This is the official site for the Washington-Lee High School rowing program started by Charlie Butt in 1949. The school is located in Arlington, VA and we row out of Potomac Boat Club in Washington, DC.
Coach Information
| Men's Coaches | Name | |
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Derek Parsons '87 Derek Parsons is entering his 14th season as head coach of Washington-Lee crew. As head coach, he has led the Washington-Lee boy’s varsity crews to multiple medals at the regional level and the finals of the Stotesbury Cup regatta. From 2004 to 2007, the varsity eight finished in the medals at the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championships. In addition to his success on the water, he’s mentored elite high school rowers who have gone on win Junior World Championships and to row for schools such as Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Navy, Dartmouth, and Oxford University. As a rower Derek rowed at Washington-Lee under the great Charlie Butt. His accolades include medals from the NOVA championship, and Stotesbury Cup Regatta. As a member of Potomac Boat Club, he continues to row on the upper Potomac and has organized a Washington-Lee alumni crew for the annual Head of the Potomac. |
crewcoach@hotmail.com |
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Robert Shaw '01 Rob Shaw returns to Washington-Lee this season as the Men's Assistant Varisty Coach after leading our Freshman/Novice to a very strong season last year. Robert is entering his second year with Washington-Lee. A Washington-Lee alum, Robert rowed for the Generals from 1998-2001 under coach Derek Parsons. After graduating from Washington-Lee, Robert attended the University of Iowa, where he rowed all four years for the Hawkeyes. His previous coaching experience includes two seasons as Head Coach of the Hawkeyes and two seasons at Yorktown High School, where he guided the Boy’s Novice 4 to a gold medal at the 2008 Ted Phoenix Regatta. |
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Jim Owen '62 A Washington-Lee Crew alumni class of 1962. Jim Owen is entering his 6th year as Boy’s Assistant Coach. Coach Jim rowed as a lightweight under the great Charlie Butt. |
jeowen@comcast.net |
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Pat McDonald Pat joins Washington-Lee Crew for his first full-time coaching season as the Men's Freshman/Novice Coach. Pat is an alum of St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, PA, where he won several Stotesbury, SRA National, and USRowing Invitational Championships as a lightweight and midweight rower. After graduating from St. Joe's, Pat attended Princeton University, rowing all four years for the Princeton Lightweight Crew Team. |
pmcdonal@gmail.com |
| Women's Coaches | ||
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Jeff Lucier '90 Jeff Lucier is entering his first season as the women’s head coach of Washington-Lee Crew and is starting his 11th season as a high school coach. His crews have medaled multiple times at the Virginia State Championships and have reached the semifinals, or finals at Stotesbury, Nationals and Canadian Nationals. His former athletes have rowed, or coxed for schools such as Harvard, Wisconsin, Princeton, Marietta, Virginia, George Washington, Syracuse, Boston College, St. Joseph’s and Temple. Jeff coxed for W-L and Charlie Butt from '87-'90. As a three year member of the lightweight 8, he finished 2nd at Nationals twice and won Stotesbury. He coxed the varsity 8 for four years at George Mason. During this time, he won a DC Metro Championship, placed 2nd at the Dad Vail and won numerous head races. After graduation, he coxed Potomac Boat Club to medals in multiple events at the Royal Canadian Henley and won the Head of the Schuylkill. |
jjlucier@gmail.com |
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Melissa Saunders '01 Melissa Saunders is entering her 5th year as the assistant women’s coach. Last year, she led helped Paul Holland lead the girls to a strong showing Coach Melissa began rowing at Washington-Lee and continued her rowing career at the University of Miami. After two years in Southern Florida, she transferred to Virginia Tech, where she rowed for the Hokies. An avid competitor, Melissa continues to row with the competitive women’s program at Capital Rowing Club. |
melissa.m.saunders@gmail.com |
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Kathleen McNamee '97 Asst. Coach Kathleen McNamee is entering her 2nd season as the women’s assistant coach for Washington-Lee. She has also returned this year to W-L school as a member of the facilty in the science dept. A W-L graduate, Kathleen chose kayaking over crew while in high school. While representing Potomac Boat Club’s neighbor, the Washington Canoe Club, Kathleen raced in the Junior World Championships. As an undergraduate at Old Dominion University, Kathleen rowed for three years on the varsity squad. She continues to compete, both nationally and internationally, in canoe and kayaking events and she currently serves as Commodore of the Washington Canoe Club. |
kayak.kat@gmail.com |
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Wilson DeSousa '96 Wilson Desousa serves as the freshman/novice women’s coach. Coach Wilson’s rowing career began at Washington-Lee where he was a member of the varsity eight under Coach Tom Chisnell. As a coach, Wilson has led his crews to national success at both the varsity and freshman levels. In 2007 and 2008, while coaching the freshman women at Yorktown, he led the Patriots to consecutive medals at the Ted Phoenix Regatta. |
wil12877@gmail.com |
| The wind beneath our wheels | ||
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Adrian Jackson Trailer Driver Extraordinaire |
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