University of Minnesota Athletics
MINNESOTA NOVICE ROWING COACH KERRY O'KEEFE DIES OF CANCER
9/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
"One cannot quite fathom how such a young, vibrant professional and popular person can be taken so soon," said Minnesota women's athletics director Chris Voelz. "This is a loss for our whole program and in particular the student-athletes whom she coached. We will sustain ourselves with the privilege of having known Kerry and the inspiration we received from watching her courage and optimism throughout this long battle. She has had a lasting impact upon this new rowing program and her memory will always be with us."
O'Keefe coached at Minnesota during the 2000-01 season, Minnesota's first as a varsity program. The novice boat was Minnesota's most successful during the inaugural year, finishing second in the grand final at the 2001 Lexus South/Central Sprints in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Prior to her tenure at Minnesota, O'Keefe was the head coach at Southern Methodist University in 1999-2000, where she started the Mustang program. She was the assistant coach at Yale in 1996-97, under current Minnesota head coach Wendy Davis, an assistant coach at Ohio State in 1997-98 and the novice coach at Notre Dame in 1998-99.
"Kerry and I were very excited about building this rowing program together," said Davis. "I have lost a real companion, and the rowing world has lost a great coach. Although she was only with us for a year, her stamp of excellence and her `joie du vivre' will continue to shape this program in the years to come."
O'Keefe is survived by her mother Ann, her brother Roy, her sister Kim, and her twin sister Karen. A funeral service will be held Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. The Kerry O' Keefe Equipment Fund for Women's Rowing at the University of Minnesota has been set up by the family.
