Williams Women's Crew Hires New Assistant Coach
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| Photo, Williams College Meg Conan at 2009 New England Championship |
Conan, who graduated in 2009, rowed all four of her college years for the Ephs and was a member of the first NCAA Division III team to win four consecutive NCAA Division III rowing crowns. The Eph streak of four in a row was extended to five this past spring in California.
Conan was a walk-on rower at Williams who possessed no prior rowing experience. As a high school student in Skaneateles, N.Y., Conan had competed in volleyball and tennis. Looking for a new challenge in college she found what she was looking for with the Williams crew. She ended her rowing career at 5 seat in the Varsity 8 and was elected Outstanding Senior Oarswoman by her teammates.
"I am thrilled that we’ve been able to get Meg involved with the program again,” said Hemmerly. “She is going to do a great job teaching, educating, and bringing our walk-on athletes along. I have complete confidence in her ability to patiently educate the future oarswomen of Williams Crew. Meg is also going to be able to help them to understand the high standards that this team holds year in and year out, standards that she has helped establish for the program as a rower."
Conan spent the past year training and racing in sprint triathlons. She earned a B.S. in psychology as a pre-med major and earned Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholar-Athlete national team honors three times, along with being named Academic All-NESCAC twice.
As a junior Conan spent the fall semester studying in Copenhagen and the experience led her to focus her career goals on medical school and educational policies in special education after studying and observing health care systems throughout Scandinavia.
"Looking back on my experience at Williams, I learned so much on the lake, in a boat: nowhere are dedication, passion and persistence as tangible and nowhere can you find a group of people more motivated to accomplish together,” said Conan. “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to work with such a driven and dedicated team. I can’t wait to return to a program that became such an integral part of my experience and one with such potential. The energy and enthusiasm of the members of this team have created countless opportunities to achieve and I am looking forward to continuing to foster that environment, that momentum. This team consistently demonstrates what is possible when people commit to one another, and I feel so lucky to become a part of that again!"
