|
During her 13 years at the helm of the University of Tennessee women's rowing team, Head Coach Lisa Glenn has helped the 15-year-old program mature into a national power. Now in her 14th season, Glenn has led the Lady Vols to seven appearances at the NCAA Championships, including three consecutive full-team selections in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
In 2012, Glenn guided the Lady Vols to their second Conference USA championship in three years. Glenn was also recognized by the conference and recognized as the 2012 C-USA Coach of the Year, her second time receiving this honor. In addition to these recognitions, Kayla Lucier was named the 2012 C-USA Newcomer of the Year. Under Coach Glenn's instruction, four Lady Vols were named to the All-Conference USA Team. Glenn helped propel the Lady Vols to new heights in 2010, leading the Orange and White to its first-ever Conference-USA rowing championship. Glenn was also named C-USA Coach of the Year for her efforts in helping Tennessee achieve this historic feat. Under Glenn's tutelage, senior Laura Miller was named the C-USA rower of the year, while three other Lady Vols captured All-Conference honors. At the 2008 NCAA Championships, the three-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) South Region Coach of the Year guided the Orange and White to its first-ever appearance in a grand final, as the second varsity eight took fifth to record UT's best event finish at the NCAA regatta.
The team has excelled under Glenn's watch at the sport's largest event, the Head of the Charles Regatta, held every fall in Boston, Mass. Glenn's entries in the Club 8+ race have captured five golds, including three consecutive victories in the event from 2005-07. The Championship 8+ crews have made their mark over the years as well, claiming top-10 finishes three times, and top-15 marks seven times, including a program-best fifth-place finish in 2007. In 2009, the Champ 8+ from Tennessee finished 12th out of 34 overall, placing it in the top eight among universities. Only the second coach in Lady Vol rowing history, Glenn has a strong track record of producing stellar student-athletes, both on the water and in the classroom. Five Lady Vols have taken home All-America accolades under Glenn's tutelage. After the 2010 season, Laura Miller was selected as a second team CRCA All-American. Former rower Erin-Monique Shelton collected second-team honors for the third consecutive year in 2008, joining Chelsea Pemberton as the only Tennessee rowers to earn All-America distinction three times. The 2005 squad saw Andrea Bagwell and Pemberton both named to the second team, while in 2004, Pemberton picked up first-team honors and Kaitlin Bargreen garnered a second-team selection. In 2003, the All-American duo was flip-flopped, with Bargreen taking first-team status and Pemberton earning a second-team selection.
Glenn's leadership and guidance extends well beyond the realm of coaching, motivating her squad to hit the books as well. Overall, 24 Orange and White-clad athletes have collected 36 CRCA National Scholar-Athlete honors during Glenn's tenure. Under Glenn, the UT program has seen two of its athletes picked to back-to-back ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV squads. Most recently, Libuse Bruncvíkova' earned a place on ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV second-team. Bargreen also picked up second-team accolades from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in both 2004 and 2005, while Kacey Montgomery garnered the honors in 2002 and 2003. Montgomery grabbed a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large First Team both years and received the Edsouth Lady Vol Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2002. Marissa Allen was presented with the Helen B. Watson Award, given to the Lady Vol athlete with the highest GPA, in both 2004 and 2005. This past season, four athletes found themselves named to the Southeastern Conference Freshman Academic Honor Roll, while 18 had their names added to the Academic All-SEC list. In 12 years, Glenn has coached a total of 240 SEC Academic Honor Roll members.
In addition to capturing the C-USA crown and making an appearance at the 2009-10 NCAA Rowing Championships, Glenn also propelled the Lady Vols to a successful spring season, which saw the squad take home a fourth-place finish at the prestigious Lake Natoma Invitational. The Big Orange also performed well in the first-ever double dual meet on Lake Loudoun, recording victories in the 2V8+ over Dartmouth and Alabama. The fall of 2009 was also an impressive one for Glenn's squad as UT collected four gold, three silver and five bronze medals, including a sweep of the gold medals in the Championship 8+, 4+ and 2- at the Chattanooga Head Race.
In 2008-09, the Lady Vols collected a total of 18 medals in three races. Junior coxswain Katie Ross led the V8+ "A" shell to three of those medals, one of which came after her shell clocked a 14:17.4 time at the Head of the Hooch regatta. That was the fastest ever time produced by a UT shell at the event. While UT fell just short of reaching a fourth-consecutive bid to the NCAA Championship, Glenn's squad still had several successes on the throughout the 2008-09 season.
Brownlee and Howell were members of the V8+ shell that grabbed first-place in the C Finals at the 2009 Aramark South/Central Region Sprints. Williams coxed her 2V8+ crew to a fourth-place finish in the Petite Final. Manned primarily by novice rowers the varsity four and 2V4+ shells produced stellar results, as well. Glenn's top four took first in their respective C Final, while the 2V4+ boat notched a runner-up finish in the D Final.
Tennessee continued to excel against the top programs in the nation during the 2007-2008 season. The Orange and White had a historic weekend at the 2007 Head of the Charles, claiming fifth in the Championship 8+ (third among universities), it's highest finish in program history along with a third straight victory in the Club 8+. Later that season, Williams steered her 2V8+ shell to a first-place finish in the B Final of the Lake Natoma Invitational and followed with the top time at the Charles River Challenge.
Tennessee continued to excel against the top programs in the nation during the 2008 season, thanks to four decorated seniors and incredible juniors. The Orange and White had an historic weekend at the Head of the Charles, claiming its third straight Club 8+ win and fifth in the Championship 8+, its best finish in program history. Though the spring slate was brief, the Lady Vols made the most of it, earning their highest ranking in program history at No. 4 in the USRowing/CRCA poll following a win over No. 4 Princeton and a close loss to No. 2 Yale. After finishing second in the South Region to Virginia, Tennessee made its third straight full-team appearance at the NCAA Championships, where the second eights became the first UT shell to reach the grand finals at the national event. The 2V8+ squad finished fifth to record the best national championships finish in program history.
At the conclusion of the 2008 season, Bruncvíkova' and former squad member, Kendra Warren joined Shelton as CRCA All-South Region honorees, marking the eighth straight year that a Tennessee rower has been honored. Academically, the Orange and White proved itself again with Nina Dobratz, Danielle Hmielewski, Ross and Mary Beth Dreusike joining Warren and Shelton on the CRCA National Scholar Athlete list, and 25 student-athletes earning conference academic recognition.For the second straight year and fourth time overall, the rowing team won Tennessee's CHAMPS Cup which is awarded to the team on campus that demonstrates the greatest commitment to the five areas of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program - academic excellence, athletic excellence, community outreach, leadership, and personal development.
The 2007 season saw Tennessee play host to the NCAA Championship event, where it recorded a ninth-place overall finish, the highest in program history. The Lady Vols also earned their second straight full-team bid to the championship after taking third at South Regionals, where each boat competed in the Grand Finals for the first time in program history. Shelton became the third two-time All-American and joined Renee Brittle, Stephanie Davis, Krista Gearing and Rachel Mayberry as a CRCA All-South Region honoree.
That season, the Lady Vols continued their academic success, with Davis earning a selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV squad. The Orange and White also had 25 student-athletes earn SEC academic honors. For its efforts in the classroom, on the water and in the community, the squad collected the CHAMPS Cup for the first time under Glenn.
In 2006, the Lady Volunteers captured the program's only South Region title at the 10th-annual Aramark Sprints. A third-place showing in the grand finals of the Varsity 8+ handed the cup to Glenn and her troops. In its first full-team appearance at the NCAA Championships, Tennessee finished 12th in the team standings after the First Eight won the "C" final and the Second Eights took 11th-place. As a freshman, Shelton became just the fifth All-American in program history, as she was picked to the second team by the CRCA. Four UT athletes were listed on the CRCA All-South Region Teams, while Dobratz and Davis earned CRCA National Scholar Athlete recognition. The pair joined 24 other rowers on the Academic All-SEC Team and Freshman Academic Honor Roll, the most in program history.
UT's 2005 Varsity 8+ shell ranked sixth in the final USRowing/CRCA Varsity Eight Poll and finished a program-record eighth at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Bargreen and Dana Forbes earned CRCA National Scholar-Athlete honors, while that duo was joined by Bagwell and Pemberton on the CRCA All-South Region squads. The 2005 squad produced 13 rowers on the 2005 Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Tennessee saw great accomplishments in 2003-04, as the Varsity 8+ finished 10th in the final USRowing/CRCA Varsity Eight Poll and mirrored that with a 10th-place showing at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. The squad had another excellent academic showing, as well, with 22 rowers making the SEC Academic Honor Roll and Erin Artz, Bargreen and Nicole Bold earning CRCA National Scholar-Athlete accolades.
During the 2002-03 season, the Lady Vols advanced their Varsity 8+ boat into the NCAA Championships for the first time. That crew finished 14th in the final USRowing/CRCA Varsity Eight Poll and placed 16th at the NCAA Championships. During Glenn's fourth year at Rocky Top, she led the Varsity 8+ to five gold-medal performances. Academically, her team also excelled, as 19 rowers earned Academic All-SEC honors.
Glenn's squad in 2001-02 compiled 120 wins en route to five gold-medal performances. Individually, four rowers earned either first- or second-team CRCA All-South Region distinctions and seven Lady Vols were chosen as CRCA National Scholar-Athletes, while 37 student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Glenn and her staff also witnessed the opening of the new $2.5 million boathouse, a structure alongside the waters of the Tennessee River that raised the program to a higher level.
In her second year, Glenn guided her team to first and second in two of the three events entered at the Chattanooga Head Race, while her Varsity 4+ captured second place at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. Off the water, a total of 39 rowers were named to the Lady Vol Honor Roll, and 22 of those were selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Her squad also was given the inaugural Team Community Service Award for the volunteer work it did in and around the Knoxville area.
During her initial campaign at Tennessee, Glenn watched her young squad take first place at its initial regatta of the year at the Chattanooga Head Race. Her crews also took first place in two of their three races at the Head of the Tennessee. In addition to her team's accomplishments on the water, 11 Tennessee rowers were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, while five members of the squad were selected to the Lady Vol Academic Top-10.
Prior to her move to Knoxville, Glenn served as an assistant rowing coach from 1994-98 at the University of Iowa, developing the novice program while assisting in recruiting and overall team development. She helped guide the Varsity 4+ to a fourth-place finish at the inaugural NCAA Championships in 1997, and her novice squad secured two Midwest Rowing Championship titles, two Central Regional Championship titles, a Champion International Collegiate Regatta title and a bronze medal at the U.S. Rowing Collegiate National Championship. One of her highlights at Iowa included upset victories at the Midwest Rowing Championships in 1995 and 1998 over Wisconsin and Ohio State, respectively.
In 1993, she served as the assistant development coach for the U.S. Junior National Team and was tabbed the squad's head coach the following year. Prior to her current appointment on the NCAA Championship committee, Glenn also held a seat on the USRowing Board of Directors from 1996-98.
Before coaching at Iowa, she acted as a graduate assistant coach for Syracuse University while pursuing her master's degree in public communications at the acclaimed Newhouse School of Communications. In 1991, Glenn received her master's degree and stayed on board with the Orange as a full-time assistant rowing coach. As head of the novice program, she led SU to its best-ever performance, with her novice squads earning silver and bronze medals at the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges Sprints.
Glenn, a 1988 graduate in American studies at Mount Holyoke College in Holyoke, Mass., was the school's varsity rowing captain for two years and a varsity letterwinner from 1985-88. She won three Seven Sisters' Championship titles and a gold medal at the Head of the Connecticut, later becoming the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Athlete Award from Mt. Holyoke.
A Clarkston, Mich., native, Glenn has coached rowers of all ages and levels. While at Syracuse, she worked with junior girls at Liverpool High School. Her crews won two gold medals and one silver in the 1990 Empire State Games. She also has coached competitive to elite level master's women, ages 27 and over.
