Paul Coomes has been an integral part of the Philadelphia rowing community for the past ten years. Coming from the University of Dayton and a position as the Varsity Men's Head Coach, Paul jumped right into the Philadelphia rowing scene with both feet. He was instrumental in the organization of the Conestoga High School crew in the spring of 1998 and guided an initial 11-member program into a 45-student powerhouse by his fourth year of coaching. Using both his technical abilities and knowledge of engineering, Paul has improved the skills of his crews analytically, methodically, and decisively.In his short time at Conestoga, Paul has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments. In 2007 7 of his crews qualified for the final at Stotesbury-5 medaled, with 2 of those as gold. That year he helped qualify 5 crews for the petite and grand finals at the USRowing Youth National Championship. In 2006 he became the first U.S. coach to win a high school sculling event at the prestigious Women's Royal Henley Regatta as well as the first U.S. coach to take home the Bea Langridge Trophy for the Women's Junior Quadruple Sculls. His girls varsity quad went undefeated in Philadelphia in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.
Among his other achievements, Paul has coached athletes who have gone on to represent the U.S. at the U-23 World Championships as well as the Senior World Championships. As Head Coach at the PA Rowing Camps, his Junior Boys quad took the silver medal at the 2004 Royal Canadian Henley, and the Junior 16 Boys quad won a silver at the 2003 U.S. National Championship. In addition, as Head Women's Coach at Undine Barge Club his crews won national championships in 2001 and 2002.
Both on and off the water, Paul's crews have distinguished themselves, with students going on to study at Yale, Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, Dartmouth, the University of Virginia, and Trinity College. Even more impressive, fully 80 percent of his graduating athletes continue their rowing careers at college. This is quite a tribute to the dedication and mentoring of Coach Coomes.
When asked which of his recent accomplishments were most meaningful, Paul replied, "There is probably no win that is more special than another. All of them are special. For me, the process my athletes go through to achieve those wins is what is the most meaningful to me. A medal is something that will eventually be forgotten or maybe even lost. But, the hard work they put in and the inevitable pain and joy they experience to achieve each win will always be with them, and I will never forget the smiles on their faces when they cross the finish line and realize they have achieved something great through their hard work, discipline, teamwork, determination, and dedication. For me, it is those smiles that make those wins special and this is primarily why I have loved coaching as much as I do."
Believe it or not, Ivan Baldychev attended his first rowing practice purely by accident. Ivan grew up under the dark skies of Russia and attended two years of high school in the U.S. before enrolling at the University of Delaware. Somehow he got himself mixed in with a crowd of walk-on novice rowers, shuffled onto a van, and was taken to a meeting at the UD boathouse. The language barrier probably assisted in hiding the grueling nature of our sport, and Ivan's fate was sealed in a "right place-right time" moment.Coach Chuck Crawford molded Ivan and a good group of oarsmen who went on to win the Dad Vail LM8+ in 2003 and then participated at the Royal Henley Regatta on the Thames. Many of Coach Crawford's athletes prepared themselves with summer rowing at the historic Pennsylvania Athletic Club on Boathouse Row, and it was there that Ivan matched his talent with others from all parts of the country.
After graduating from the University of Delaware in 2006 with a degree in chemical engineering, Ivan continued to pursue both his academic interests and athletic dreams. He currently attends the University of Pennsylvania and expects to graduate with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. He also continues to row full time.
Ivan's first year of sculling netted him numerous victories on the Schuylkill and at Mercer Lake, particularly on August 3, when he earned the right to represent the United States at the world championships in Munich, Germany. In the always-competitive lightweight men's 1x field, Ivan won his heat by a good margin and then used a blistering second 1,000 meters in the semi to secure a spot in the "A" final. He finished his first world championship with a 6th place showing-a truly stunning achievement for a novice sculler.
Personally, Ivan is a unique character, having experienced two very different cultural lifestyles. He regularly attends Orthodox Christian Fellowship service and relies on Russian poetry-including Pushkin, Gumilev, and Lermontov-to stimulate his intellect. Musically, he enjoys playing classical guitar and participates in duets with wind instruments. He also loves American barbeques, sunny days in the city of brotherly love, and making artistic creations out of wood.
When asked what helps him to keep focused with all the distractions of being a full-time student and athlete, Ivan always replies with his personal motto: "It never gets easier, you just go faster."
Anita L. DeFrantz, an attorney, member of the International Olympic Committee Board of Directors (IOC) and the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic teams, is president of the Board of Directors of the LA84 Foundation, which manages southern California's endowment from the 1984 Olympic Games.Born in Philadelphia, DeFrantz grew up in Indianapolis and began her formal involvement with sports at the age of 18, when she was introduced to rowing at Connecticut College. After graduating with honors in 1974, she studied at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and was admitted to the Pennsylvania State Bar in 1977-all accomplished while training at the prestigious Vesper Boat Club.
DeFrantz competed on every U.S. national team from 1975 to 1980 and also served as a director of Vesper and member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Rowing Association during that time. She was a trustee of Connecticut College from 1974 to 1988 and from 1990 to 2000. She now serves as trustee emeritus of the college.
DeFrantz was elected to the IOC in 1986. On September 4, 1997, she became the first woman in the 103-year history of the organization to be elected Vice President. She is the currently chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission and Athletes' Commission Election Committee and a member of the Juridical Commission, Finance Commission, the Coordination Commission for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the Sport and Law Commission.
In 1991 DeFrantz was the first non-French woman (and second American) to be elected an associate member of the Academie des Sports in France. She was also honored that year with the IOC "Woman of the Year" Award and the USRowing Jack Kelly Award for superior achievements in rowing and service to amateur athletics. Since 1993 she has served as a vice president of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron (FISA), the international rowing federation.
In addition to her Olympic bronze-medal performance in the 1976 Olympic Games, DeFrantz won a silver medal in the 1978 world championships, was a finalist in the world championships four times, and won six national championships. The IOC awarded her the Bronze Medal of the Olympic Order for her leadership role in fighting the U.S. government-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. In October 2007 the Institute for International Sport named DeFrantz as one of "The 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America."
The recipient of other athletic and community-achievement honors and awards too numerous to mention, DeFrantz has also been recognized with seven honorary Doctor of Laws degrees.
We are extremely pleased to welcome her home to Philadelphia and are honored to have her participate in the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Schuylkill Navy.