Tag: Ohio State rowing

Ohio State names new head rowing coach

OSU named a new rowing coach on Tuesday. #GoBucks

Senior deputy director of athletics and senior women’s administrator, Janine Oman, announced the hiring of Emily Gackowski as its new head rowing coach on Tuesday.

Gackowski is very familiar with Ohio State, having served as an assistant coach for the Buckeyes over the last five years. In that time, Ohio State has won a Big Ten championship and appeared in the NCAA Championships each season that it’s been held. The Buckeyes have two top-10 national finishes during Gackowski tenure on staff.

“We’re thrilled to promote Emily Gackowski to lead our rowing program,” said Oman in a statement. “She’s earned this opportunity, not only through the good work she’s done as assistant coach and the personal connections she’s made with our student-athletes and staff, but also because of her long-range vision for the program.”

“I am very excited for Ohio State rowing,” said Senior Advisor for Intercollegiate Athletics Ross Bjork. “Emily has a wonderful spirit for Ohio State University and this program, and the future is bright under her leadership.”

For her part, Gackowski is ready to build upon what the OSU program has already accomplished and is grateful for the opportunity.

“I’m honored and humbled by the chance to lead the Ohio State rowing program,” said Gackowski. “I’m appreciative to Janine Oman and Ross Bjork for their belief in me and I am looking forward to the opportunity to build upon the legacy of success this program is known for both academically and athletically.”

Onward and upward for the rowing program.

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Kate Sweeney resigns as Ohio State rowing team coach

Well wishes are in order. #GoBucks

Kate Sweeney, head coach of the Ohio State rowing team over the last four years, resigned on Wednesday according to a press release from the OSU Department of Athletics.

A member of the coaching staff for eight seasons, Sweeney will complete the year with the NCAA Championship regatta this weekend at Lake Bethel, Ohio.

“I have made the difficult decision to step away from coaching to be more present for my family,” Sweeney said in a statement. “Ohio State rowing has been instrumental in my life since I was 18 years old. It has been a true privilege to be a part of this program for so long. 

“I am so grateful to Gene Smith and Janine Oman for this opportunity. All the assistant coaches and support staff have been incredibly supportive and excellent to work with, and I will miss spending time with them. Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank the student-athletes for their devotion and contributions to Ohio State rowing.” 

During her four seasons as head coach, Ohio State won a Big Ten title in 2022 – the program’s 10th – and had Big Ten runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2023 in addition to a fourth-place finish in 2024.

 Sweeney was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2022, and Ohio State advanced to the NCAA championships all four seasons under Sweeney. The Buckeyes finished sixth in 2021, eighth in 2022, and 12th in 2023.

“We are so appreciative of Kate’s leadership and support of our rowing student-athletes,” Janine Oman, Ohio State Senior Deputy Director of Athletics, said in the statement. “She has been a wonderful developer of young women. We wish Kate well as she embarks on her next journey, and we are excited that she can enjoy more time with her family.”

The search for a new head coach will begin immediately according to the release from Ohio State.

Ohio State women’s rowing advances to boats to A/B semifinals at NCAA Championships

Two boats from the Ohio State women’s rowing team advanced to the semifinals of the A/B NCAA championships on Saturday.

There is sure a lot going on during this season for the spring NCAA Championships across multiple sports, and Ohio State seems to be in the thick of a lot of it.

One of those is rowing, a sport we don’t often put pen to paper on with this free Buckeye homer website, but what the women’s rowing team has going on is worth taking note of.

That’s because the ladies advanced two of their three boats to the A/B semifinals of the NCAA Championships on Friday. The Second Varsity Eight was the first Buckeye boat to advance to the A/B semifinals, finishing third in the first heat of the event with Yale and Brown taking first and second.

The Buckeyes’ First Varsity Four was the other boat to advance. Ohio State was in fourth behind Syracuse for most of the race but made a push in the final late to take third-place and advance to the A/B semifinal. The Buckeyes finished in a time of 7:36.34.

Saturday’s races begin at 8 a.m. The top three boats from each race will advance to Sunday’s upper final, with the remainder of teams being relegated to the lower finals.

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Ohio State rowing wins Big Ten title

A Big Ten title for rowing! #GoBucks

The Ohio State rowing team won the Big Ten championship on Sunday in Indianapolis. Making it even better, the Buckeyes took home the title thanks to a photo finish over Michigan (take that).

It is the tenth Big Ten championship for the program, and eight of the last eleven, but it wouldn’t have happened without the close shave in the first varsity eight race at the end to decide it all.

Ohio State took home the top spot in the first novice eight, first varsity four, second varsity four and first varsity eight contests, and took second in the second novice eight, third varsity four, and second varsity eight. It was enough to claim the conference championship.

Ohio State will now turn its attention to the NCAAs that will take place May 27-29 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida.

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