Revitalized in 2018, OKState Rowing is a competitively focused, student-led, and professionally coached organization committed to the development of student athletes both on and off the water. The current team members and staff are proud to add the newest chapter in the fifth decade of rowing history at Oklahoma State. Ready to train week in week out for regattas and championships across the country.
Five Decades of Cowboys
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OKState Rowing began in 1974 as a small, committed group of students interested in trying something new. As the first rowing team in Oklahoma, these pioneers started from scratch and traveled across the country to find competition. The program ran strong throughout the late seventies and into the eighties leading the way for rowing in Oklahoma.
After a lull of inactivity in the mid eighties, the team was reborn in the early nineties as a scrappy group of athletes led by Coach Knopp. They began without the equipment, financial support, or professional coaching enjoyed by many of their competitors. From these humble beginnings, the team grew to a group of over 50 male and female student-athletes competing in regattas across the country including Oklahoma's first regatta as well as national championships! The team continued on competing throughout the early 2000s until ceasing activity towards the end of the decade. |
Mike Knopp (far left) |
Revitalizing Cowboy Rowing
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In 2018, OKState Rowing was once again started from scratch by Coach Andrew Lennard (top photo, far left), going from no boats and no equipment, to taking 4th at the ACRA National Championship with a Women's Four in just the first year back on the water! In just 18 months, the team had gone from inactive to a thriving group of 59 dedicated and committed athletes prior to the second spring season being cut short due to COVID-19. During the fall of 2020, the team used the time of social distancing to train in singles and develop valuable technical skills in small boats ready to apply it when bigger boats were allowed once more. Due to the cancellation of regattas nationwide, the team turned their focus to the construction of a boat shelter at Lake Carl Blackwell to protect the growing fleet and heaps of equipment to maintain that fleet.
After three semesters of social distancing, the team's membership had dropped drastically. Though with the help of a major recruiting push before the 2021 fall season, the team resumed training in eights and competing at regattas nationwide. Fueled by the energy of these new recruits and the determination of every member, the team went on to earn back to back podium finishes in the 2022 and 2023 ACRA National championships! With the continued support of our friends and family, the university administration, the Stillwater community and of course our loyal alumni, OKState Rowing's program remains firm as it crosses fifty years of history. |
Fall 2024 - Coaches: Andrew Lennard (Left Back), Chris Bird (Left Front), Sam Korn (Right Back), Magdelena Vinson (Right Middle), and Karen Weckler (Right Front) |
OKState Rowing Facilities
Lake Carl Blackwell Boat Shelter
The program operates out of a boat shelter built in during the 2 year lull in regattas during the pandemic. Located in one of the many coves attached to lake Carl Blackwell, the team uses the shelter weekly to train with and store boats, oars, equipment, and everything related. |
OKC High Performance Training Center
In addition to our facilities in Stillwater, the team utilizes the state of the art facilities for high performance training at the Devon Boathouse in the Oklahoma City Boathouse District. |