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APPAREL

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Staff Bios

Staff & Coaches


 

Dr. Timothy Hosea
Chief Executive Officer and President, PNRA


Dr. Timothy Hosea As president of the PNRA, Hosea is responsible for overseeing the growth and success of the rowing programs at the Finn M. W. Caspersen Olympic Rowing site, including the US Olympic Team, the Mercer Junior Rowing Club, the PNRA-Resolute Summer Rowing Camps, the Mercer Masters Program, and the community-based learn-to-row programs for disadvantaged youths in Central New Jersey. With all these programs working together, under the same roof, the Caspersen Center will continue to draw top rowing talent from around the country and will remain as one of the most unique training centers in the world.

Dr. Hosea has a B.A. from Harvard University, and received his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He did his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Since 1985 he has been the attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peters University Hospital in New Brunswick. He is also on staff at Princeton University Hospital in Princeton.

Dr. Hosea is no stranger to rowing. Hosea rowed in one of the most dominant Harvard crews of the 1970's. During his tenure he won a gold medal at the Nile International Regatta, Cairo & Luxor, Egypt in 1972. His crew also captured The Ladies Challenge Cup at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England in 1973. In 1997, he received the Jack Kelly Award from the United States Rowing Association. The Kelly Award is one of the highest honors given by the United States Rowing Association. It recognizes superior achievement in rowing, service to amateur athletics, and professional success.

Since 1975, Dr. Hosea has been a member of the American Medical Association. He is also a member of numerous other organizations including New Jersey Medical Society, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Leadership New Jersey, U. S. Olympic Sports Medicine Society, and the United States Rowing Association.

In addition, Dr. Hosea has presented in both national and international meetings. He has spoken about a topics ranging from back pain to ankle injuries.

Dr. Hosea has also contributed to articles about sports injuries, most notably the article, "Rowing Injuries" published in the Postgraduate Advances in Sports Medicine.

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Kristopher A. Grudt

Executive Director, PNRA

krisgrudt@rowpnra.org


Kris GrudtAs the Executive Director of PNRA, Kris oversees all of PNRA's activities, including the Mercer Junior Rowing Club.

 

Kris began his rowing career in the early 1980's at Oregon State University.  In 1987 he became a licensed USRowing Judge-Referee.  He has officiated at all levels of rowing in the United States from juniors through masters including serving as the Chief Referee for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Trials.  He first officiated on Mercer Lake involved National Team Trials in 1992.  Kris became a FISA Umpire (international) in 1996.  He has been an official at numerous international regattas including the Junior, Senior and &-23 World Championships.  Kris was the President of the Jury for the 2006 FISA Master's Regatta on Mercer Lake.

 

Kris received his under graduate degree from Oregon State University which included a year studying in Japan.  He has earned an MBA from the University of Portland and a JD from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark.  He has 17 years of management experience in high technology companies and is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, New York and Oregon.


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Sean McCourt
Director of Programs & Events, PNRA and Head Coach, MJRC

seanmccourt@rowpnra.org

Sean McCourtSean McCourt is the Head Coach for the Mercer Junior Rowing Club and is responsible for the oversight and training of all crews. He is also responsible for organizing and overseeing the PNRA-Resolute Summer Camps and all regattas on Mercer Lake.

Sean began rowing in high school at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. He went on to row for Boston University, where he graduated in 1999 with a B.S. in Secondary Education, and stroked the BU Varsity Heavyweight Eight for two years. During that time he was selected to attend the US Pre-Elite Team camp in 1998, Lightweight Selection in 1999 and was runner up in the 2000 US Senior Lightweight Pair Trials.

Sean's coaching experience includes the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee where his freshman crew went undefeated. He also coached for St Joseph's Prep, where his crews achieved victories at the Head of the Charles, The Stotesbury Cup, Philadelphia Catholic League and the City Championships.

Sean, who is a Level III US Rowing Certified Coach, has coached MJRC crews since the program's inception in February of 2002. Under his watch Mercer has developed into a nationally competitive team.

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Troy Kepper
Novice Men's Coach, MJRC
troy@rowpnra.org

Troy Kepper Troy began rowing in the fall of 1997 for Leon Crew in Tallahassee, Fl. Although Troy was in the second novice boat his first year, he was the only sophomore in the Varsity boat the following year.  During his junior year, Troy earned a silver medal in the Varsity Four at US Rowing Youth Invitational.  He followed this performance up by being selected for the US Jr National Team.  His coxed pair won a silver medal at the Jr. World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia that summer.

As an undergrad, Troy attended University of California, Berkeley.  His freshman crew finished fourth place at the IRAs (Nationals).  The next year Troy made the JV eight and won the National Championship.  His final two years were spent in the Varsity Eight, where he earned back to back bronze medals at the IRA.

Troy was selected to train with the National Team in 2005 and earned a spot on the World Championship Team where he earned a silver medal in Gifu, Japan.   In 2007, Troy rowed in the first place US eight during the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2009 Troy was crowned as a world champion in the Coxed Pair event at the FISA World Rowing Championship.

Currently Troy is training with the US Men.

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Megan McCourt
Varsity Women's Coach, MJRC

megan@rowpnra.org

Megan McCourt Megan began her rowing career in the fall of 1993 for the Los Gatos Rowing Club in California. In 1995, she raced in the first USRowing National Youth Invitational in the V4+, placing 5th.

After graduating from Lincoln High School in San Jose, CA, Megan went on to attend and compete for UC Berkeley (Cal). She won 3rd place in the Varsity 8+ event at the first ever NCAA Rowing Championships in 1999. The following year, her boat went on to take 4th at NCAA’s.

While in college, Megan pursued her National Team aspirations by attending Pre-Elite camps in the summers and racing with National Team at the Henley Royal Regatta in England, as well as a World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland.

In 2001, after earning her BA in Psychology, Sociology, and Education from Cal, Megan took some time off from rowing and taught 4th grade in Campbell, CA. She also coached the Los Gatos Rowing Club’s novice girls to a successful season, ending with a gold medal finish in the N8+ at Southwest Regionals.

In the spring of 2001, Megan was invited to come to Princeton, NJ and try for a seat on the US National Team. That summer she made her first team as a member of the Women’s 8+. Megan has competed in seven World Cups, five World Championships, and one Olympic Games.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Megan won a silver medal in the Women's 8+. Her boat also set a new world record (5:56:55) in the heat against Romania.  In 2005 Megan was named to the Women's Eight for the World Championships in Gifu, Japan, where she finished fourth.  After taking 2006 off to pursue her Master's Degree she returned to competitive rowing and was selected to the Women's Four for the World Championships in Munich, Germany.  Her boat went on to win a Gold Medal in their event.  Megan is now retired from competitive rowing and enjoys giving back to the sport by working the MJRC athletes.

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Chris Callaghan

Varsity Men's Varsity Coach MJRC

chris@rowpnra.org

Chris CallaghanChris found rowing in college as a walk on at Oregon State University in the fall of 2000.  After a few months he got the hang of erging and hasn't looked back.  During his sophomore year he placed 4th at IRA's.  While at OSU he rowed during the summers in Seattle and Philadelphia earning medals at both the US Rowing Club Nationals and the Canadian Henley.

Chris graduated from OSU in May '05 and moved to Philadelphia to contimue training in hopes of making the national team.  In 2006 Chris was selected to the Coxed Four and traveled to England where they placed 4th at the World Championships.  In 2007, Chris and fellow MJRC coach Troy Kepper were the bow pair in the Men's Eight for the Pan-Am Games and won gold!

Since then, Chris has continued training full time and has been sharing his knowledge with the Men's program at MJRC.

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Suzanne Van Fleet
Development Team Coach, MJRC
Suzanne@rowpnra.orgSuzanne Van Fleet

Suzanne began rowing in 2002 for the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association. After high school, she went on to have a successful career at Clemson University.

Suzanne feels that her greatest accomplishment was leading the Varsity 8+ crew to the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history, however, she has also garnered many personal honors along the way. She was named a first team All-American, twice named to the All-ACC team, and was a first team All-Region selection. She also served as the team Captain for the 2007-08 season and was named a National Scholar Athlete three times for her academic performance. She served as an undergraduate assistant coach during the fall of 2008, while finishing her degree in early childhood education.

Suzanne has also represented the United States, rowing for the US twice at the U23 World Rowing Championships, winning a bronze medal in 2007 and a gold medal in 2008. She moved to Princeton to train with the National Team, and is enthusiastic about bringing her knowledge and love of the sport to the MJRC athletes.

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Kelsie Chouduin
Women's Novice Coach, MJRC
Kelsie@rowpnra.org

Kelsie Choudoin, MJRC CoachA volleyball player in high school, Kelsie walked on to the varsity rowing team at the University of Virgnia as a freshman. In May of 2008, she graduated from the UVA with an Architecture major and Spanish minor. During her tenure at Virginia, Kelsie was a member of teams which won 4 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, 3 Central-South Regional Championships, and made 2 NCAA appearances including a 2nd Place finish in 2007. As a senior, Kelsie served as team co-captain and was awarded All-ACC, All-South Region, and First Team All-American honors.
During the summer of 2008, Kelsie competed with the US Under-23 National Team as a member of the Women's 8+. The crew (which also included fellow MJRC Coach Suzanne Van Fleet) won a gold medal at the FISA U-23 World Championship. She is currently training with the US National Team
.

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Katie Bitz
Women's Varsity Coach, MJRC
Katie@rowpnra.org

Katie Bitz MJRC CoachKatie began coxing in the Fall of 2000 for Pacific Rowing Club in San Francisco. After high school she chose to continue her rowing career as a Spartan for Michigan State University.
During her freshman year she was part of MSU's first ever Big Ten Championship team. As a sophomore, she coxed the second varsity eight, helping the team earn its highest national team ranking of sixth in the country. In 2008 her team had its most successful season to date. Katie coxed the varsity eight boat to the Big Ten Title that ensured MSU it second Big Ten Championship in four years. In the same year her varsity eight made their first ever appearance in the grand final at the Central Region Championships where they captured a silver medal. With the help of their performance Michigan State earned their first Central Region Team Championship. Katie�s boat capped of their year with a sixth place finish at the NCAA championship. Bitz also earned individual honors for their performance. She was named First Team All Big Ten as well as First Team All Central Region. Katie also showed that she was a scholar-athlete by being named a National Scholar Athlete three times during her tenure at MSU.
After graduating from Michigan State, Bitz moved to Princeton, NJ in order to train with the US National Team. Coaching is something she plans to pursue as a career and is excited that she can start at Mercer.


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Shane Madden

Men's Varsity Coach, MJRC

shane@rowpnra.org

 

Shane MaddenShane began his rowing career as a freshman at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia.  During his tenure at "The Prep" he had much success at the Stotesbury Cup and SRA National Championship. 

 

Upon graduation from St. Joes', he attended Drexel University where he earned a B.A. in Finace.  While studying at Drexel, Shane continued to row part time at the Malta Boat Club on historic boathouse row.  While a member of Malta, he won Canadian Henley 8 times and US Rowing Club Nationals 6 times.  Following graduation, he put rowing on hold and began working for Citizens Financial Group.

 

During the fall of 2005, he began to focus on training again and was selected to compete in the Lwt 4x at the 2006 World Championships in England where he finished in fifth place.  In 2008 Shane was again selected to the Lwt 4x for the World Championship in Linz, Austria where he again made the "A" final. In 2009 Shane was selected for a seat in the Lightweight Double, an Olympic Class boat.  He is currently training with the US National Lightweight Team.

 

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