Oct. 11, 2004
PHILADELPHIA - Expectations are at an all-time high for the Saint Joseph's Men's Rowing team in 2004-05. This year's squad may be the deepest team from top to bottom, heavyweight to lightweight, varsity to freshmen, in the history of program. Building on this depth the Hawks look to surpass last year's four medal performance at the Dad Vail Regatta by medaling in every event they enter in 2005 and bringing home the Men's Team Point Trophy.
Head Coach Drew Hill, a 1974 SJU grad, begins his third and most promising season guiding the Hawks on the Schuylkill. The SJU Heavyweight Men return six members from last year's Dad Vail Varsity 8, including four members who went on to take fourth in the nation at the IRA Championships in the Varsity 4 event. Returning oarsmen include seniors Matt Mullin and Ray Cawley, juniors Dan Fazio and Charlie Koob, and sophomores Adrain Gherca and Sean Flynn. Competition for seats in the Varsity 8 looks to be fierce this season as returning members of last years 2nd Varsity 8 and Freshmen 8 look to push for spots in the top boat. Senior Chris Rountree, along with juniors Mike Leahy, Sean O'Hara, Justin Jones, John Hayes and sophomores Bill Fox, Tom Smith, Jeff Schatzle, Dave Naab, Dan Lachant, Wayne Zimmer, Andrew Friedlander, Alex DiBasai and coxswain Stephanie Gehringer all look to compete for seats in this year's V8.
Things look similarly competitive on the lightweight side of this year's team as Varsity Lightweight Coach Paul Mullin returns six members from last season's bronze medal Dad Vail Varsity Lightweight 8. Returning oarsmen include juniors Mike Santoro, Devlin Murdock, Matt Walsh, Tom Fitzpatrick, Russ Lampman, and coxswain Courtney Dombroski. Five members of the 2004 Dad Vail Champion Freshmen Lightweight 8 return to compete for seats in this year's Lightweight 8, including sophomores Steve Ramsey, Peter Coppinger, William West, Brendan McMahon and coxswain Lauren Moran. Add to the mix two former Dad Vail Freshmen Heavyweight 8 silver medalists who plan to row lightweight this season (sophomores Mike Jacob and Blake Schiller), two members of the 2003 Dad Vail Champion Freshmen Lightweight 8 (juniors Joe D'Amato and Joe Kenney), along with sophomore transfer Denis Judge, and the result is that no one's seat is safe until May.
The 2004 - 05 season marks the second year for Freshman Coach Dan Goettner, a 2001 Hawk grad, who led last year's Freshmen Lightweight 8 to a 22 - 4 record and Dad Vail Gold. Goettner welcomes a solid recruiting class to Hawk Hill including freshmen Gavin Adams, Mike Arilio, Steve Britton, Zeb Browne, Peter Cartmell, Doug Cleveland, Craig Hanson, Kevin Jacobs, Marc Malott, Brandon Moore, Chris Moriarity, Warren Negri, Ryan Powers, John Reedy, Jon Romvary, Adam Stoll and Dave Walton. Adding to the depth of the freshmen team are a number of solid walk-on novice athletes who are eager to learn the sport. Former Hawk Lee Bink, a 2004 SJU graduate and 3-year member of the Varsity Lightweight 8, joins the staff as Assistant Coach working with the novices and the experienced freshmen this fall.
Coming off last year's impressive showing and featuring arguably the deepest and most talented team in program history, the 2004 -2005 SJU Men's Team looks poised to make something special happen this spring.
