The Team
The Coaches
Sean has been in the sport of rowing for nearly 40 years, he began his coaching career in earnest in 2001 immediately following his 3rd Olympiad as an oarsman. From 2001 – 2004, he coached alongside Igor Grinko at the Augusta Training Center, which was started by Grinko immediately following his departure from USRowing as Head Sculling Coach. In this role, Sean formed the trials winning LM4x which finished 4th in the 2004 World Championships in Banyoles, ESP. In 2005 Sean followed in his mentor’s footsteps and took a position coaching in China (Fu Jian province) as Head Women’s Coach, bringing the team its first-ever medal in the W8+ at the Chinese National Games, a result which earned him and invitation to return 3 years later.
Following the 2009 National Games, Sean moved to Hong Kong to work with the HK National Team, and then on to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), where he was the only coach in Hong Kong history to bridge the divide between club, university, and national teams with his University Elite Program. In this program, Hong Kong university athletes got their first-ever opportunity to race in the West (San Diego Crew Classic), and under the banner of the RHKYC. Several of these athletes then went on to qualify for the HK National Team.
After a brief stint in Taiwan in late 2014 to early 2015, Sean returned to the US and took on the position of Head/High Performance Coach at Penn AC. At the time, Penn AC had only 6 athletes and had not seen a Trials victory since 2006, but by the end of 2016, Penn AC athletes had won Henley, Canadian Henley, US Nationals, Head of the Charles, Head of the Schuylkill, and the Fall Speed Order. 2017 (and every year since) saw PAC athletes winning World Championships trials for the first time in over a decade. From 2017 – 2021, PAC athletes competed in 3 World Championships (M4x, M2x, LW4x, and LW2-), 4 World Cups (M4x, M2x), Amsterdam, and Henley. Sean is a 3-time Olympian and 5-National Team athlete, in both sculling and sweep. He began his rowing career at W-L H.S. under the tutelage of Charlie Butt Sr. and is a graduate of Rutgers University where he rowed with fellow Olympians Bob Kaehler (’92, ’96, 2000), Jeff Klepacki (’92, ’96, 2000), and Jim Neil (’92,’96).
Art brings with him a lifetime of rowing experience. He has been involved with the rowing community since the 1960’s and has seen success at every level. As a high school student, he rowed for Groton School in Massachusetts. He went on to row for 3 years in the men’s varsity 8+ at Dartmouth College. Upon graduation, Art left New Hampshire and made his way to Philadelphia’s own Vesper Boat Club where he competed at the Elite level for nearly 10 years. During his time as an elite rower he won multiple National Championships in both sweep and sculling events. To this day you will find Art rowing his single on our stretch of the Schuylkill.
Art has coached everything from high school novices, to collegiate varsity, to high performance athletes, and world championship teams. If you are at all familiar with Philadelphia scholastic rowing, you have seen one of Art’s boats winning a race. For 19 years he was Associate Head Coach at Malvern Preparatory School. During his time at Malvern Prep, Art has helped produce more than 20 National Champion crews and has seen over 40 of his rowers graduate and go on to row for Division I varsity programs. Art also coached sculling at Lower Merion High School, and assisted at Bryn Mawr College for five years.
In addition, Art has assisted with a number of National Team crews in 2011, 2012, 2015, and since 2019. Most recently, Art worked with the 2019 USA Men’s Quad, the 2021 Men’s Olympic Team Quad, and the 2022 Women’s National Team Lightweight Quad rowing for Whitemarsh.
He has coached Whitemarsh Masters for more than nine years.
The Athletes
Hometown: McLean, VA
Education: William & Mary (2020); Georgetown (2022)
National Teams: 2022, 2023
Bio: Sophia holds a BA degree from William & Mary in Linguistics, and a MPS in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown. She started rowing Freshman year of college at the College of William & Mary on the club crew team. Sophia holds the William & Mary school records for 500m, 1k, 2k, and 10k. She was also named to the Second All-Academic ACRA team in 2019 and was named the William & Mary Most Valuable Oarswomen in 2019. During her 2019 summer Sophia competed as a part of Vesper’s U23 program where she became a three-time 2019 Royal Canadian Henley medalist in the Women’s U23 LWT 1X, 2X, 8+, and the Women’s Senior LWT 4X.
Following a successful season in the double, Sophia finished sixth at the 2021 USRowing Fall Speed Order and second at the 2022 USRowing National Selection Regatta. In her 2022 season Sophia went on to finish 2nd in the open weight 2x at the National Selection Regatta, she also finished second at Nationals in the open weight 2x. She competed in a lightweight women’s quad at Women’s Henley Regatta, and at Holland Beker in the Netherlands. She was named to the US National Team as a part of the lightweight women’s quad.
In her 2023 season Sophia competed in the lightweight 1x. She finished 1st at Lake Bled Invitational (Slovenia), second at World Cup II, made it to the quarterfinals at Royal Henley Regatta, she also took first at World Cup III. After winning the US National Team Trials Sophia competed at World Championships where she finished in third.
Hometown: West Olive, MI
Education: Grand Valley State University (2020)
National Teams: 2022, 2023
Bio: Audrey holds a BS of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience from Grand Valley State University. She started rowing her freshman year of college at her university’s club crew team. She was named to the ACRA All-Region Great Lakes team in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She was named to the ACRA All-Freshman Team in 2017, and to the All-American Team in 2018 and 2019. In her summers during college, she participated in U23 programs in 2018 and 2019. In 2018 she became a two-time medalist in the U23 8+ and the Senior 8+. In 2019 she medaled in the LWT 4x, and the LWT 8+.
After graduating in 2020 Audrey trained at PBC. In her 2021 season with PBC she placed 4th at Head of the Charles in the Women’s Club 1x, and 3rd at Head of the Schuylkill. In her 2022 season Audrey placed 3rd at the National Selection regatta, she went on to be in a 2x with Sophia where they placed 2nd in the open weight category at the National Selection Regatta, and at Nationals. Audrey also competed in the lightweight quad in Women’s Henley Regatta, and at Holland Beker Regatta in the Netherlands. She was named to the 2023 National Team as a part of the lightweight quad.
In Audrey’s 2023 season she placed third at the Winter Speed Order, which earned her an invite to lightweight double selection camp. In this selection camp she was named to the World Cup II team as a part of the lightweight double, where she and her partner placed 1st in the B-Final. Audrey was named the spare for the lightweight double for the 2023 World Championship team.
Hometown: Sioux Center, IA
Education: Covenant College (2018)
Bio: Jessan started his rowing career by jumping into an 8+ while studying abroad at Oxford University in 2015. When he returned to the US, he learned to scull and started a rowing club at his school in the US, Covenant College. After graduating, he got a “real job” for 18 months before returning to training full time in February 2020. He trained in Sarasota, FL before moving to Philadelphia in fall 2021 to train at Penn AC. He is now training at Whitemarsh Boat Club with Sean Hall. His goal is to be the best he can be at rowing and bring home medals. Jessan works remotely for a non-profit in Washington, DC, plays classical and jazz piano, and is an instrument-rated private pilot.
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Education: University of Wisconsin (2023)
National Team: 2022 U23
Bio: Claire holds a BS of Psychology from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She started rowing freshman year of high school at Sacred Heart Academy where she made varsity all four years. During her time on the team, she was named team MVP in 2018, won the 2018 Philadelphia Indoor Erg Challenge and Center City Slam, and placed second at 2019 City Championships in open weight double.
She is a 2019 Royal Canadian Henley medalist in the Women’s U23 LWT 8+. At Wisconsin, she was named Academic All-Big Ten, and Competed in the lightweight double at the 2021 IRA National Championships. She received top placements at Dad Vails, Stanford invite, and SIRA Regatta.
She Placed fourth with women’s lightweight quadruple sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Varese, Italy.
Following her graduation at Wisconsin, she has since return to the Philadelphia area in hopes of competing on the world stage again.
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Education: St. Joseph’s University (2022)
National Team: 2023 U23
Bio: Aislinn holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences from Saint Joseph’s University and has started her MHA in Health Administration. Aislinn began rowing in 2015 at Archbishop Carroll High School, where she was a part of some of its best finishes in program history, including 6 Catholic League Championship wins, and a win at the USRowing Mid Atlantic Youth Championships. Aislinn then went on to row for Saint Joseph’s University where she was named team captain and won 1st Team All-Conference 2023, as well as being named a member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. She helped lead the team to a number of medal finishes including 1st in the Varsity 8+ at the Jesuit Invitational 2021, 2nd in the V8+ at the Jesuit Invitational 2023, 1st place in the Women’s 2- at Navy Day Regatta 2022, 2nd in the Women’s 2- at HOSR 2022, and 3rd place V8+ at the A10 Championships 2023.
Aislinn also competed for Vesper U19 and U23 summer programs 2019-2022, where she won 2nd in the LW1x at Summer Nationals 2022, 1st in the U23 8+ at Canadian Henley 2022, and a number of IDR wins. She rowed for Conshohocken Rowing Center in the summer of 2023, where she won the U23 Team Trials in the LW2x and competed at the U23 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Her current goals are to continue gaining speed and experience and hopefully having more opportunities to succeed at the international level.
Hometown: Westport, CT
Education: University of Delaware (2023)
National Team: 2022 U23
Bio: Justin graduated from the University of Delaware with a BS degree in Finance. He started rowing in middle school with the Saugatuck Rowing Club and continued his rowing career with the University of Delaware, being named President during the 2022-2023 season. While in school, Justin’s most memorable achievement included winning Dad Vails in the Men’s Lightweight 4+ in 2023.
Justin also raced competitively with the Conshohocken Rowing Center for the 2022 and 2023 summer seasons. In 2022, he represented the United States in the Under-23 Lightweight Quad(2022), finishing 4th at the U23 World Rowing Championships. In 2023, Justin was a four-time medalist in the Men’s LWT 1x, U23 LWT 1x, LWT 2x, and 4x at the 2023 Summer National Championships. Later, Justin competed at the 2023 Royal Canadian Henley, medaling in the Men’s U23 LWT 1x, LWT4x, U23 4x, and LWT 2x.
In his free time, Justin enjoys cycling and trail running.
Hometown: Auckland, NZ
Education: University of Toronto
National Team: 2023 U23
Bio: Katrina holds a BS in Environmental Science, and Biodiversity and Conservation Biology from the University of Toronto. She started rowing at North Shore Rowing Club in New Zealand her senior year of high school where she won gold in the women’s novice 4x and silver in the women’s novice 4+ at the 2019 NZ Rowing Championships. Katrina went on to row on the University of Toronto varsity team where she helped the team to several podium finishes in the lightweight women’s 2x and 4+, and the openweight women’s 8+ at the Ontario University Rowing Championships in 2019 and 2022. In her senior year, Katrina was named Oarswoman of the Year and Women’s Top Scholar Varsity Athlete of the Year.
During the summer of 2022, Katrina competed for Argonaut Rowing Club. She won 1st in the senior lightweight 2x, 4-, and 4x at the RowOntario championships and earned two 2nd place finishes in the U23 LW2x and senior LW4x, and two 3rd place finishes in the senior LW2x and LW4- at Royal Canadian Henley. In the summer of 2023, she rowed for Conshohocken Rowing Centre and competed at the U23 World Championships after winning the LW2x at U23 trials. Katrina ended her 2023 season winning gold in the Lightweight Women’s Champ 2x at her first Head of the Charles and gold in the Women’s Openweight Champ 2x and 4x at Head of the Schuylkill.
After graduating from university, Katrina joined the Black Sheep Racing Team with the goals of getting faster, gaining more racing experience and representing Team USA in international competition again.