
Josy Verdonkschot was named USRowing's Chief High Performance Officer in January of 2022. Verdonkschot brings more than two decades of international coaching experience and an exceptional track record of success.
Verdonkschot served as the women's head coach for The Netherlands from 2014 to 2021, leading his athletes to three medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games where the Royal Dutch Rowing Federation finished third in the medal table. In total, he has coached crews to seven Olympic medals, including two golds.
Lori Dauphiny
Head Coach, Princeton University Women’s Rowing
Two-time National Coach of the Year Lori Dauphiny will enter her 27th year as the head coach of women’s open crew for the 2024 season, and she has led the Tigers to an unprecedented era of success over her career. Under Dauphiny, Princeton has won two V8+ NCAA Championships and 12 Ivy League crowns, and the Tigers will enter the 2024 season having won 85 of its last 89 Ivy League dual races.
A 1985 graduate of Washington, she enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career that included a second-place finish at the 1984 National Collegiate Rowing Championships. She also was a three-time winner at the Pac-10 Conference championships, the West Coast’s equivalent of the Eastern Sprints. Dauphiny twice won gold medals for the U.S. at the Canadian Henley.
Doolittle came to CGA in 2021 after serving as head coach at Ohio Wesleyan for three years from 2018-2020 where she established a new Division III varsity rowing program. Prior to Ohio Wesleyan, she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bates from 2015-2017 as the Bobcats won a pair of NCAA Division III national championships in 2015 and 2017. Coach Doolittle has also served as an assistant coach with the U23 team at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont, taking numerous athletes the U23 World Championships.
Doolittle began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Wesleyan during the 2013 and 2014 seasons as the team qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in 12 years in 2014. She was two-year member of the varsity eight at the University of Connecticut, was the team captain during the 2011-2012 season and was named an All-BIG EAST second team selection in 2012.
Director of Rowing & Head Women’s Coach, United States Coast Guard Academy
Andriel Doolittle
Clare Doyle has been the head rowing coach at Smith College since 2017. Doyle took over the program at Smith following a two year stint as a graduate assistant coach at the College.
Doyle started her coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at George Washington University from 2014-2015. Doyle also spent time working as an assistant with the Women's Junior National Team from 2016-2020. Doyle learned to row at Wesleyan University and was a member of the 2014 team that earned an NCAA bid, a first for the program in 12 years. Doyle earned a master's degree in Exercise and Sports Studies from Smith College in 2017.
Head Women’s Coach, Smith College
Clare Doyle
For the past two years, Foglia has served as the head coach for USRowing's under 23 men's squad, winning silver medals in the eight in 2021 and 2022, and a silver (2022) and bronze (2021) in the four with coxswain. Prior to that, he worked with the under 19 team in various capacities from 2009-2019, winning three silver medals in the men's eight and a bronze in the men's four with coxswain.
At the senior level, Foglia coached the men's four at the 2022 World Rowing Championships, the men's pair at the 2021 World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, had five athletes named to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games' roster, and was slated to coach the men's eight and four at the 2021 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai before the event was canceled due to Covid-19.
Foglia has served as the men's heavyweight assistant coach at Harvard since July 2016. Prior to that, he was an assistant lightweight coach at Columbia University for three years where he helped lead the program to its first IRA National Championship in 2016. He also served as a men's and women's assistant coach at Bates College from 2011-2013.
Head Coach, USRowing Training Center - Princeton
Jesse Foglia
Franks is a 2016 graduate of Temple University, where she was a four-year member of the women’s rowing program and four-year Varsity 8+ coxswain. Franks’ first year as a Temple coxswain was under Grzybowski’s first year at the helm of the program. The pair spent four years as a collaborative coach-and-coxswain duo leading the team to historic finishes. In her senior year, Franks was an integral part of Temple’s finish at the 2016 American Athletic Conference, placing third – the highest in program history
Associate Head Coach, Temple Women's Rowing
Kelsey Franks
Eric Gehrke was recently named the new assistant coach at Oklahoma University. He joins OU with an impressive resume as a coach and athlete on the collegiate and international circuits. He currently serves as the USA U19 men’s head coach, leading the U19 men’s 8+ to gold at the 2021 World Championships and to bronze in 2022, and has worked within the junior national system since 2010.
In addition to his international experience, Gehrke served as OKC Riversport’s director of rowing this past spring and the head juniors coach for OKC Riversport from 2021-23, helping secure five top-10 finishes at youth nationals and a 2024 national championship in the U17 4+.
On the collegiate circuit, Gehrke was head men’s rowing coach at George Washington from 2020-21, leading the program to its best finish at the IRA National Championships and the highest finishes for the first and second varsity 8+. He also served as an assistant coach at Southern California (USC).
As an athlete, Gehrke rowed for Boston College where he studied English and studio art.
Assistant Coach, Oklahoma University Women's Rowing
Eric Gehrke
Sarah Gehrke is the Women’s Head Coach for OKC Riversport Juniors Rowing. Sarah feels incredibly fortunate to be able to call her passion her career and enjoys learning alongside her athletes daily as they rise to new challenges. Sarah started her coaching career after an eight-year rowing career at St. Louis Rowing Club and Indiana University, Bloomington.
She has coached juniors, collegiate, and masters programs across the country, including the National Cathedral School, Saratoga Rowing Association, University of Southern California, North Park University, Washington University in St. Louis, SLRC, Artemis Rowing, and Indiana University. Her international coaching experience includes time working with the Nicaraguan National Team in Nicaragua prior to the 2017 Central American Games.
Sarah’s most recent coaching has led crews to medals and grand final participation at Youth Nationals, SRAAs, Stotesbury Cup, and qualified a U19 Men’s 2x to compete in the 2019 Junior World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She was also the Lead Coach for USRowing’s Women’s ODP High Performance camp in the summer of 2021.
Head Coach, OKC Junior Women's Rowing
Sarah Gehrke
Greg Hughes
Head Coach, Princeton Heavyweight Rowing
Greg Hughes is currently the Head Coach for the Princeton Heavyweight Crew and just finished his 15th season with the Tiger heavyweights in 2024. Hughes is also the president of the STEM to Stern's national organization board. STEM to Stern is a program that uses rowing to bring people together across racial and socioeconomic boundaries. Rowing is a focal point of STEM to Stern as clubs are able to use rowing to build relationships among students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to interact, or to compete together, which builds a diverse and competitive environment that is developed through the program. It's mission is 40 STEM to Stern programs and serve over 400 student-athletes across the United States in 2023.
The Tigers' coach is also the president of the IRCA (Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches' Association). The IRCA's mission is to promote and evolve men's collegiate rowing while embracing and support diversity, equity and inclusion in the sport. It fosters growth and development of rowing as a college sport in a manner that is demographically reflective of our society at large.
Hughes was a four-year lightweight rower under legendary Princeton coach Joe Murtaugh. A 1996 Princeton graduate, Hughes was undefeated in all of his four regular seasons and won two Eastern Sprints titles. He was an All-Ivy League rower on the 1994 and 1996 national championship lightweight crews. He served as team captain in 1996 and won the Gordon G. Sikes Award for the greatest contribution to Princeton lightweight crew. He would go on to be an alternate for both the 1997 and 1998 lightweight U.S. national teams.
Brannon Johnson, a Philadelphia native and current resident, is the head coach and owner of BLJ Community Rowing, one of the most diverse community rowing programs in the Philadelphia metro area. She has built an extensive resume in rowing, teaching and coaching over the past 15+ years. At the age of 15 she learned to row at the Fairmount Park Community Rowing Program.
Continuing to reign locally on the Schuylkill River, she began to develop as a single sculler under the tutelage of Kay MacDonald. She began her racing career and started to distinguish herself from other athletes which lead to training at Boston University’s elite summer program two consecutive years. She competed in and placed in the Stotesbury Regatta as well as Philadelphia City Championships.
Brannon received a full athletic scholarship to attend the University of Texas, where she rowed at the Division 1 varsity level all 4 years. In 2003, Brannon competed as a single sculler in the internationally known Henley Royal Regatta, one of the most prestigious regattas held on the Thames River in England. Brannon currently still rows and competes and is a fixture in the Philadelphia rowing community.
Founder & Head Coach, BLJ Community Rowing
Brannon Johnson
Al Morrow
Previous Canadian National Team Coach
Al Morrow was an elite level rower long before he became a legendary coach. He rowed at his hometown Leander Boat Club, Western University, University of British Columbia, and St. Catharines Rowing Club as he climbed his way to the national level. He was a member of Canada’s national team from 1970-76, winning a bronze medal in the men’s four at the 1975 Pan Am Games in Mexico City and ending his competitive rowing career as a member of the Olympic Team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
Morrow became head coach of the women’s national team in 1990 and would lead the program to unprecedented success until 2004. He coached at nine Olympic Games and under his leadership, Canadian rowers won a combined 15 World Championships and eight Olympic medals.
George Munger
Director of Rowing / Head Men's Rowing Coach, Tufts University
Now in his ninth season with the Tufts University men's rowing program overall, George Munger is the Director of Rowing at Tufts and head coach of the men's team. He has helped guide the Jumbos to becoming one of the top Dviision III rowing programs in the nation.
The men's rowing head coach at Tufts since 2019, Munger was promoted to interim Director of Rowing in August 2023 when former Director of Rowing Noel Wanner left Tufts for a position at Dartmouth College. The interim tag was removed following a very successful men's rowing season in 2023-24. The Jumbos won the Collegiate Eights event at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in the fall, then went on to finish as the national runner-up at the IRA Division III Championship in the spring. Munger also led the Jumbos to a Points Trophy victory at the New England Rowing Championships in May 2024. Tufts University junior Alex Flynn, a member of the Jumbo men's rowing team, won a silver medal with the U.S. Para Rowing Mixed Coxed Four at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Munger and assistant coaches Andy McLaughlin, Peter Malinovsky and Jacob Welborn were named as the Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year by the Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association for the 2024 season.
Nich Lee Parker, PhD, has been with Columbia lightweight rowing during an unprecedented run of medal winning appearances at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships. He has guided the Lions to two of the last three national titles and medaled at the IRA's in five of his six seasons at the helm. The performances won Lee Parker US Rowing Collegiate Lightweight Coach of the Year, US Rowing Fan's Choice Coach of the Year, as well as the University Coach of the Year award from The Joy of Sculling.
Lee Parker studied music, German literature, and education policy for his undergraduate education at The Ohio State University. He completed an MS in Sports Pedagogy and Administration from Purdue University in 2007. He recently completed the doctoral program in Biomechanics, focusing on neuroscience and motor control at Columbia University.
Head Men’s Lightweight Coach, Columbia University
Nich Lee Parker
Mike Purcer
Rigging
Mike Purcer has been coaching for over forty years and has coached at all levels, from novice high school to crews at the World Championships and Pan American Games. His book RIGGING, first published in 1985, has helped coaches understand how to measure rigging dimensions and how the adjustments change the rowing stroke. Mike works with Fluidesign to provide custom rigging based on an individual's Boatfit measurements. He is certified as a Master Coach Developer by the Coaching Association of Canada. Mike is a regular presenter on rigging and rowing technique at clubs and conferences in Canada and the United States.
Cory began his rowing career at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH where he was a three sport varsity athlete in football and wrestling in addition to rowing. He continued on as a four year varsity oarsmen at Bates College, and was the men’s team captain in both his junior and senior years. He was named to the 2010 ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships All-Conference Team in his senior year. He spent time working at Northeast Rowing Center through college, as well as the St. Paul’s Advanced Studies Program teaching art and coaching rowing after graduating. He spent 3 years teaching and coaching at Hebron Academy in Maine, where he taught studio art, lived in a dorm, and was the defensive coordinator for the football team, led the strength and conditioning program in the winter, and coached baseball in the spring. His proximity to Bates College allowed him to be a volunteer coach under Peter Steenstra several days a week as well.
Cory has been fortunate to spend the last 12 years working with the Men's Junior National Team system at the Olympic Development Program, Development, High Performance, Youth Regional Challenge and Selection Team levels in Pittsburgh, Maine, Oregon, Florida, California, and Tennessee, coaching young men from programs all over the country.
He has coached at Nashville Rowing in Tennessee since 2014, where he has also served as the Executive Director since 2017. Since 2014 Nashville has had athletes earn 37 invites to JNT camps, medal at CanAmMex, Junior World Championships, World Indoor Championships, HOCR, hold World Records, and graduate with scholarships earning medals at NCAAs, Eastern Sprints, and IRAs. Nashville Rowing has qualified boats for the USRowing Youth National Championship every year since 2014, with athletes competing in the 2x, 2-, 4+, Ltwt 4+, and 8+.
Youth Development Team Coach & Educational Consultant
Cory Sanderson
Joe DeLeo
Cofounder and Lead Author, Science of Rowing
PhD Student of Exercise Physiology at University of Kansas
Joe is a lifelong rower who has been involved with the sport since age 12. Joe was a varsity oarsman at The George Washington University, and was named team MVP his senior year. He then spent the next three years as the graduate assistant coach for Syracuse Men’s Rowing under Head Coach Dave Reischman. Joe launched his business, LEO Training in 2014. Since then, Joe has consulted with junior, collegiate, masters, and national team rowing programs, as well as interviewed hundreds of rowers, rowing coaches, and strength coaches through the LEO Training podcast.
Joe moved to the Kansas City area in 2017 and worked three years as the strength and conditioning specialist for Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Joe served as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Portuguesa de Remo from 2018 to the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. During his tenure as Head S&C won a total of 10 international medals at World Cups and European Championships. The Portuguese LM2x qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and finished 13th. He has assisted with USRowing’s annual high-altitude training camps and provided strength and conditioning support to USRowing’s para rowers since November 2023 which recently resulted in a silver medal in the PR3 4+ at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Joe has also been a presenter at the USRowing Conference and Joy of Sculling Conference. Joe earned a Master of Science in Sports Performance with First Class Honors from the University of Limerick in 2021. He is currently a PhD student in Exercise Physiology at the University of Kansas under Dr. Andrew C. Fry and Dr. Kathryn Ackerman.
Mark Williams
Head Coach, University of Toronto
Mark Williams joined the Blues in February, 2018. Since arriving at U of T, Williams has guided the Varsity Blues rowing program to Top 5 finishes at both the Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) and the OUA championships, along with 17 individual OUA medals. In that time, six Varsity Blues have gone on to compete at the Senior World Championships, U23 World Championships, Pan American Games, and FISU Games; five representing Team Canada and one representing Team USA.
Prior to arriving in Toronto, Williams served as head coach and director of rowing for the Ohio State University Crew Club (OSUCC). There, Williams was in charge of the program development, recruitment and fundraising, while also leading the team to top results. Under his guidance, the program garnered three Top 10 individual finishes at the ACRA national championships, along with two Top 6 team finishes and multiple medals at the MACRA regional championships.
Williams has also coached internationally and domestically outside of the academic year. In summer 2018, he coached the women’s double and lightweight women’s double for Canada at the World University Rowing Championships in Shanghai, China. In summer 2016, Williams coached the lightweight men’s program at Vesper Boat Club of Philadelphia to multiple club national championship titles and a Royal Canadian Henley title.