Team
Coaches
Paul Merrion - Team Director |
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Paul began rowing at St. Andrew in the spring of his freshmen year, where he continued to
compete until he graduated. His many seasons at SA were highlighted by several trips to the
Youth Invitational Championship Regatta. Paul most recently was the Novice Mens Lead coach, and has coached for 3 years before that.
Paul is USRowing level I certified.
Paul will be overseeing all the coaches, and making sure that we have consistent coaching amoung the different squads.
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Men's Squad
Richard Rhodes - Varsity Men Lead Coach |
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Richard rowed competitively throughout his years in high school and at Boston College. He continues to compete from time to time as a Master. Beginning with his freshman year in college, Richard has coached various learn-to-row programs in both Atlanta and Massachusetts at the junior and collegiate level.
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James Black - Varsity Men Assistant Coach |
| James began rowing while getting his PhD Degree at Auburn University and continues to compete now as a Master. James has been assisting at SA since the 2008-2009 season and has a reputation with all as a fitness guru.
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Richmond Jones - Freshmen/Novice Lead Men Coach |
| Richmond began rowing at Jacksonville University where he received his degree in Marketing. He also has collegiate experience as an assistant to the Novice Men's squad at Jacksonville.
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Peter Smith - Freshmen/Novice Assistant Men Coach |
| Peter rowed his way through high school at St. Andrew where he competed as a lightweight. In college, Peter went on to row at Trinity.
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Women's Squad
Bridget Fowler – Varsity Women Coach |
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Bridget is an SA Alumni among the elite few who have earned a medal at the USRowing Youth National Invitational Regatta. She rowed at University of Virginia and has been coaching at SA since last fall.
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Ford Heiner - Assistant Varsity Women Coach
Ford began her rowing career at what is now known as the Atomic Rowing Club in Oak Ridge, TN. She was a walk-on at Clemson, rowing all four years. From there, Ford coached at the Southeast Junior development (SEJ) camp, and is coming back for her second year at SA.
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Erin Toole - Freshmen/Novice Women Coach |
Erin was a coxswain for Wake Forest University, spent a year coaching Novice Men at the US Military Academy at West Point, and came to SA in the Fall of 2006 coaching the Novice Women. In her free time she is an assistant manager at Bloom Boutique.
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Dana Zakshevsky - Novice Women Assistant Coach |
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Yet another SA alum! Dana rowed as a lightweight and competed at the national level for SA before rowing in college at Ithaca in New York. She coached this summer as a Learn-to-Row assistant. If her last name looks familiar, it may be because she is the sister of Coach Peter, who was a coach for the Varsity Men's squad.
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Sculling Program
Bridget Blair – Lead Coach |
Bridget brings nearly fourteen years of junior, collegiate and masters coaching experience to St. Andrew's. She got her start coaching in her native Pittsburgh at the Allegheny River Rowing Club, where her junior crews enjoyed success in both sculling and sweep events at head and sprint races across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic circuit and at US Nationals. After moving to Atlanta, she coached at the Lake Lanier Rowing Club, Brenau University and at the Atlanta Junior Rowing Association. She served as competition secretariat coordinator for rowing at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and served for six years on the USRowing board of directors. She is a USRowing Level II certified coach and will receive her Level III certification in December. Bridget is self-employed as a home structural repairs specialist and has a large family of quadrupedal creatures at home.
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Nick Penzarella - Assistant Women's Coach & Sculling Coach Nick is a chiropractic student at Life University. He rowed for LaSalle HS in Philadelphia, and as a lightweight at Cornell; achieving his highest success in the quad at the Canadian Henley. During his summers he coached the inner city rowing program in Philadelphia giving underprivileged children the chance to get in a boat.
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