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Coaching Staff
Biographies and General Information
Travis Gardner, Senior Coach
JUNIOR GIRLS
Travis Gardner serves as Executive Officer and Coach for Essex Rowing after having spearheaded the effort for the organization’s creation and development in the fall of 2006.
For the 2007-2008 season, Essex Rowing's first competing in varsity events, Travis led his varsity girls squad to a fourth place finish in the varsity eight at the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Junior District Championship (NEMA), second among all crews from the Northeast Region. His novice boys 8+ finished third at that same regatta for the second consecutive year.
Most recently Travis' crews earned the programs' first championship wins at NEMA in 2009, taking first place in both the first and second novice girls eights. Those crews each finished their season with records of 38:2 and 16:0 respectively.
Travis has also led the competitive women's program, where his masters became one of the region's fastest crews in their inaugural season, the summer of 2009. Including a combination of former collegiate oarswomen and athletes developed through Essex' own adult introductory and novice programs, the women's crew boasted a 28:7 competitive record during his tenure.
For Essex' first competitive season in the spring of 2007, Travis’ girls and boys teams finished with records of 28:1 and 24:3 respectively. Results included a state championship for the girl’s novice eight (Andover High School) and 2nd and 3rd place finishes by the girls and boys novice eights at the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Junior District Championship.
In April 2006, Travis was hired as Interim Head Coach at the Greater Lawrence Community Boating Program, Inc. where he was charged with all aspects of the development and operation of their startup rowing program. Within three months Travis built the program to 51 youth and adult athletes. And, in the program’s first-ever appearance in competition, a 1000 meter sprint at their own Lawrence Celebration Regatta, the novice women’s four bested a five-boat field for the home win.
During this period Travis also served as a volunteer coach for the Boston College women’s program. Here he assisted novice coach Wendy Wilbur with the development of BC’s walk-on novice athletes. Travis continued to assist at BC in a limited capacity during the fall of 2006 before turning his full attention to the formation of Essex Rowing.
Prior to moving to Massachusetts in March 2006, Travis lived in East Lansing, MI, where he served as the novice women’s coach for the Michigan State University Rowing Club. Travis also coached the novice men at his alma mater (U. Florida) in the spring of 2002 and led his team to a second place finish in the novice lightweight four at the State Championship.
Travis competed intercollegiately at the University of Florida, where he served as captain of the most successful novice team in the program’s history, a year which included state championship titles in the novice eight and novice lightweight four. Following his sophomore year at UF, Travis traveled to Philadelphia for the summer to train and compete with Malta Boat Club. After only three months in the single, Travis garnered a 6th place finish in the intermediate category at the US National Championships. He returned the following summer to pick up National titles in the Intermediate and Senior Lightweight Quads as well as a win in the Senior B Lightweight Quad at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catherine's, Ontario.
Travis continued to race competitively for the New York Athletic Club in the summers following graduation and in 2004 won his third national championship in the Senior Lightweight Double Scull. Travis has continued training intermittently since the 2004 season and currently has his eyes set on returning to national level competition in 2010.
Travis earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Florida where his studies focused on the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Travis and his dog Trip reside in Lawrence. Return to Top >
Mike Irwin, Senior Coach
JUNIOR BOYS
Bio coming soon...
Megan Berry, Coach
MIDDLE SCHOOL, MASTERS
Megan Berry joins the Essex staff January 2009 as Public Relations Officer and Coach. Megan comes directly from Boston University where she served as a volunteer coach while completing coursework on her undergraduate degree. Prior to volunteering at her alma mater, Megan was the Head Coach of the Boston University Academy High School team.
In the summer of 2008 Megan traveled to England with her Terrier teammates to compete in the Royal Henley Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, where her boat advanced to the semi-finals in the event’s traditional single-elimination dual format. Following her return from the UK, Megan joined the women’s team at Vesper Boat Club in her home town of Philadelphia. With the Vesper women, Megan earned a win in the Intermediate 8+ at the Independence Day Regatta before going on to secure a third and first place finish at USRowing Club Nationals in the Intermediate and Senior 8+ respectively. Megan capped her successful summer with a win in the Senior 8+ at the prestigious Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. Her Senior B 4x placed third at that same event.
Through her career at BU, Megan was a consistent presence in the first and second Varsity Eights. As a sophomore and senior her Second Varsity 8+ advanced to the finals of the EAWRC Regatta. Megan also earned a third place finish during her sophomore year at the fall’s premier rowing event, the Head of the Charles.
Megan began rowing in December of 2000 at Archbishop Prendergast High School in Philadelphia. During her freshman year at Prendie, Megan earned a third place finish in the Novice Women’s 8+ at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta – one of the largest and most prestigious high school regattas in North America. In her sophomore year, Megan placed fourth in the Women’s Varsity 8+ at Stotesbury and the Scholastic Rowing Association National Regatta. Megan’s senior year was marked by a third place finish in Stotes in the Girls Varsity 4+.
It was during her summers in high school that Megan first joined the Vesper Boat Club. Throughout her early tenure there, she earned a number of top three finishes, including several second place medals at USRowing Club Nationals in various sculling events.
Megan received a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences in the Dietetics track from Boston University In January of 2009. Megan is also a certified Lifeguard and Emergency Medical Technician. Return to Top >
Stacie Hill, Assistant Coach
JUNIOR GIRLS
Anastasia “Stacie” Hill joins the Essex staff in March 2009 as Assistant Novice Girls and Middle School Coach
Stacie brings extensive experience to the program from her own athletic career, having competed for four years as a member of Northeastern University’s Varsity team and serving as the huskies team captain for three of those years. In 1999 and 2000, Stacie competed with the Varsity 8+ at the NCAA Division 1 Championships, where the NU Varsity 8+ finished 7th and 10th respectively. During her senior year, Stacie earned MVP honors and was named to the Second Team All America.
Stacie began rowing at Grimsby Secondary School in Ontario, Canada where she earned medals at Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association, US Scholastic Rowing Association and Stotesbury Cup Regattas. As a Junior, Stacie was selected to the CanAmMex Team and competed in Mexico City. In the fall and summer, Stacie rowed for St. Catharines Rowing Club where she earned medals at the US Rowing Club National Championships and Head of the Charles Regattas.
Stacie earned her Bachelor or Science in Environmental Geology from Northeastern University in 2003. Return to Top >
Coaching Staff Development
As Essex Rowing moves through its third year of operation we will continue to develop our coaching staff extensively to meet the needs of our growing membership. Our organization was founded with the commitment to provide that membership with the highest quality of instruction possible, drawn from a core of professional coaches and supplemented with talented, up-and-coming part-timers and enthusiastic volunteers. Athletic participation requires enormous time commitments and our members can be confident that those responsible for their development are focused solely on that mission, and have the education and training to guide you to your goals safely, efficiently, and enjoyably. Return to Top >
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