Coaches

Eric Gehrke – Head Coach, Varsity Boys

Eric grew up in Alexandria, VA and attended Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC where he rowed for the final three years of his tenure. During that time he won three National Championships (2002, 2003) and two Canadian Henley Gold Medals (2002, 2003) for Thompson’s Boat Center club program, as well as a 6th place finish at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta (2003) his senior year with Gonzaga. He was named to the Washington Post All-Met team his senior year and also garnered an invitation to try out for the United States Junior National Team (2003). He went on to row for Boston College, where he was named captain for the 2006-07 school year and won a bronze medal in the Collegiate Four at the Head of the Charles (2006). Since graduating Eric moved back to the Washington, DC area to coach at Gonzaga. In his two years there (2009, 2010) his Freshman Eight won a Bronze Medal at Stotesbury and won the WMIRA Freshman Eight event and Novice Eight event both years. In 2011, the Varsity Men’s 8+ placed 5th in the WMIRA Championship Regatta and retained the Bishop’s Cup and Cindy Cole Cup. This will be Eric’s second year as the Bishop Ireton head coach and he is looking forward to the continued growth of the program. Contact at eric.gehrke@gmail.com

Brent Keuch – Varsity Girls

Brent is native to Virginia growing up in Old Town Alexandria. Brent found rowing at an early age in high school at  Christchurch Episcopal School in southern Virginia. Learning from the importance of small boats and sculling Brent went on to excel in the sport winning numerous state championships and medaling at the Stotesbury Regatta. After high school Brent attending Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA to row under John Bannon. Brent stayed only for his freshman year as he realized that he wanted more from the sport. He ended up finishing his collegiate years at Marietta College in Ohio under the guidance of John Bancheri. Brent has rowed and been a member of Thompson Boat Club, New York Athletic Club, Vesper Boat Club and Mobjack Rowing Association winning races and Championships in a wide variety of boats. Brent can be found wearing a bow tie and making his way down to Annapolis for crabs on the water on most weekends.

Stephen McCarthy – Freshmen Boys

Stephen was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA.  He graduated from Fox Chapel Area High School in 2006. After rowing for four years, he attended Northeastern University.  Stephen made the team as a walk-on and enjoyed success all four years as a Husky – highlighted by a Foot of the Charles victory in the Freshmen 8+ and a 4th place finish at the IRA National Championship in the Varsity 8+.  Stephen has coached in Pittsburgh for the USRowing Junior Men’s Development Team and in Boston for Boston College High School. In 2011, his Freshmen Boys placed 2nd in the Men’s Novice 4+ at the WMIRA Championship Regatta. Steve is coming into his second year as the Freshmen Boys Coach.

Sara Ginolfi – Freshmen Girls

Sara started her rowing/coxing career as a freshman at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. After a year of rowing and a year of coxing, she quit to join the cheerleading team but quickly returned to the sport during her freshman year at the University of Maryland. During her three years coxing for the Maryland Men’s team, she coxed the first men’s novice boat to ever advance at the Dad Vail regatta in Philadelphia and won the Men’s Varsity 4+ race at the Johns Hopkins Invitational in 2008 and 2009. In May of 2009 she traveled to Oak Ridge Tennessee for the second annual ACRA National Championships and placed 5th in the petite finals in the Men’s Varsity 4+. Sara started coaching for Walter Johnson Crew in September of 2009 and coached the novice girls to a first place finish in the Women’s Novice 4+ at Maryland State Championships and a third place finish in the Girls Freshman 8+ at the WMIRA Championships in 2010. During the 2011 season, Sara coached the novice girls and boys to several wins; her Girls Novice 8+ came in first in all but one race including Maryland State Championships and WMIRA Championships and her Boys Novice 4+ finished third at Maryland State Championships and first at WMIRA Championships. This is Sara’s first season with Bishop Ireton.

Julie Fischer – Assistant Coach

Julie is a Virginia native and Bishop Ireton alum. Julie joined BI Crew as a coxswain the first year the team competed. Julie then went on to cox for the Virginia men’s rowing team. While there, she won numerous races, including a championship title at the ECAC regatta in the men’s heavyweight four. After graduating, Julie returned to Ireton to coach the novice boys in 2009, when they took bronze in the WMIRA novice four event. In 2010, Julie switched to coaching the freshmen girls, where she continued to draw success. In 2010, the novice girls won the Cindy Cole Cup and Baltimore Championships. She has now transitioned to the Varsity Assistant Coach.