Coaches and Staff In This Section Head Coach Lisa Glenn... 8-9 Assistant Coach Danelle Loebaka...10 Assistant Coach Heather Constant...10 Rowing Support Staff...11 Administrative Support Staff...12
Head Rowing Coach LISA GLENN Head Coach 10th Year During her nine years at the helm of the University of Tennessee women s rowing team, Head Coach Lisa Glenn has helped the 12-year-old program mature into a national power. Now in her 10th season, Glenn has led the Lady Vols to five straight appearances at the NCAA Championships, including back-to-back full-team selections in 2006 and 2007. The three-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) South Region Coach of the Year helped bring the 2007 NCAA Championships to East Tennessee for the first time in history and guided the Orange and White to its best-ever finish at the event. The team has excelled under Glenn s watch at the sport s largest event, the Head of the Charles Regatta, held every fall in Boston, Mass. Glenn s entries in the Club 8+ race have taken home gold in five of the last seven years, including three consecutive victories in the event. The Championship 8+ crews have made their mark over the years as well, claiming top-10 finishes three times, including a program-best fifth-place finish this fall. Only the second coach in Lady Vol rowing history, Glenn has a strong track record of producing stellar student-athletes, both on the water and in the classroom. Four Lady Vols have taken home All-America accolades under Glenn s tutelage. Current junior ErinMonique Shelton has earned second team All-America honors in back-to-back years, while the 2005 squad saw Andrea Bagwell and Chelsea Pemberton both named to the second team. In 2004, Pemberton picked up first-team honors while Kaitlin Bargreen garnered a second-team selection. In 2003, the All-American duo was flip-flopped, with Bargreen taking first-team status and Pemberton earning a second-team selection. Glenn s leadership and guidance extends well beyond the realm of coaching, motivating her squad to hit the books as well. Overall, 19 Orange and White-clad athletes have collected 28 CRCA National Scholar-Athlete honors during Glenn s tenure. Under Glenn, the UT program has seen two of its athletes picked to back-toback ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV squads. Bargreen picked up second-team accolades from the College Sports 8 Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in both 2004 and 2005, while Kacey Montgomery garnered the honors in 2002 and 2003. Montgomery also earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic AllAmerica At-Large First Team both years and received the Edsouth Lady Vol Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2002. Marissa Allen was presented with the Helen B. Watson Award, given to the Lady Vol athlete with the highest GPA, in both 2004 and 2005. In nine years, Glenn has produced 190 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll members. The 2007 season saw Tennessee rowing reach new heights, recording a ninth-place overall finish at national championships, the highest in program history. The Lady Vols also earned their second straight full-team bid to the championship event after taking third at South Regionals, where each boat competed in the Grand Finals for the first time in program history. Shelton became the third two-time All-American, earning her second consecutive CRCA Pocock Second Team All-America honors. Renee Brittle, Stephanie Davis, Krista Gearing and Rachel Mayberry all joined Shelton as CRCA All-South Region honorees, tying for the most all-region selections in program history. Off the water, the Lady Vols continued their academic success, with Davis earning Tennessee s sixth selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV squad. For the first time since 2001, the Lady Vols had six rowers named CRCA National Scholar Athletes in Davis, Shelton, Nina Dobratz, Heather Hill, Caroline Howell and Alex Shishkov. The Orange and White also had 25 student-athletes selected to the SEC Academic and Freshman Academic Honor Rolls. The squad won Tennessee s CHAMPS Cup, as well, which is awarded to the team on campus which demonstrates the greatest commitment to the five areas of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program, a first for Glenn s team. In 2006, the Lady Volunteers captured the program s only South Region title at the 10th-annual Aramark Sprints. A thirdplace showing in the grand finals of the Varsity 8+ handed the cup to Glenn and her troops. In its first appearance with a full team at NCAA Championships, Tennessee finished 12th in the team standings after the First Eight won the C final (14th overall) and the Second Eights took 11th-place. As a freshman, Shelton became just the fifth All-American in program history, as she was picked to the second team by the CRCA. Four UT athletes were listed on the CRCA All-South Region Teams, while Dobratz and Davis earned CRCA National Scholar Athlete recognition. The SEC honored Dobratz, Davis and 24 other rowers with selection to its Academic and Freshman Academic Honor Rolls, the most in program history. UT s 2005 Varsity 8+ shell ranked sixth in the final USRowing/CRCA Varsity Eight Poll and finished a program-record eighth at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Bargreen and Dana Forbes earned CRCA National Scholar-Athlete honors, while that duo was joined by Bagwell and Pemberton on the CRCA All-South Region squads. The 2005 squad produced 13 rowers on the 2005 Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll. Tennessee saw great accomplishments in 2003-04, as the Varsity 8+ finished 10th in the final USRowing/CRCA Varsity Eight Poll and mirrored that with a 10th-place showing at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. The squad had another excellent academic showing, as well, with 22 rowers making the SEC Academic Honor Roll and Erin Artz, Bargreen and Nicole Bold earning CRCA National Scholar-Athlete accolades. The 2002-03 season saw the Lady Vols advance their Varsity 8+ boat into the NCAA Championships for the first time. That crew finished 14th in the final USRowing/ CRCA Varsity Eight Poll and
Head Rowing Coach placed 16th at the NCAA Championships. During Glenn s fourth year at Rocky Top, she led the Varsity 8+ to five gold-medal performances, including triumphs at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championships, the SEC Invitational and the Tennessee Invitational. The squad also amassed more than 100 victories for the second consecutive season and posted a winning percentage of.785. Academically, her team also excelled, as 19 rowers earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Highlighting the list of honorees was Kacey Montgomery, who received Verizon Academic All-America At-Large First Team accolades. Glenn s squad in 2001-02 compiled 120 wins en route to five gold-medal performances. Individually, four rowers earned either first- or second-team CRCA All-South Region distinctions and seven Lady Vols were chosen as CRCA National Scholar-Athletes, while 37 student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Glenn and her staff also witnessed the opening of the new $2.5 million boathouse, a structure alongside the waters of the Tennessee River that raised the program to a higher level. In her second year, Glenn saw her team finish first and second in two of the three events entered at the Chattanooga Head Race, while her Varsity 4+ captured second place at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. Off the water, the team was successful in the classroom as well. A total of 39 rowers were named to the Lady Vol Honor Roll, and 22 of those were selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Her squad also was given the inaugural Team Community Service Award for the volunteer work it did in and around the Knoxville area. During her initial campaign at Tennessee, Glenn watched her young squad take first place at its initial regatta of the year at the Chattanooga Head Race. Her crews also took first place in two of their three races at the Head of the Tennessee. In addition to her team s accomplishments on the water, 11 Tennessee rowers were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, while five members of the squad were selected to the Lady Vol Academic Top-10. Prior to her move to Knoxville, Glenn served as an assistant rowing coach from 1994-98 at the University of Iowa, developing the novice program while assisting in recruiting and overall team development. She helped guide the Varsity 4+ to a fourth-place finish at the inaugural NCAA Championships in 1997, and her novice squad secured two Midwest Rowing Championship titles, two Central Regional Championship titles, a Champion International Collegiate Regatta title and a bronze medal at the U.S. Rowing Collegiate National Championship. One of her highlights at Iowa included upset victories at the Midwest Rowing Championships in The Glenn File Second Lady Vol head rowing coach Three-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Assocation South Region Coach of the Year (2003, 04, 06) Led 2007 squad to ninth place finish at the NCAA Championships Guided squad to the 2006 NCAA South Region crown at the Aramark Sprints Varsity 8+ ranked sixth in final 2005 USRowing/CRCA Coaches Poll Produced four Pocock All-America athletes who have earned eight certificates from the CRCA Coached 28 CRCA National Scholar-Athletes and 190 SEC Academic Honor Roll members at UT Start Area Supervisor at 1996 Olympic Games 1995 and 1998 over Wisconsin and Ohio State, respectively. In 1993, she served as the assistant development coach for the U.S. Junior National Team and was tabbed the squad s head coach the following year. Also of note, Glenn served as Start Area Supervisor at the 1996 Olympic Games, where she managed the initial use of the digital Swiss Timing AGSO start system. Prior to her current appointment on the NCAA Championship committee, Glenn also held a seat on the USRowing Board of Directors from 1996-98. Before coaching at Iowa, she served as a graduate assistant coach for Syracuse University while pursuing her master s degree in public communications at the acclaimed Newhouse School of Communications. In 1991, Glenn received her master s degree and stayed on board with the Orange as a full-time assistant rowing coach. As head of the novice program, she led SU to its bestever performance, as her novice squads earned silver and bronze medals at the Eastern Association of Women s Rowing Colleges Sprints. As recruiting coordinator, she increased participation by 50 percent over a span of three years. Glenn, a 1988 graduate in American studies at Mount Holyoke College in Holyoke, Mass., was the school s varsity rowing captain for two years and a varsity letterwinner from 1985-88. She won three Seven Sisters Championship titles and a gold medal at the Head of the Connecticut, later becoming the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Athlete Award from Mt. Holyoke. A Clarkston, Mich., native, Glenn has coached rowers of all ages and levels. While at Syracuse, she worked with junior girls at Liverpool High School. Her crews won two gold medals and one silver in the 1990 Empire State Games. Finally, in years past, she has coached competitive to elite level master s women, ages 27 and over. BURNING QUESTIONS WITH COACH GLENN Favorite Meals: Hearty salad from Trio or Nama sushi Favorite TV Shows: Project Runway & The Apprentice Favorite Quote: Coming together is a beginning. Staying together is progress. Working together is success. If I could have dinner with any three people, they would be: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington & my sister Shelley Favorite Vacation Spot: Rocky Mountains or a quiet beach town in the Northeast Favorite Athlete: Lance Armstrong The thing that motivates me is: a challenge. 9
Assistant Coaches DANELLE LOEBAKA Assistant Coach Sixth Year Now in her sixth season as one of Lisa Glenn s assistant coaches, Danelle Loebaka has shown the dedication and perseverance needed to achieve success in collegiate rowing. She polished those characteristics as a standout student-athlete at the University of Iowa and as head coach of the Old Capitol Rowing Club in Iowa City, Iowa. Loebaka brought those qualities to Rocky Top when she joined the University of Tennessee women s rowing staff during the summer of 2002. At UT, her duties include assisting with both the varsity and novice squads, maintaining the team s recruiting database and coordinating official recruiting visits. She also serves as the staff liaison with the Thornton Academics Student Life Center. The Hayward, Wis., native came to Tennessee after a oneyear stint serving as head coach of the Old Capitol Rowing Club. While with the club, she increased its size through recruiting HEATHER CONSTANT Assistant Coach Second Year Heather Constant is in her second season as the head instructor for the novice program at Tennessee. In her first season at Rocky Top, Constant led her top Novice 8+ crew to a victory in the petite final at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (S.I.R.A.) Championships, held in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Constant also guided the Second Eights to a fourth-place showing at the S.I.R.A. Championsihps. The top novice shell took sixth in the petite final at the Aramark Central/South Sprints in 2007, as well. Prior to her arrival at Tennessee, Constant spent the spring of 2006 volunteering with the Minnesota novice women s squad. There she helped train the coxswains for the spring season. At last year s Big Ten Championships, the Golden Gophers ranked third in the first Novice 8+ and first in the second Novice 8+ races. Constant began her coaching career in 2002 as an assistant junior women s coach at the Minneapolis Rowing Club. In 2005, 10 projects, provided a foundation upon which the developing organization could grow and prepared preliminary work for a community boathouse. As a member of the Iowa Hawkeye rowing team, Loebaka recovered from a career-threatening rib injury to stroke her Varsity 4+ to a bronze medal at the 2001 NCAA Championships her senior year. She was also a member of the Varsity 4+ squad that captured second-place finishes at the Big Ten Championships and Central Championships during the 2001 campaign. That season, she received the Hawkeye squad s Perseverance Award. The 2001 Iowa graduate earned her bachelor s degree in sport studies. BURNING QUESTIONS WITH COACH LOEBAKA Favorite Snack Food: Cheese & crackers Favorite TV Show: NCIS Favorite Quote: The harder I work, the luckier I get. If I could have one superpower, it would be: teleportation Favorite Vacation Spot: Jackson, Wyo. Favorite Meal: Prime rib & smashed potatoes The thing that motivates me is: seeing and contributing to the growth of student-athletes as they go through their years here. she was named head junior women s coach. During her short run at the club where she began coxing, her athletes finished fourth in the Youth 4+ in the junior team s first trip to the Head of the Charles Regatta. A native of Princeton, N.J., Constant served as the coxswain for the Boston University men s crew team for four years, leading the Terriers top Varsity 8+ for all three seasons she was on the varsity squad. She helped lead her crews to a fourthplace finish in the grand finals of the 2005 Eastern Sprints and a program- best sixth-place finish at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships that same year. Constant graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts in psychology in 2005 from Boston University. BURNING QUESTIONS WITH COACH CONSTANT Favorite Meal: Cheeseburger & sweet potato fries Favorite TV Show: The West Wing Favorite Quote: If it wasn t hard, everyone would do it. If I could have one superpower, it would be: time travel Favorite Vacation Spot: Long Beach Island, N.J. The thing that motivates me is: the hunt. Whether it s as a competitor or your own personal standard, there s nothing like chasing down and breaking through a new barrier.
Rowing Support Staff KARLA SASS RACHEL MAYBERRY Boathouse Supervisor Eighth Year Karla Sass joined the University of Tennessee rowing staff in the summer of 2000 to serve as the initial supervisor of UT s boathouse, the $2.5 million, 18,000 square-foot facility that houses the Lady Vol rowing team. As supervisor, Sass duties include maintenance and up-keep of the equipment, organizing and planning events, as well as handling reservations for the team s meeting room. She is also responsible for complete oversight of the boathouse facility. Sass came to the Lady Vols after spending eight years at the University of Iowa in its facilities office. In 1994-95, she was also a volunteer assistant coach with the rowing team in charge of equipment and facilities. In 1996, she became a full-time assistant with the rowing team. Her primary responsibilities were equipment and travel, a position she held for two years. Sass is a 1991 University of Iowa graduate with a bachelor s degree in education and a minor in health education. Graduate Assistant First Year Rachel Mayberry, a two-time CRCA All-South Region selection at Tennessee, finished her four-year career with the Lady Vols in 2007. Mayberry joins the Big Orange rowing staff as a first-year graduate assistant after helping lead the squad to back-to-back full team appearances at the NCAA Championships and its best finish in program history at the 2007 event. The Woodbridge, Va., native and two-time Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll selection assists the team with the recruiting process and all aspects of race-day activities, while also helping the coaching staff with administrative duties. Mayberry graduated in May 2007 with a B.A. in psychology and is currently pursuing a master s degree in elementary education. JENNIFER PESTA Jennifer Pesta is in her first year working with the Lady Vols. Her duties include assisting boathouse supervisor Karla Sass with equipment, upkeep of the boathouse and team laundry. Pesta is a native of Westlake, Ohio. FRASER BOYD Graduate Assistant First Year Fraser Boyd is in his first year as a graduate assistant with the Lady Vol rowing team. The Glasgow, Scotland, native assists the team with the recruiting process and all aspects of race-day activities, as well as helping boathouse manager Karla Sass and the coaching staff with administrative duties. A 2004 graduate of Napier University in Edinburgh, Boyd also spent one semester as an exchange student at the University of North Texas. Boyd earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in business management and is currently in his second year of graduate school, working towards a master s degree in sport management. TARA REED boathouse. Tara Reed is in her first year working with Tennessee rowing. She previously worked in the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center. A native of Farmington Hills, Mich., Reed is responsible for assisting with equipment and upkeep of the BRANDON SCHIRMER Brandon Schirmer is in his second year working with the Lady Vol rowing program. His duties include assisting boathouse supervisor Karla Sass with equipment. The native of Cincinnati, Ohio, is currently pursuing a degree in sport management. ALANNAH WILSON Alannah Wilson is in her second year with the Lady Vol rowing program. Her responsibilities with the team include doing laundry and helping manage adidas apparel. The Kelso, Tenn., native is a junior in psychology. 11
Rowing Support Staff TARA BROOKS Director of Student-Athlete Services GARY HERMAN, ATC Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer Tara Brooks accepted a full-time position with the University of Tennessee in January 2008. Previously, she was a graduate assistant with the UT Women s Athletics Department. Brooks responsibilities include coordinating housing and financial aid for student-athletes, event management for swimming & diving, tennis and volleyball home events, and other day-to-day operations. The Maryville, Tenn., native is familiar with UT, as she served as a manager for the Lady Vol basketball team from 2002-05. Brooks graduated from Tennessee in December 2005 with a bachelor s degree in marketing and will receive her master s degree in sport management in May 2008. Gary Herman is in his first year with the Lady Vols Athletic Training Department and works with rowing. A May 2007 graduate of Missouri State University, Herman earned a bachelor s degree in sports medicine and athletic training. While at Missouri State Herman worked with football, soccer, two local high schools and a sports medicine clinic. At UT, Herman is pursing a master s degree in sports psychology. JIMMY DELANEY Robin Boughey is the massage therapist for the Lady Vol softball, rowing and swim teams. She has been a licensed Massage Therapist since 2001 and is a certified Flexibility Assistant, Myofascial Integration Therapist, Myofascial Integration Structural Therapist and Neuromuscular Therapist. A graduate of Tennessee, Boughey earned a master s degree in human performance and sports studies, while assisting with research in exercise physiology, biomechanics of human movement and working as a student athletic trainer with the Lady Vols. Boughey earned her bachelor s degree in exercise science at Ithaca College, where she was a four-year lacrosse letterwinner. Boughey was also a member of the United States Long Distance Swim Team. Marketing and Promotions Director Jimmy Delaney is in his 11th year with the Lady Vols and his fourth as the marketing and promotions director after being promoted from interim director to his full-time position in May 2004. A native of Kenosha, Wis., Delaney spent two years as a graduate assistant in the Lady Volunteer Marketing Department while he earned his master s degree in sport administration. As an undergraduate, Delaney worked as a marketing and promotions student assistant while pursuing his bachelor s degree in sport administration. Delaney was named to the Knox County Parks and Recreation Steering Committee for the 2008 Knoxville Outdoor Sports Festival and in 2006 to the Knox County School Partners in Education Advisory Board, which assists in creating a close working relationship between community partners and the Knox County School System to extend the educational opportunities afforded to students. As the Lady Vol marketing and promotions director, Delaney is responsible for the development, implementation, execution and evaluation of promotional and marketing strategies for all aspects of the women s athletics department. BEVERLY DUNKIN Rowing Secretary Beverly Dunkin is in her 10th year as a secretary for the Lady Vols, working primarily with rowing and softball. Dunkin lives in Maryville with her husband, Steve. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to visit her three sons, Josh, Adam and Andy. KELLY HAYES Media Relations Graduate Assistant Kelly Hayes is in her first year as a Lady Vol media relations graduate assistant and serves as the primary media contact for the rowing and soccer programs. A 2006 graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Hayes earned a bachelor s degree in communication while working in the sports department of both the student newspaper and campus radio station. After graduating, Hayes spent one year as the communications intern at the West Coast Conference. The Santa Clara, Calif., native is currently pursuing a master s degree in sport management. 12 Robin Boughey, LMT, CNMT Team Massage Therapist Nicole Bold, LMT Team Massage Therapist After spending the last season as a volunteer assistant coach with the novice program at Tennessee, Nicole Bold returns to the team as a massage therapist. The Jackson, Miss., native was a three-time CRCA National Scholar-Athlete and participated in two NCAA Championships with the Lady Vols during her four-year career. A 2004 graduate, Bold spent two years coaching the junior women s team for the Knoxville Rowing Association. Bold completed her massage therapy certification in 2006.