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Coaching Staff

Troy Harding - Head Coach, Varsity Women's Coach

Email: [email protected]

Coach Harding began rowing at Orange Coast College in 2015, joining the team as a novice and winning a bronze medal in the Novice Men’s 8+ at the ACRA National Championship Regatta. The following year, he competed in the A finals at the ACRA National Championship regatta before transferring schools. He continued his education at the University of California Los Angeles, rowing there for another two years as he completed his Bachelor’s degree in History. He then moved to Texas and rowed for one year at the Austin Rowing Club. The most valuable lesson he learned from his time as an athlete is that keeping a growth mindset is imperative to success. He states, “some people row for all four years, while others row one year four times over.” He believes that it is important to continually improve oneself and never stop growing as an athlete, a belief that sets the foundation for his coaching philosophy.

Harding started to coach in 2018 at Row LA. He then coached for two more years at Austin Rowing Club and two semesters at the University of Texas. He joined GVSU as assistant varsity coach in the summer of 2021, drawn to the program due to its emphasis on local talent and its similarities to the programs he had rowed for. During the 2021-2022 season, Harding led the Women's JV 8+ to wins at the Dad Vail and ACRA National Championship regattas. In addition to coaching, he is also completing his Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University Irvine, equipping him with the knowledge to effectively design a training program.

Harding was inspired to pursue coaching because of the differences his own coaches made in his life and his desire to do the same for others. He wants to be the coach that sees each athlete as an individual and tells each person specifically how to get faster, personalizing the program for each athlete. He hopes to instill in each of the team members the ability to coach themselves and equip each person with the tools to progress their training after graduation. Harding’s favorite part of coaching is seeing the joy of the athletes as they progress to meet their individual goals as well as watching the team celebrate as they reach their team goals during competitions.

Kyle Barnhart '14 - Varsity Men's Coach

Email: [email protected]

Coach Kyle Barnhart joined the Grand Valley coaching staff in 2021 and is currently the varsity men’s coach. During the 2022-23 season, he led the Varsity Men’s 4+ to a second place finish and the Varsity Men’s 4x to a third place finish at the ACRA National Championship. In the 2021-22 campaign, as the novice men’s coach, he led the Novice Men’s 8+ to a silver medal at the Dad Vail Regatta and a fourth place finish at the ACRA National Championship. Prior to GVSU, Barnhart spent six years as the junior program head coach at the Grand Rapids Rowing Club.

Barnhart began rowing in high school and was a four-year coxswain at Grand Valley State University. During his time at GVSU, he coxed the Women’s Varsity 8+ to a gold medal at the 2013 Dad Vail Regatta, helping to secure the women’s team points trophy, and a win at the ACRA National Championship, cementing the team’s 6^th consecutive team points title. That same year they also competed at the Henley Women’s Regatta, advancing to the final round before finishing runner-up to Oxford University. In 2014 he coxed the Men’s Varsity 8+ to a win at the San Diego Crew Classic, a 5^th place finish at the Dad Vail, and a bronze medal at the ACRA National Championship. His career at GVSU also included two top ten finishes at the Head of the Charles.

Barnhart is the Assistant Director for Alumni Engagement in GVSU’s Alumni Relations office where he has worked since 2017. He is married to Rhiannon McHenry Barnhart, a 2015 alumnae and former coxswain who won three national championships and the Head of the Charles in her time with the Lakers. They live in Grand Haven with their dog, Maple.

McKenzie Sandel '22 - Novice Women's Coach

McKenzie Sandel first fell in love with rowing in 2011 when she joined a youth rowing camp conducted by Grosse Ile and the Wyandotte Boat Club. From that moment forward, she knew that rowing was what she wanted to pursue for the rest of her life.

In 2013 McKenzie joined her High School's rowing team (Grosse Ile) eventually earning a spot in the top lightweight four which was undefeated in the US for almost four years. In addition to the traditional spring racing season, McKenzie spent her summers racing for the Wyandotte Boat Club and was a volunteer coach for the middle school youth rowing camp. Coaching was one of the greatest highlights of McKenzie's rowing career. She said, "Watching the athletes fall in love with rowing the same way I did is so rewarding. This experience will be something they take with them for the rest of their lives, and I am glad to be a part of it."

In 2017 McKenzie continued her rowing career at Grand Valley State University, where she studied entrepreneurship and marketing. During McKenzie's freshman year, she walked onto the university's rowing team and earned a seat in the top Varsity 8+. While rowing she became a multi–ACRA National Champion and set three world records as well as three American records for completing erg marathons. McKenzie also held multiple leadership titles such as Team Captain, Trustee, Rent-A-Rower Coordinator, and President. In 2019 during McKenzie's collegiate career, she earned a spot on the U23 Vesper rowing team and raced in the varsity open quad, eight, and lightweight eight.

McKenzie is excited to dive deeper into the world of coaching so that she can give back to a community that gave her so much. She hopes to empower other rowers to be their best, believe in themselves, and become the leaders they are meant to be.

Trevor Staby '20 - Novice Men's Coach

Coach Trevor Staby began rowing at Grand Valley in 2018. In 2019, his Novice 8+ made the ACRA A Final, the first time since 2016. The following fall Coach Trevor won numerous medals and was ramping up for a strong spring season prior to the pandemic in 2020.

Trevor graduated in 2020 with degrees in Finance and Marketing. After working for a year, he decided to pursue his Master of Science in Accounting starting in January of 2022. He is planning to get his CPA after graduation and wants to work in Tax Accounting.

Coach Trevor’s favorite part of coaching is getting to interact with his athletes daily, and work with them to achieve their goals both inside and outside of rowing. Beyond that, he takes pride in giving back to a program that offered so much to him and helping cultivate a strong foundation for future varsity rowers.

Executive Board

President: Eliot Van Pelt

Vice President: Anna Cleveland

Treasurer: Brendan Butterfield

Trustees: Bryce Drobnick, Aiden Miller & Amelia Paulin

Secretary: Reilly Forbes

Academic Chair: Ellie Mulder

Alumni Relations Chair: Maddie Kelly

Clothing Coordinator: Margaret Jastifer & Alyssa Cassie

Fundraising Chair: Kiya Hammond & Sarah Lawrence

Historian: Stephan Warner

Facilities Manager: Josh Scotto

Rent-a-Rower Coordinator: Alex Clark

Risk Management Officer: Daniel Zawodny & Mateo Vrooman

Social Media Coordinator: Beka Gair & Rachel Speare

Men's Roster

Varsity Men

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Aiden Miller	Junior	Greenville, MI
Anthony Vrooman	Senior	Ada, MI
Brendan Butterfield	Junior	Northville, MI
Bryce Drobnick	Junior	Saline, MI
Daniel Zawodny	Junior	Grand Rapids, MI
Eliot Van Pelt	Senior	Rockford, MI
Evan Becker	Senior	Commerce Township, MI
Izak Sahutske	Junior	Gross Pointe, MI
Joe Vitick	Senior	Milford, MI
Josef Schiefer	Sophomore	Auburn Hills, MI
Joshua Scotto DiVetta	Junior	Northville, MI
Kyle Belian	Senior	Ypsilanti, MI
Kyle Emerson	Junior	Saline, MI
Mateo Vrooman	Junior	Grand Rapids, MI
Micah Hammond	Junior	Grand Haven, MI
Michael Jeromsky	Sophomore	Northville, MI
Miles Przybylski	Sophomore	Temperance, MI
Ryan Morren	Sophomore	Allendale, MI
Stephen Warner	Sophomore	Rochester, MI
Tucker McLane	Junior	Jeddo, MI

Novice Men

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Barrett Rowden	Freshman	Frankenmuth, MI
Benjamin Zwart	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Connor Wolfe	Sophomore	Byron Center, MI
Ezra Benardino	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Nikolai Stroemme	Freshman	Evergreen, CO
Robbie Negrilla	Junior	Clarkston, MI
Ryan Strait	Freshman	Macomb, MI
Sean Antone	Junior	Grand Haven, MI
Spencer Lincicum	Freshman	Holland, MI
Tyler Jacobs	Freshman	Ann Arbor, MI

Women's Roster

Varsity Women

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Alex Clark	Sophomore	Grandville, MI
Alyssa Cassie	Junior	Sandwich, IL
Amelia Paulin	Junior	South Lyon, MI
Anna Cleveland	Senior	Buchanan, MI
Beka Gair	Senior	Sparta, MI
Ellie Mulder	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Fiona Patrick	Sophomore	New Hudson, MI
Isaiah Fabbro	Senior	Hudsonville, MI
Jo Patterson	Senior	Annapolis, MD
Kaiya Quinlan	Senior	Troy, MI
Kendra Pollick	Senior	Macomb, MI
Kiya Hammond	Senior	Grand Haven, MI
Maddie Kelly	Senior	Fenton, MI
Margaret Jastifer	Senior	Grandville, MI
Rachel Speare	Junior	Southgate, MI
Reece Thurston	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Reilly Forbes	Senior	Shawnee, KS
Sarah Lawrence	Sophomore	Lansing, MI

Novice Women

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Aisha Brown	Junior	Muskegon, MI
Anna Meyer	Freshman	Dimondale, MI
Arley Wagley	Freshman	Niles, MI
Evie Wittrock	Sophomore	East Lansing, MI
Isabella Pessoa	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Sarah Mayer	Freshman	Grand Haven, MI
Sydnee Ochs	Freshman	Whitecloud, MI
Valley Duddles	Freshman	Sand Lake, MI

Historical Rosters

2021-2022

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Alyssa Cassie	Freshman	Sandwich, IL
Amelia Paulin	Freshman	South Lyon, MI
Brendan Butterfield	Freshman	Northville, MI
Brendon Snedecker	Freshman	Rockford, MI
Bryce Drobnick	Freshman	Saline, MI
Daniel Zawodny	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Eliot Van Pelt	Freshman	Rockford, MI
Johnathan Whalen	Freshman	Mansfield, TX
Joshua Scotto DiVetta	Freshman	Northville, MI
Mateo Vrooman	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Matthew Smith	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Micah Hammond	Freshman	Grand Haven, MI
Anna Cleveland	Sophomore	Buchanan, MI
Beka Gair	Sophomore	Sparta, MI
Bryanna Ergang	Sophomore	Galesburg, MI
Haley Clark	Sophomore	Glendale Heights, IL
James Postle	Sophomore	Madison, WI
Jo Patterson	Sophomore	Annapolis, MD
Kaitlyn Kloha	Sophomore	Essexville, MI
Kaiya Quinlan	Sophomore	Troy, MI
Kayla Pendley	Sophomore	Keego Harbor, MI
Kiya Hammond	Sophomore	Grand Haven, MI
Kyle Emerson	Sophomore	Saline, MI
Margaret Jastifer	Sophomore	Grandville, MI
Reilly Forbes	Sophomore	Shawnee, KS
Sam Sommerdyke	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Anthony Vrooman	Junior	Ada, MI
Brina Crown	Junior	DeWitt, MI
Carlos Fabbro	Junior	Hudsonville, MI
Emily Fredricks	Junior	Byron Center, MI
Grace Garrison	Junior	Fort Wayne, IN
Isabel Albaitis	Junior	East Grand Rapids, MI
Jack Grossel	Junior	Whitehall, MI
Jacob Galloway	Junior	Commerce Township, MI
Joe Vitick	Junior	Milford, MI
Josie Heintz	Junior	Leslie, MI
Kendra Pollick	Junior	Macomb, MI
Maddie Gilbert	Junior	Rochester Hills, MI
Maddie Kelly	Junior	Fenton, MI
Maria Rueda-Rodriguez	Junior	Muskegon, MI
Parker Reynolds	Junior	North Muskegon, MI
Sydney Cole	Junior	Ada, MI
Sydney McNeill	Junior	Port Huron, MI
Veronica Matthews	Junior	Midland, MI
Andrew Cavrell	Senior	Grosse Ile, MI
Anna Foster	Senior	Brighton, MI
Eddie Pfannes	Senior	Saline, MI
Emili Barth	Senior	Manteno, MI
Emmy Dyer	Senior	Eaton Rapids, MI
Hailey Engvall	Senior	Grand Rapids, MI
Hannah Shorkey	Senior	Essexville, MI
Jacob Stone	Senior	Grand Rapids, MI
Leo Horvath	Senior	Indianapolis, IN
McKenzie Sandel	Senior	Grosse Ile, MI
Miles Hagmeyer	Senior	Lowell, MI
Morgan Ross	Senior	Ortonville, MI
Rebecca Kelly	Senior	Charlton, NY
Stephanie Bruck	Senior	Essexville, MI

2020-2021

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Abby Simms	Freshman	Macomb, MI
Audrey Bulow	Freshman	New Lenox, IL
Beka Gair	Freshman	Sparta, MI
Bryanna Ergang	Freshman	Galesburg, MI
Haley Clark	Freshman	Glendale Heights, IL
Izak Sahutske	Freshman	Gross Pointe, MI
Jacquie Molloseau	Freshman	Jenison, MI
James Postle	Freshman	Madison, WI
Jasper Lee	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Jo Patterson	Freshman	Annapolis, MD
Kaiya Quinlan	Freshman	Troy, MI
Kathleen Janiuk	Freshman	Jackson, MI
Kathryn Falzone	Freshman	Lambertville, MI
Kaylen Gibson	Freshman	Niles, MI
Kiya Hammond	Freshman	Grand Haven, MI
Kyle Emerson	Freshman	Saline, MI
Margaret Jastifer	Freshman	Grandville, MI
Olivia Iafrate	Freshman	Livonia, MI
Reilly Forbes	Freshman	Shawnee, KS
Sam Sommerdyke	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Zoe Kalleward	Freshman	Portage, MI
Anthony Vrooman	Sophomore	Ada, MI
Carlos Fabbro	Sophomore	Hudsonville, MI
Dzemal Mesinovic	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Grace Garrison	Sophomore	Fort Wayne, IN
Isabel Albaitis	Sophomore	East Grand Rapids, MI
Jackson Groessl	Sophomore	Whitehall, MI
Josie Heintz	Sophomore	Leslie, MI
Kendra Pollick	Sophomore	Macomb, MI
Lillian Pearce	Sophomore	Greenville, IN
Maddie Gilbert	Sophomore	Rochester Hills, MI
Maria Rodriguez	Sophomore	Muskegon, MI
Megan Loffer	Sophomore	Wolverine, MI
Simon Scheer	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Trey Zichterman	Sophomore	Hudsonville, MI
Veronica Matthews	Sophomore	Midland, MI
Wyatt Melvin	Sophomore	Boyne City, MI
Andrew Cavrell	Junior	Grosse Ile, MI
Anna Foster	Junior	Brighton, MI
Edward Pfannes	Junior	Saline, MI
Emili Barth	Junior	Manteno, IL
Emmy Dyer	Junior	Eaton Rapids, MI
Hailey Engvall	Junior	Grand Rapids, MI
Hannah Shorkey	Junior	Essexville, MI
Jake Stone	Junior	Grand Rapids , MI
Jaydon Dingman	Junior	Bay City, MI
Leo Horvath	Junior	Indianapolis, IN
Rebecca Kelley	Junior	Charlton, NY
Stephanie Bruck	Junior	Essexville, MI
Will Van Houten	Junior	Bloomfield Hills, MI
Erin Vielbig	Senior	Fowlerville, MI
McKenzie Sandel	Senior	Grosse Ile, MI
Melissa Frank	Senior	Oswego, IL
Noah Lasky	Senior	Midland, MI

2019-2020

Athlete Name	Class	Hometown
Anthony Vrooman	Freshman	Ada, MI
Carlos Fabbro	Freshman	Hudsonville, MI
Grace Garrison	Freshman	Fort Wayne, IN
Isabel Albaitis	Freshman	East Grand Rapids, MI
Jackson Groessl	Freshman	Whitehall, MI
Jessica Kurtycz	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Josie Heintz	Freshman	Leslie, MI
Katie Petty	Freshman	Ortonville, MI
Kendra Pollick	Freshman	Macomb, MI
Lillian Pearce	Freshman	Greenville, IN
Maddie Gilbert	Freshman	Rochester Hills, MI
Megan Loffer	Freshman	Wolverine, MI
Simon Scheer	Freshman	Grand Rapids, MI
Veronica Matthews	Freshman	Midland, MI
Wyatt Melvin	Freshman	Boyne City, MI
Zack Morauske	Freshman	St. Joseph, MI
Andrew Cavrell	Sophomore	Grosse Ile, MI
Anna Foster	Sophomore	Brighton, MI
Ben Christensen	Sophomore	Barrington, IL
Eddie Pfannes	Sophomore	Saline, MI
Emili Barth	Sophomore	Manteno, IL
Emmy Dyer	Sophomore	Eaton Rapids, MI
Frank Oldani	Sophomore	Macomb, MI
Griffin Skinner	Sophomore	Chelsea, MI
Hailey Engvall	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Hannah Shorkey	Sophomore	Essexville, MI
Jake Stone	Sophomore	Grand Rapids, MI
Leo Horvath	Sophomore	Indianapolis, IN
Morgan Ross	Sophomore	Ortonville, MI
Rebecca Kelley	Sophomore	Charlton, NY
Stephanie Bruck	Sophomore	Essexville, MI
Adam Kolakowski	Junior	Wyandotte, MI
Chris Markules	Junior	Belmont, MI
Erin Vielbig	Junior	Fowlerville, MI
Makenzie Stafford	Junior	Birch Run, MI
McKenzie Sandel	Junior	Grosse Ile, MI
Miles Hagmeyer	Junior	Lowell, MI
Noah Lasky	Junior	Midland, MI
Trevor Staby	Junior	Brighton, MI
Audrey Boerson	Senior	Grand Haven, MI
Jacob Spiess	Senior	Whitehouse, OH
Melissa Frank	Senior	Oswego, IL

Page last modified December 15, 2023

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