Rowing program adds 3 new assistant coaches for 2008-09

When the IU rowing team ended their season on May 18 after a 14th place finish out of 22 teams at the Aramark Central/South Region Sprints IU coach Steve Peterson said the team did a good job but thought they could have done better.

“It was a fine way to end the season, but we would have hoped for more,” he said in a statement.

The Hoosiers have taken three big steps to improvement with the recent hiring of three new coaches to the program. Conny Kirsch and Josh Adam will take over as assistant coaches, while former IU rower Stacey Young-Caudell will serve as a graduate assistant coach.

Peterson expressed great pride in the addition of the three to his staff, who will look to build on last year’s finish with a program that isn’t even a decade old.

“I’m very excited to add Conny, Josh, and Stacey to our rowing staff,” said Peterson in a statement. “Both Conny and Josh have been extremely successful prior to Indiana and I look forward to continued success with them here. Stacey’s experience as a successful IU athlete will bring invaluable perspectives to the staff, with regard to the day-to-day responsibilities student-athletes in our program are given.”
 
Kirsch traveled to the United States from her home in Germany in 1998 to become a Buckeye at Ohio State. During her senior year in Columbus she garnered All-American and Big Ten Athlete of the Year recognition. She also led the varsity eight team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships that year.

Kirsch brings a lot of experience to the program as she previously competed on the German National Team before coming to the United States and also took top honors at the Junior World Championships in 1995.

After she graduated from Ohio State with a B.A. in psychology and women’s studies, Kirsch coached for the Greater Columbus Rowing association. She also just completed her second summer working with the US Rowing Junior B Development program, which selects elite high school rowers to attend a special camp to improve their skills.

After graduating from Seattle Pacific with a B.A. in history and Christian Education, Adams went on to become the head novice coach and assist with the varsity teams there.

Adams has now worked his way up, and is currently coaching the U-23US National Team. He will head to Brandenberg, Germany this week for the World Championships.

Young-Caudell was a walk-on freshman who began her rowing career at IU. In her first year she lead the novice team to a fourth place finish at the Big Tens. When she left she had also received three Academic All-Big Ten honors.

Upon getting injured in her junior year she stayed close to the program and helped coach both novice and varsity teams, and received the Team Sportsmanship Award that year.

With the addition of Kirsch, Adams and Young-Caudell, Peterson said he believes his new staff with represent the school and rowing team well.

“All three coaches will be tremendous assets to our program and to the university, and I am very excited about the future of the program with them on our staff,” he said.