USRowing Announces 12 New Level 3 High-Performance Coach Graduates

USRowing is excited to announce the 12 coaches who have completed the most recent Level 3 High-Performance Coach Certification Course.

Over several months, these coaches completed 11 elite coaching modules designed to advance their skills in areas such as biomechanics, advanced rigging, long-term athlete development, and rowing philosophy, to name a few. In total, the graduates completed more than 100 hours of training to earn their certification.

Please join us in congratulating the latest additions to the Level 3 coaching ranks.

Emre Cikinci

Emre Cikinci is the Head Coach at North Palm Beach Rowing Club in Palm Beach County, Florida, where he leads the development of youth athletes and works to build a positive and competitive team culture. Originally from Türkiye, Cikinci competed as a national team rower and earned more than 200 medals in national and international rowing competitions. He brings his high-level racing experience to his coaching, with a focus on technical development, discipline, teamwork, and long-term athlete growth.

Cikinci’s coaching philosophy centers on helping young rowers become stronger athletes and better people both on and off the water. He has a particular interest in rowing biomechanics, rigging, and athlete development. Completing the USRowing Level 3 Coach Certification reflects his commitment to continuous learning and advancing the sport of rowing within his club and the broader rowing community.

Patrick Clary

Patrick Clary began his competitive rowing career at St. Anthony’s High School on Long Island, New York, in 2009. After rowing for three years at Marietta College, he transferred to Stony Brook University, where he began his coaching career with the freshmen and novice boys at St. Anthony’s. He went on to serve as head coach at several programs, including St. Anthony’s High School, Kellenberg Memorial High School, and Row Georgia Inc., before becoming Head Coach of Women at Port Rowing.

Since joining Port Rowing in 2024, Clary has coached athletes across disciplines and age groups. Under his leadership, Port Rowing has secured bids to the USRowing Youth National Championships in the boys’ and girls’ U16 4x+, girls’ U16 8+, boys’ and girls’ U17 4+, girls’ U17 2x, and girls’ youth 4+.

Clary plans to apply the knowledge and skills gained through the Level 3 certification to continue making Port Rowing a place where athletes of all skill levels and abilities can access the sport in a meaningful and enriching way. Outside of the boathouse, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Stephanie, and their two rescue dogs, Zeus and Gail.

Cindy Cole

Cindy Cole discovered rowing while competing on the varsity crew at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She later rowed competitively for Potomac Boat Club in Washington, D.C. After recognizing the club’s need for a consistent coach, she transitioned into coaching and developed successful Open and Masters women’s sweep programs. Cole also served on the club’s Board of Governors and as its president for six years.

After leaving corporate America to pursue a career change, Cole became head coach for three new high school teams. That experience inspired her to purchase several trainer singles and establish a community rowing club on the Maryland side of the Washington, D.C., area. She now leads the Washington Rowing School and is focused on creating more opportunities for people to experience the joy of rowing.

Cole views rowing as a lifelong sport that can support health and community at every level of participation. Her Level 3 Coach Certification will help her continue developing the Washington Rowing School and expanding access to the sport. In her spare time, she continues to train and race her own single scull.

Niles Garratt

Niles Garratt began rowing at Green Lake Crew in 2002 before continuing his career at the University of Washington, where he won four national championships. He later rowed at Cambridge University, where he was a member of the Cambridge University Boat Club and competed in The Boat Race twice, winning once. In 2011, Garratt competed with the U.S. U23 team, finishing sixth in the coxed four.

Garratt began his coaching career at the University of Washington in 2013 before moving to Stanford University, where he currently serves as an assistant coach with the men’s rowing team. He also served as Stanford’s interim head coach in the spring of 2019.

Outside of rowing, Garratt enjoys reading, staying active, and spending time with his wife, son, and two dogs.

Lizzy Houston

Lizzy Houston began rowing competitively in 2013 with Pelham Community Rowing before continuing her career at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She graduated in 2019 with a double major in Media and Society and English. As a competitor, Houston rowed in the William Smith varsity eight at the NCAA Division III Championships and raced during the summers with New York Athletic Club and Vesper Boat Club, earning gold medals at the Royal Canadian Henley in the U23 Women’s 8+ and Senior/Elite 8+ at Club Nationals.

After graduation, Houston moved to Boston and joined the women’s sweep team at Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She began her coaching career in 2019 with the varsity boys team at Boston Latin School before moving on to coach the Boston College women’s team. At Boston College, she served as an assistant coach and helped lead the third and fourth varsity eights.

In 2023, Houston moved to California to become associate head coach of Stanford’s women’s lightweight rowing team. She has also coached at USRowing’s Olympic Development Program camps in Chattanooga, Tennessee, helping identify junior athletes for the High Performance and National Team pipelines.

In her free time, Houston enjoys hiking and camping around Lake Tahoe with her partner, Abby, and their seven-year-old border collie, Gunny, as well as shooting film with her mother’s 1980s Canon camera.

Andre Kleijn

Andre Kleijn is the Director of Youth Rowing and Head Coach at Indianapolis Rowing Center, where he leads the development of the club’s junior athletes. He is committed to developing athletes at every level and creating inclusive opportunities for everyone who steps into a boat.

Kleijn discovered rowing in 2006 at Steel City Rowing Club, finding early success as a sculler with lightweight doubles titles at the Midwest Championships and Club Nationals, a fourth-place finish in the Men’s 1x at Youth Nationals, and a top finish at the Head of the Charles as a high school freshman. Those results earned him a full athletic and academic scholarship to Jacksonville University, where he rowed in varsity boats as a freshman.

While continuing his competitive career, Kleijn co-founded the junior rowing program at RowPittsburgh, later Pittsburgh Rowing Club. He continued racing at a high level, including a top-10 finish in the Men’s Championship Double at the 2012 Head of the Charles.

After college, Kleijn transitioned into coaching, leading junior, Masters, and novice programs at Pittsburgh Rowing Club and serving as an assistant coach for Upper St. Clair High School and Steel City Rowing Club. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Rowing at Pacific Rowing Club in San Francisco, overseeing the club’s junior and Masters programs and boathouse operations.

Kleijn plans to use his USRowing Level 3 Coach Certification to continue expanding opportunities for athletes and supporting their development at every level. Outside of rowing, he can often be found at the boathouse with Indy, his Australian Shepherd, now fittingly at home in Indianapolis.

Dave LeFebvre

Dave LeFebvre brings more than 30 years of high-level rowing and coaching experience to the sport. Since 2019, he has coached the High Performance Group at Riverside Boat Club, developing athletes for international competition.

Previously, LeFebvre served as head coach of Merrimack College Women’s Rowing from 2013 to 2022, guiding the program through its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. During his tenure, the program consistently maintained top-10 national rankings and produced medal-winning performances.

Before joining Merrimack, LeFebvre spent 15 years as the freshman coach and recruiting coordinator at Boston University, where he guided crews to podium finishes at the EARC Sprints, IRAs, and Head of the Charles and helped develop future Olympians and World Championship athletes.

A former U.S. National Team athlete from 1993 to 1996, LeFebvre rowed at Boston University as an undergraduate before continuing his competitive career at Riverside Boat Club while pursuing graduate studies at Harvard University.

Marie Leonard

Marie Leonard came to rowing later in life as a Masters athlete, but what began as a way to support her children—four of whom rowed competitively—quickly became a lifelong passion. She credits Captain George Schaefer of Undine Barge Club with teaching her to row and inspiring her love of the sport, as well as Bonnie Mueller, former Commodore of the Schuylkill Navy, with mentoring her in club leadership and regatta management.

Today, Leonard serves as Administrative Coordinator at Whitemarsh Boat Club, where she supports club operations and coaches across multiple programs. She is also Membership Chair at Undine Barge Club, serves on the Schuylkill Navy Regatta Management Team, and chairs USRowing’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Mentorship Committee.

A dedicated student of the sport, Leonard has attended numerous USRowing conferences and educational programs throughout her coaching journey. She completed her USRowing Level 1 and Level 2 certifications in person before completing her Level 3 certification.

Leonard has spent more than 20 years immersed in the rowing community as a parent, athlete, coach, coxswain, volunteer, and administrator. She is passionate about mentoring athletes and coaches, developing successful club programs, and helping families navigate the collegiate recruiting process. She also supports adaptive and cancer survivor rowing programs and believes rowing has the power to transform lives both on and off the water.

Outside of the boathouse, Leonard enjoys teaching cooking classes, arranging flowers, relaxing at the Jersey Shore, and spending time with her family and grandchildren. She continues to pursue mastery within the sport and the broader rowing community.

Amir Meraban

Coach Amir Meraban is an ocean and endurance open-water rower, head coach, and referee based in Southern California. His coaching approach has been shaped by mentors who helped develop his technical knowledge and commitment to increasing access to rowing.

Under the mentorship of fellow ocean rower and physical therapist Dr. Greg Spooner, Meraban learned to incorporate physical therapy principles into rowing instruction and athlete development. He was also mentored by the late ocean rower Angela Madsen, whose guidance introduced him to adaptive rowing and strengthened his ability to support athletes of all abilities.

Meraban helped establish coastal rowing in Southern California by leading the region’s first beach sprint rowing clinics, conducting reconnaissance of potential endurance open-water rowing courses, and collaborating with partners including the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center and the San Diego Lifeguard Service. He also piloted beach sprint rowing events at La Jolla Shores, work that culminated in coordinating the inaugural beach sprint rowing feature at the 2026 San Diego Crew Classic.

Meraban later founded Ocean/Open Water Rowing Consulting Agency (OOWRCA), which focuses on expanding access to ocean, endurance open-water, and coastal rowing coaching. He is grateful for the opportunity to complete the USRowing Level 3 Coach Certification Course and plans to use what he learned to help more athletes achieve their goals while supporting the development of coaches in coastal, open-water, and ocean rowing.

Daniel Ors

Daniel Ors has coached since 2011, developing competitive crews in Sarasota, Seattle, and Nashville. In 2025, he was named Juniors Coach for Nashville Rowing Club in Tennessee, where he was tasked with rebuilding the junior program and cultivating long-term success both on and off the water. Ors also coaches the women’s and men’s varsity squads at Vanderbilt University, where he supports small-boat development.

Ors began rowing in eighth grade with Sarasota Scullers in 2003 before continuing his career at Dartmouth College with both the heavyweight and lightweight crews. Throughout his coaching career, he has focused on fostering positive squad cultures that promote growth and success both on and off the water.

Ors plans to use the skills gained through the USRowing Level 3 Coach Certification to further his mission of developing better humans and faster rowers in Nashville while championing access to the sport for all.

Outside of the boathouse, Ors enjoys reading, trail running, and planning new adventures with his wife, Emily, and their two dogs.

Isabel “Isa” Vasquez

Isabel “Isa” Vasquez began rowing in 2013 with Pacific Rowing Club as a high school freshman. She went on to attend the University of Washington, where she became captain of the club team Union Bay Rowing Club and began her coaching career.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vasquez returned to Pacific Rowing Club, where she has coached for the past six years. Through the knowledge gained in the USRowing Level 3 Coach Certification Course, she hopes to continue developing strong, motivated athletes while creating greater opportunities for queer and gender-nonconforming people in rowing.

Vasquez believes strongly in the sense of belonging that rowing can provide and in the empowerment that comes from physical strength and lifelong community. She is committed to helping make those opportunities available to everyone.

In her free time, Vasquez enjoys baking, biking, and running with friends. She completed an eight-mile race in May 2026 and hopes to run her first half marathon by the end of 2027.

Hadleigh Weber

Hadleigh Weber began her rowing career at the University of New Hampshire, joining the team during her freshman year. She began her coaching career shortly afterward at Phillips Exeter Academy, where she served as the Girls Novice Coach.

After several years at Exeter, Weber moved to Northfield Mount Hermon School, where she served as an assistant coach for the varsity boys team before being named Head Varsity Boys Rowing Coach in 2025. She continues in that role while returning to Phillips Exeter during the summers, where she has served as Director of Rowing for the summer session since 2022.

Weber has also worked with the USRowing Pathways Development Camp as a lead coach. She plans to use the knowledge and skills gained through the Level 3 Coach Certification to continue developing athletes and strengthening her coaching practice.

Outside of coaching, Weber teaches Religious Studies and Philosophy at Northfield Mount Hermon and serves as a dorm parent. She enjoys running, walking her yellow Labrador, Walter, and spending time with friends and family.

Learn more about how to become a USRowing Level 3 Coach here.