The Temple University Rowing Program has always been synonymous with Philadelphia’s famous Dad Vail Regatta. Throughout Temple University’s illustrious history in rowing, the Women's Crew Program has been looking to find their niche. Now at the Aberdeen Dad Vail, it looks within reach.
In early August, the Owls Women's Crew Program created news when they announced the hiring of Jason Read as its new head coach. From the stroke seat Read helped lead the Men’s Varsity Eight Heavyweight to four gold medal victories at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta during his career at Temple University; Read was a key member on the 2004 United States Olympic Men’s Eight crew team in Athens, Greece that captured our country’s first gold medal in the Men’s Eight in 40 years. Read was also a member of the 2008 United States Olympic team in Beijing, China.
“I am as ecstatic as I am humbled to be joining one of the most robust athletic departments in the NCAA,” Read said after being hired last August. “To have the opportunity to work alongside an Olympic rowing coach and my college coach, the inimitable Dr. Gavin White, is nothing short of extraordinary. I will work diligently to create an environment of athletic and academic excellence and leadership, both on and off the water.”
Temple University Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw said, “It is rare that you have one of your greatest athletes come back to serve as a head coach, but we are fortunate at Temple in that regard with the naming of Jason Read as the women's rowing coach. Jason is one of the most respected rowers in the country and has a true passion for his alma mater. It is that passion that we know he will instill in our women's program.”
After Read’s hiring in August, 2011 he challenged his team from the start to improve daily throughout the year as the season progressed. Subsequently, the team grew from 22 members to 50 members as word spread of his taking the helm.
“The level of enthusiasm that our team has created on campus is palpable,” Read said. “We’ve had a top senior volleyball player and a freshman field hockey player join the team. The phrase ‘Rowing is Growing’ at Temple is real. ‘Rowing is Growing’ in the NCAA, too, as the sport has been identified as the number one growth sport in inter-collegiate athletics.
Following his first meeting with the women’s crew on August 26th Read could see the confidence building. It must be noted that Read’s primary goal is to have one of his boats medal at the 2012 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta and medal at the 2012 Atlantic 10 championships. This goal is especially daunting to a program that typically, in the past, did not progress past the first rounds of competition at major regattas.
In order to achieve this goal, Read has tripled the team’s efforts in four core areas:
• Leadership: create a robust coaching staff of active elite and pre-elite athletes who will teach Temple student-athletes about leadership and a commitment to excellence, both on and off the water.
• Recruitment: elevate our presence on campus by growing the team with new athletic talent; both on-campus and in our 2016 recruiting class through vigorous on-campus recruiting and to draw top talent from the incoming freshmen.
• Equipment: replacement of our entire fleet of shells with WinTech and King hulls
• Capital Improvements: fundraising and advancement of our new 18,000 square foot boathouse project.
The spring season began in fine fashion as the Cherry and White registered victory in the Women’s Varsity Eight crews at the Stetson Sprints International. At the 30th annual Murphy Cup, the Owls won the Women’s Collegiate Varsity Eight Petite final by four seconds over runner-up Rutgers University.
Read then took his squad to the 2012 San Diego Crew Classic and witnessed Temple’s Women’s Varsity Eight continue their impressive spring season by winning the Carley Copley Cup (Women’s Open Division) for the first time in school history. The Owls defeated University of California-Berkley and Union (British Columbia). A highlight of the trip was a visit to the San Diego Olympic training center in Chula Vista where the team was able to meet and spend time with various Olympians and Olympic-hopefuls from all over the United States.
Leading the resurgence of the Women’s Varsity Eight boat are Eleanor Okin (Coxswain/St. Mary’s Academy), Jeanine Lees (stroke/Archbishop Prendergast), Victoria Joye (7th seat/Danbury), Taylor Wasserleben (6th seat/Upper Moreland), Joanna Sutor (5th seat/Mainlaind Regional), Claudia Loeber (4th seat seat/Haddon Township), Brittany Adell (3rd seat/Gloucester), Jacqueline Lees (2nd seat/ /Archbishop Prendergast), Paige O’Sullivan (Bow seat/Mainland Regional)
The commitment to the program does not end on the water. The university’s facility management team in conjunction with the coaching staff has selected an architect to construct an 18,000 square foot facility that will be located between the existing East Park Canoe House and the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.
Read said, “This facility gives Temple University the unique opportunity to design and build one of the most iconic boathouses in America. The boathouse is being designed to support growth for both the men and women’s programs as we transition into the Big East Conference in 2013. There will be excellent boat storage training space, offices for staff, meeting space for social events, and, notably, the boathouse will be the only facility on the Schuylkill River to boast indoor rowing tanks. It will be LEED certified as we do our part to advance environmental best practices and promote environmental stewardship in a high-visibility location on Kelly Drive. This boathouse will enhance all aspects of the Strawberry Mansion and East Park Canoe House area.”
The facility will be able to support high school camps for scholastic rowers and national team athletes training for international competition like the World Championships, Pan American Games and Olympics.
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