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 16th 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 Robert is in his 4th 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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Wilson DeSousa '96 Wilson is moving back over to the boys squad after past couple seasons with the girls squad where he served 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 |
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Pat McDonald After only one season with W-L Pat's status as a full time coach has changed to that of voluneer. In the Spring of 2010 Pat graduated from George Mason Law School and in the fall 2010 he passed the VA Bar. He has moved into a full-time working position that restricts his ability not his desire to coach. He will be helping out our coaching staff as much as his schedule will allow. 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 |
| All Squad and Coxswains | ||
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George Kirschbaum '87 George returns to Washington-Lee having spent the better part of 20 years coaching throughout the Washington, D.C. area. After graduation from Washington-Lee in 1987 as a National Champion coxswain for legendary coach Charlie Butt Jr., George picked up a megaphone for W-L, under Charlie's tutelage, and never looked back. Over the years he has helped develop and lead top ranked scholastic teams at Washington-Lee, Wakefield H.S., Holton Arms School, Gonzaga College H.S., West Springfield H.S., and Potomac Boat Club. Moments like helping with the selection and training of the Senior U.S. National Team lightweight women's quad for the World Championships in 2001 (2nd) and 2002 (3rd) standout as highlights of a long career, but it's the positive impact he can have on his athletes that he says is more important than the medals. The author of the Down and Dirty Guide to Coxing, George has been away from the pull of the water and coaching too long, and thus returns to Washington-Lee and Potomac Boat Club once again, with an eye towards helping develop today's champion student-athletes. |
george@startand10.com |
| Women's Coaches | ||
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Kathleen McNamee '97 Kathleen is entering her 1st season as Women's Head Coach after 3 seasons as the women’s assistant coach for Washington-Lee. She also teaches science at W-L. 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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Melissa Saunders '01 Melissa Saunders is entering her 7th year as the assistant women’s coach. Last year. 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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Anne Eddy '07 Anne Eddy graduated from Washington Lee in 2007 where she coxed for four years. After graduating she coxed for the Varsity Womens Rowing team at George Mason University for four years. Currently the Assistant Instructional Manager at the Washington-Lee Aquatic center where she works with the Physical Education department at Washington-Lee to teach students how to swim. |
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Jessica Ward '05 Jess is entering her first year with W-L as the women's novice coach. Jess graduated from W-L in 2005. Her accompishments include winning bronze at the 2004 Stotesbury Cup as the cox of the Boy's Jr. Four. |
jward87@gmail.com |
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Jim Owen '62 A Washington-Lee Crew alumni class of 1962. Now retired, Jim is starting his 1st season with the girls after 8 seasons as a Boy’s Assistant Coach. Coach Jim rowed as a lightweight during his years at W-L. |
jeowen@comcast.net |
| The wind beneath our wheels | ||
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Adrian Jackson Trailer Driver Extraordinaire |
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