Highlights for 1982
First Row: Jimmy Pierce, Lisa Vogler, Dianne Hoppe, Steve Gracey, Robin Stout, Leslie Fox, Chris Dakes, Amy Slavkovsky,
Sherry Ashton, Shawn Marlow. Second Row: Chris Ramsey, Brett Snyder, Tracey Lutton, Ron Rogers, Ricardo Walton,
Henry Lyons, Tom Peyton, Frank Gallahan. Third Row: Ken Kopka, Steve Mitchell, Frank Baker, David Doneen, Brett Fischer,
Mike Mankee, Larry Lee, Darrall Swift, Augusto Osorio, George Chaudell, Carlos Rivera Silva
1982 was a good year for the Woodbridge Crew Club. John Ashton recognized the enthusiasm of Kevin O’Neil, a 26-year old Science Teacher at Woodbridge and invited O’Neil over to Sandy Run one day during the spring of 1981. Floyd Freeze moved over to Potomac High School to start their Crew Club which opened that year, a year after Woodbridge. O’Neil later recalled, “Before he knew it he was the new Head Coach.” O’Neil, like Freeze before him had no rowing experience, but he did have experience on the water having coached sailing at Cape Cod during the summers of college.
Head Crew Coach Kevin O’Neil
O’Neil’s enthusiasm for crew pushed Woodbridge forward. Realizing that he needed to gain a lot of knowledge in a short time, he befriended legendary T.C. Williams Crew Coach Dee Campbell and during the fall of 1981 he became one of Campbell’s best students. At that same time, The Navy Crew Team, of whom John Ashton had connections, donated two old eight oared shells to the Prince William Crew Association and some of Woodbridge rowers were able to row in their own boats for the first time. During the Spring Woodbridge Crew was able to purchase their very first new boat, an Eight, which they christened "The Aiger." Potomac High School’s Crew Program also began that year making it the second school to row under the Prince William Crew Association banner. Highlights for the year included the Boys 3 rd 8 placing 2 nd at the Occoquan Sprints (Predecessor to the “Head of the Occoquan”) and the Boys 4 th 8 placing 2 nd at the Occoquan Sprints. During the spring season the Men’s JV 8 placed 2 nd at NOVA’s, and 8 th a Stotesbury. Also the Boys Novice (5 th) Eight became the first Woodbridge Boat to win a race at the Virginia Championships (NOVA’s).
Highlights
Men’s JV Eight – 2 nd at NOVA’s, 8 th at Stotesbury
Men’s Novice (5 th) Eight – 1 st at NOVA’s
Head Coach: Kevin O’Neil
Assistant Coach: Sabine Matern
Coach O’Neil at the dock as an Eight concludes practice
Head Coach Kevin O’Neil (sitting to right) talks things over with T.C. William’s
coach Dee Campbell before a regatta
Coach Sabine Matern and her Men’s Fifth 8 – 1 st Place at NOVA’s. This was the first
Woodbridge Boat ever to earn a first place at NOVA’s
1982 rowers Tracey Lutton, Sherry Ashton, and Diana Hoppe
The 1982 Viking Varsity Eight in their brand new boat “The Aiger.” Coxswain Sheri Ashton,
John Celeta, Steve Mitchell, Rob Thompkins, Agusto Osorio, Ron Rogers, Brett Fisher,
Steve Gracey, and George Shaudell. John Celeta, Ron Rodgers, Steve Gracey,
and George Shaudell are members from the original 1981 team.