USRowing Names 2022 PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain Coaching Staff

USRowing Director of Para High Performance Ellen Minzner announced on Tuesday that Derek Hartwick has been named head coach of the PR3 mixed four with coxswain, while Andrea Thies has been named assistant coach.

"I am excited to have Derek and Andrea back in our national team program," Minzner said. "They both bring a wealth of experience to our program and will be instrumental in developing this year's crew, as well as the entire talent pool towards 2024."

Hartwick has served as the head rowing coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy since 2004. Under his leadership, the program has secured eight Knecht Cup titles, 10 New York Metropolitan Championship titles, two Dad Vail Championship podiums, and a Head of the Charles title.

Harwick began coaching in 1983 at the University of Western Ontario and has been coaching ever since. He served as program director at the Boston Rowing Center (U.S. National Team Training Center) and as a U.S. Women's Olympic Team assistant coach under Hartmut Buschbacher in 1991-92, leading crews to gold and silver medals at the 1992 World Cup Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Hartwick learned to row in his hometown of St. Catherine's, Ontario, and earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Western Ontario, where he was a three-sport athlete.

Thies currently serves as the head coach at Otsego Area Rowing, Inc., an accessible, community-based program that she co-founded in 2009. She also serves as the rowing program director with EDD Adaptive Sports, where she pioneers sport and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities.

As an athlete, Thies made two Olympic teams, serving as an alternate at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, before racing in the quadruple sculls at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She won a silver medal in the double sculls at the 1995 Pan American Games and raced at four world championships. Thies began her coaching career in 1997 as an assistant coach at Princeton University.

Thies earned her bachelor's degree in natural resources at Cornell University and her master's degree in human development and psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a member of the Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Hartwick and Thies will prepare the PR3 mixed four with coxswain for the 2022 World Rowing Championships scheduled for September 18-25 in Racice, Czech Republic. Selection camp is scheduled to run June 10-26.

The PR3 mixed four with coxswain is coming off a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, its seventh consecutive silver medal in world championships or Paralympic competition.