Bryans Selects Wisconsin Women's Rowing Coaching Staff
July 15, 2004 | Lightweight Rowing
Wisconsin women's rowing head coach Bebe Bryans has chosen her assistant coaching staff and the foursome should prove familiar to Wisconsin rowing fans. Amy Appleton and Nicole Borges will assist the openweight program, while Mary Shofner and Dusty Darley will help direct the lightweights.
Appleton returns to Wisconsin to work with the openweight varsity rowers. The 1994 Yale University graduate enjoyed a four-year stint with the Badgers from 1998'02. In the first three years, Appleton directed the novice crews, before assisting with the varsity during the 2001'02 campaign. Her UW crews in 2000 won inaugural Big Ten titles in the novice eight and second novice eight, while the novice four won an Eastern Sprints title. Her 2001 novice crew won a Big Ten title in the second novice eight and placed second at Eastern Sprints, while the novice four won the Eastern Sprints.
Prior to Wisconsin, Appleton served as a novice coach at Dartmouth for four years. Her novice crews finished in the finals of the Eastern Sprints each season during her tutelage. She also helped the Big Green varsity to NCAA appearances during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
Borges, a 2002 University of Washington graduate, returns for her second season with the Badgers and will serve as the novice coach. One of the key pieces to Wisconsin's dramatic improvement during the 2002'03 season as interim associate head coach of the varsity openweights, Borges led the program to its second NCAA appearance in school history and an 11th-place result at the championship.
An assistant coach at her alma mater during 2002'03, the former Husky boasts a stellar rowing career. A 2001 All-Pac 10 rower, she won a 1998 NCAA championship in the varsity four with coxswain and a 2001 title in the varsity eight, while her squad won the team title both years. She also won the 2000 Henley Prize for being a Royal British Henley Champion and competed on the 2001 Canadian National Rowing Team at the world championships in Switzerland.
The lightweight assistant staff remains completely intact as Mary Shofner will direct the varsity in its attempt to defend its 2004 national title, and Dusty Darley will lead the novice program.
Shofner joined the Badgers for the 2003'04 season, and as varsity lightweight coach, shaped the varsity eight into Wisconsin's first women 's lightweight national champions.
Before arriving in Madison, Shofner served two seasons as an assistant coach at Rhode Island and one year leading the lightweight novices and helping with the lightweight varsity at her alma mater, the University of Central Florida.
A 2000 graduate of UCF, Shofner rowed from 1997'2000 for the Golden Knights, earning a bachelor's degree in organizational communications with a minor in psychology.
The final piece of the staff is Darley, a 2001 Wisconsin graduate. The former Badger captain will enter her third year as coach of the novice lightweight program after one season as a volunteer assistant coach following her UW rowing career.
One of the pioneers for UW lightweight women's rowing, the three-time Academic All-Big Ten rower helped the Badgers to their first No. 1 national ranking during the 1998'99 season. Her senior season included varsity eight titles at the Head of the Charles, San Diego Crew Classic and Eastern Sprints, and a runner-up finish at the national championships as the team's most valuable player.
'I see this as an all-star coaching team, and am really looking forward to working closely with them to create a great working environment for everyone involved with the program,' Bryans commented. 'Although we will all have specific responsibilities within the program, we are all completely committed to the success of the whole Badger rowing team, and will be working together to help everyone on the team achieve greatness.'
