Lightweight Crew Wins IRA National Title, W. Rowing Names Coaches

The lightweight varsity crew won the IRA National championship on June 2, finishing more than a second faster than Harvard in the Grand Final with a time of 5:46.344. The Red’s first heat time of 5:50.375 in the morning allowed it to advance to the Grand Final. The second varsity eight boat placed third in the Grand Final with a time of 5:47.718.
Hilary Gehman, who spent last season serving as the interim head coach following the sudden dismissal of former head coach Chris Wilson, was named the Staley Women’s Rowing Coach at Cornell University by Director of Athletics and Physical Education Andy Noel. Gehman joined the Cornell program in 2004 as an assistant coach, coaching the women’s novice squad for two seasons. Gehman, a six-time member of the U.S. National rowing team and a two-time Olympian, led the novice women to a combined 11-6 record.
Soon after the announcement, Gehman hired former Red rower Dan Fronhofer ’04 as an assistant coach. Fronhofer’s four-year career as a Red rower was highlighted by a fifth-place finish at Eastern Sprints in 2002. He won the Ackerman Award in 2004 for motivating and inspiring the crew.