University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
'U' Rowing Promotes Weyrauch, Adds Feinson to Coaching Staff
8/17/2023 2:00:00 PM | Rowing
All female staff for Gophers
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota rowing head coach Alicea Strodel finalized the program's coaching staff heading into the 2023-24 season with the promotion of Sarah Weyrauch to a full-time assistant role and the addition of Laura Feinson as a graduate assistant.
"Sarah's passion for coaching came through during her time as our graduate assistant coach. She cares deeply about the student-athlete and wants to push Gopher rowing back to the podium at the Big Ten Championships," Strodel said. "Laura's experience at Indiana and internationally will grace our student-athletes and coaching staff with a new perspective and voice. We are excited for her to start and welcome her to Minneapolis."
Following a five-year career with the Maroon and Gold from 2017-22, Weyrauch rejoined the program last November as the Golden Gophers' graduate assistant coach working with the novice team. During the 2022-23 season, she aided with training and conditioning sessions and fostered positive team culture and maintained open lines of communication with athletes.
Weyrauch also has extensive experience working with North Star Community Rowing where she helped their youth and adaptive rowing programs. She trained and mentored grade school through high school-aged novice rowing athletes and ensured their safety during on-the-water practices.
"After being a student-athlete for the Gophers for five years, I am incredibly honored and humbled to be chosen as one of the assistant coaches for the program," Weyrauch said. "Having worked with the team this past season, it was exciting to see athletes grow from the coaching side of the sport, and I'm very eager to continue pushing this team to reach their full potential."
No stranger to the conference, Feinson was named the 2022 Big Ten Rowing Athlete of the Year, becoming just the second Indiana rower to earn the award, and is now set to begin her coaching career. She earned distinction on the 2022 Pocock Racing Shells Honorable Mention All-America Team and was a first team All-Big Ten selection after helping her First Varsity Eight boat to a bronze medal at the 2022 Big Ten Championships. She followed that performance by placing second on the 1V8 boat at the 2023 Big Ten Championships guiding the Hoosiers to their best-ever finish at the regatta, a third-place result, and went on to place 17th at the NCAA Championships.
A native of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, Feinson received the Most Valuable Rower Award within the IU program as a senior in 2022. She also was named the recipient of the athletic department's Hoosier Award and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree during her tenure at Indiana.
"I am just so excited to be given this opportunity at Minnesota to begin my coaching career and I am excited to be a part of what is next here," Feinson said. "I cannot wait to work for this team, meet the athletes and see how fast we can go."
"Sarah's passion for coaching came through during her time as our graduate assistant coach. She cares deeply about the student-athlete and wants to push Gopher rowing back to the podium at the Big Ten Championships," Strodel said. "Laura's experience at Indiana and internationally will grace our student-athletes and coaching staff with a new perspective and voice. We are excited for her to start and welcome her to Minneapolis."
Following a five-year career with the Maroon and Gold from 2017-22, Weyrauch rejoined the program last November as the Golden Gophers' graduate assistant coach working with the novice team. During the 2022-23 season, she aided with training and conditioning sessions and fostered positive team culture and maintained open lines of communication with athletes.
Weyrauch also has extensive experience working with North Star Community Rowing where she helped their youth and adaptive rowing programs. She trained and mentored grade school through high school-aged novice rowing athletes and ensured their safety during on-the-water practices.
"After being a student-athlete for the Gophers for five years, I am incredibly honored and humbled to be chosen as one of the assistant coaches for the program," Weyrauch said. "Having worked with the team this past season, it was exciting to see athletes grow from the coaching side of the sport, and I'm very eager to continue pushing this team to reach their full potential."
No stranger to the conference, Feinson was named the 2022 Big Ten Rowing Athlete of the Year, becoming just the second Indiana rower to earn the award, and is now set to begin her coaching career. She earned distinction on the 2022 Pocock Racing Shells Honorable Mention All-America Team and was a first team All-Big Ten selection after helping her First Varsity Eight boat to a bronze medal at the 2022 Big Ten Championships. She followed that performance by placing second on the 1V8 boat at the 2023 Big Ten Championships guiding the Hoosiers to their best-ever finish at the regatta, a third-place result, and went on to place 17th at the NCAA Championships.
A native of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, Feinson received the Most Valuable Rower Award within the IU program as a senior in 2022. She also was named the recipient of the athletic department's Hoosier Award and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree during her tenure at Indiana.
"I am just so excited to be given this opportunity at Minnesota to begin my coaching career and I am excited to be a part of what is next here," Feinson said. "I cannot wait to work for this team, meet the athletes and see how fast we can go."
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