Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Crew Adds to Coaching Staff
10/29/2004 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Oct. 29, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head women's crew coach Stephen Kish on Friday announced the promotion of assistant coach Katie Davis to the new position of assistant coach/head novice coach and the addition of Vi Ngo, a 2004 Bucknell graduate, as assistant coach to take over Davis' vacated position.
Davis, who is in her third year at Bucknell, has led the novice women to two consecutive years of unprecedented success. In 2002-03, she coached the first Bucknell novice eight to reach the grand final at the Dad Vail Championship Regatta. This past season, the novice four won the Patriot League Challenge and finished second at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. The novice eight claimed second at the Patriot League Challenge and took first at the Mid-Atlantics.
 Vi Ngo, Katie Davis, Dan Joffe  |
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A 2001 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., Davis served as assistant coach at her alma mater prior to arriving in Lewisburg. In addition to coaching the novice women's crew, Davis assisted the varsity in its successful campaign to qualify for the 2002 NCAA Rowing Championships. While at Pacific Lutheran, Davis also participated as a New Zealand Trekking assistant, organizing and leading a group of 20 students for a month on the south island.
While an athlete for the Lutes, Davis was captain of the women's varsity crew. She also held the position of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President (SAAC) and was named an All-Conference sports representative for Pacific Lutheran. Chosen from all of Pacific Lutheran's graduating student-athletes, Davis was named Senior Athlete of the Year.
Davis' most recent adventures include completing the 500-mile Colorado Trail in the summer of 2003 and the Vermont City Marathon in May of 2004. She is currently working toward her master's degree in outdoor education at Bucknell.
"Katie's contributions to the program over the past two years have been a key component to our success," commented Kish. "We expect her to have a continued positive impact on the program."
Filling Davis' vacated assistant coaching position is Ngo, a member of the rowing team the last three years. A biology major during her tenure as a Bison, Ngo won three consecutive Dad Vail medals as a member of the lightweight eight. She was also a member of the first Bucknell entry in the lightweight eight at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship regatta. Ngo also appeared in the semifinals of the Henley Women's Regatta in England this past summer, while being selected the team's Most Valuable Rower.
"As a student-athlete the last three years Vi was an integral part of our success and I expect her to have an even greater impact on the development of our program as an assistant coach," said Kish.
Kish also announced that a new volunteer assistant, Dan Joffe, has joined his coaching staff. A 1998 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Joffe served as the crew team captain as a senior after winning silver and bronze medals at the Dad Vail regatta as a member of the varsity lightweight four. This is Joffe's second time as a volunteer assistant under Kish after holding the position from the fall of 1998 through the spring of 2000. He currently works as a process engineer at Merck Pharmaceuticals in Danville, Pa.
The new position that Davis moves into was made possible in part by the $5.6-million private donation from William A. "Bill" Graham IV last spring. As a result of Graham's generosity, his donation, in the form of two equal distributions, will support the reinstatement of men's varsity wrestling in 2005-06 as well as enhance a variety of women's athletics - including the upgraded staffing of women's rowing.
Bucknell competed in its second event of the fall, the Head of the Charles, last Sunday, Oct. 24. The Bison had a solid showing for their second fall competition, placing 47th in a time of 14:12.149 before 40 seconds in penalties were added on. Bucknell will wrap up its fall slate Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Head of the Occoquan in Fairfax, Va.
