Coaching Staff
Stephen Benvenuto — Head Coach
[email protected]
Coach Benvenuto came to Lower Merion Crew from Archbishop Prendergast. There he spent three seasons with the women’s crew team as an Assistant Varsity coach. The Philadelphia native began coaching as an assistant coach for the Drexel men’s novice crew team for the ’03/’04 season. In addition to his coaching duties, Benvenuto has also coxed for the Vesper Masters women’s eight steering them to over five medals in two seasons.
At Drexel University Benvenuto began his Freshmen year coxing the novice men’s heavyweight eight. That same year he earned the Novice of the Year award from Drexel Crew. Benvenuto went on to cox the junior varsity crews and in 2001 & 2002 received the Coach’s Award for his efforts. In his last two years at Drexel Benvenuto coxed the men’s varsity heavyweight eight. In his four seasons with the team his crews had earned six medals including victories at the Knecht Cup and Frostbite Regattas.
Benvenuto has also spent some time with the Team Concepts program as a coach and a coxswain most recently coaching two crews for the Summer League. In the 2005 and 2006 Dad Vail Regatta his crews won the bronze medal in the Corporate Challenge Cup, Advanced Division and Intermediate Division respectively.
Kate Freeland – JV coach
[email protected]
Kate Freeland began rowing in the summer of 1996 for Bachelors Barge Club. She continued rowing there throughout her high school career as a member of the Women’s JV 8+, JV 4x, JV 2x, and V 4+. During her career with Bachelors Barge Club she compiled numerous victories, most notably the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. She was afforded the opportunity to travel to the Women’s Henley Regatta in the summer of 1999 as a member of the JV 4x and went on to earn a silver at the U.S. Rowing National Club Championships. Kate continued her rowing during the Spring as a member of LMHS’s crew team where she was a member of the women’s Freshman Eight, the JV 4x, and the V 4x. During her career with LMHS she compiled numerous victories, winning the Scholastic Rowing Association of America Nationals as a member of the JV 4x in 1998. In 1999 her boat went 8-2, with a victory in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta. Kate continued her rowing career at Trinity College where she was a member of the Freshman Eight and Women’s V8+. Her career was halted in her junior year and eventually ended in the Spring of her Senior year due to significant injury to her shoulder and back. Last Spring Kate was a volunteer coach for LMHS’s Women’s Varsity team and continues her commitment to the team this year as coach for the Junior Varsity team. Kate is currently a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, earning her Master’s in Secondary Education.
Regan Broderick – Frosh women’s coach
[email protected]
While this is Regan’s first year on the coaching staff, she is not new to Lower Merion Crew. Regan began rowing for LMHS in 1996 where she learned both sculling and sweeping. Regan stroked LM’s Varsity Quad her senior year leading to an undefeated season through Stotesbury Regatta. During the summer and fall seasons, Regan rowed for the Junior Crew at Bachelors Barge Club. She was lucky to be a part of the BBC crew that competed at the Women’s Henley Regatta in England in 1999. This same boat went on to win the Junior National Team trials in Princeton, NJ, sending Regan to represent the USA at Junior World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Regan learned leadership by serving as captain of LM Crew and as captain of BBC Juniors. She was awarded with the Leadership, Service and Coach’s Awards. Regan rowed for a year at UMass in the Varsity Lightweight 8+. She has since graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a B.A. in Economics and a M.S. in Mathematics Education. She is overjoyed to be a part of the LM Crew experience once again.
Mike Wood – Men’s Head coach
[email protected]
Mike Wood began rowing in the fall of 2001 at the University of Delaware. While at Delaware he earned gold medals in various races including the Dad Vail Varsity Lightweight 8, SIRA Championship, Knecht Cup (Lwt8 and Hvy8) and made the grand final in the 2003 Lightweight 8 event at the IRAs, beating out the defending champions Yale. During the summer of 2003, Mike rowed at Penn AC earning 2 bronze medals at US Nationals, one being in a four with head coach Brian Conley. Mike competed in the Royal Henley Regatta in 2003. In addition, he held several office positions at Delaware including Novice Captain and Treasurer. Since graduating from Delaware with a degree in Economics, Mike works at SEI Investments as a Financial Reporting Coordinator. This is Mike’s second year coaching for Lower Merion
2006-7 Women’s and Men’s Captains
Steve Krajewski – Men’s Co-Captain, [email protected] Michal Trope – Women’s Co-Captain [email protected] Rebecca Reicherter – Women’s Co-Captain [email protected] Aaron Greenspan- Men’s Co-Captain [email protected]