SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Former NCAA National Champion, Elisabeth Johnson, has been added to the women's rowing coaching staff at Santa Clara University, as announced today by Bronco head coach John Wojtkiewicz.
Johnson was most recently a volunteer assistant coach at St. Mary's College in Moraga since September of 2009, where she focused on preparing the novice rowers for competition and developing the program's coxswains.
"We are extremely fortunate to have Elisabeth join our team," said Wojtkiewicz. "She has a breadth of coaching experience both at the junior and collegiate level that is both exceptional for her age and a perfect mix for a collegiate rowing coach who will be working with novices."
"Her insight into the junior rowing community will be an asset when it comes to recruiting. Our coaching philosophies also mesh very well. We both look to maximize the potential of our athletes and push the limits of what we can achieve, but we also like to find unique ways to have fun within the pressure cooker. We're going to pick up some speed this year and we're going to have fun getting there."
A 2006 graduate of Western Washington University, Johnson was the coxswain for the Vikings' 2006 Varsity 8 NCAA Division II National Championship boat. She was also the coxswain for WWU's Varsity 4 boat which won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2005.
Following her graduation from WWU, Johnson began coaching and mentoring junior athletes as an assistant coach for the Pacific Rowing Club in San Francisco. During her tenure from 2006-2009, the Pacific Rowing Club, her recruitment of local high school student-athletes helped increase the squad size by 30 percent. She helped guide three boats to the grand final of the Southwest Region Junior Championship (SWJRA) with the Junior Women's pair advancing to the grand final of the Junior National Championships.
Johnson has gained additional coaching experience working with the US Rowing Junior Women's National Team as a Development Camp Coach in 2008.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development and Learning from Western Washington. In the summer of 2011, she earned a Masters of Science in Kinesiology from California State University East Bay.
FOR TRANSACTIONS:
SANTA CLARA – Named Elisabeth Johnson Assistant Women's Rowing Coach.
