Our Head Coach is Eva Sullivan. In addition to oversight of the team, she coaches the Girls’ Varsity team. Cindy Cole is our Head Novice Coach. Jay Andrews is our Dry Land Coach. We are actively searching for two more coaches. Please contact ergosullivan@gmail.com if you are interested in coaching a great team of rowers!
Each of our coaches brings a wealth of experience to Blair Crew. Check out their bios:
Coach Eva Sullivan
Coach Eva Sullivan has been involved with the sport of rowing since 1978, when she began rowing at West Virginia University. She was a founding member of the Monongahela Rowing Club, which later became WVU Crew, an NCAA Varsity team. After college she rowed competitively with Potomac Boat Club in Washington DC for two years. She competed in the lightweight category at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston and at Women’s Nationals in 1982.
After taking an 18-year break, Coach Eva returned to Potomac Boat Club and competed at the Masters level in regional and national regattas. She sculled and rowed sweep, stroking a 43+ Four boat in Master’s Nationals in 2002.
Eva Sullivan coached at Walter Johnson High School for three years prior to becoming a coach at Blair High School.
She is a teacher at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, MD
Coach Cindy Cole
Coach Cindy Cole has been active in rowing for over 34 years as both a competitor and coach. She was President of Potomac Boat Club in Washington DC from 1995 to 2002. She is Founder of Washington Rowing School, and currently offers private sculling lessons to teens and adults, in addition to coaching for Blair Crew. She was formerly Head Coach for Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland, and helped develop the competitive boys and girls rowing programs.
She currently competes as a Masters level rower, representing Potomac Boat Club at regional and national competitions. In 2009, she won third place in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest regatta in the world.
Prior coaching positions include Program Director and Coach of the Masters Women’s Sweep Program from 1994-1999 at Potomac Boat Club where she led a crew of 30 athletes to championships at local, regional and national competitions.
- Head of the Charles: women’s masters 8- 1st place 1995, 1997;
- Head of the Schuylkill: women’s masters 8s- 1st places 1995-1999;
- Head of the Potomac: women’s club 8- 1st place 1999, women’s masters 8- 1st place 1995-1999.)
From 1985-1989 she was Program Director and Coach of the Open Women’s Sweep Program where she started and developed the program to include 50 experienced and novice athletes. The team earned awards and recognition at local, regional and national competitions. (Head of the Charles: women’s club 8- 1st place 1987).
Coach Cole’s rowing experience started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she was a member of the Varsity crew program from 1975-1979. Cindy Cole holds a business degree from MIT as well as a Masters degree in Nutrition from the University of Maryland. She was on the Board of Governors from 1992-2004.
Dry Land Coach Jay Andrews
Jay Andrews is a Social Studies teacher at Albert Einstein High School, where he also coaches boys JV lacrosse and is the Assistant Athletic Director. His background as a competitive cyclist and short track speedskater and as a high school coach has contributes to his interest in strength and conditioning. His philosophy is that strength and conditioning are key not only to improved athletic performance but also to personal health and wellbeing. Jay is a Level 1 CrossFit trainer and a Level 1 USA Weightlifting coach.
