Coaches

Riverside’s coaches are committed to providing members with a supported and structured environment in which to accomplish their rowing goals.

Sarah Schwegman – Sculling

Sarah Schwegman began coaching the Riverside sculling program in the spring of 2014. Her experience both as a rower and a coach provides scullers of all ages and skill levels a promising avenue for improvement and race preparation.

Sarah was coached by Tom Keister as a member of Riverside’s high performance group from 2007 to 2013. Her extensive post-collegiate racing experience includes impressive results in various events at Canadian Henley, Head of the Charles, National Selection Regattas, U.S. Rowing Elite Nationals, U.S. World Championship Trials, and C.R.A.S.H.-B sprints.

Turning her focus to coaching, Sarah brings her experience and enthusiasm to the launch. She began coaching younger rowers in 2012 as the assistant varsity coach at the Winsor School, bringing the 3^rd and 4^th boats in 2013 to a first place finish at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships. In the fall of 2013, she coached masters rowers at Cambridge Boat Club, and since 2013, has been coaching U17 and U19 scullers preparing for Canadian Henley and U.S. Rowing Club Nationals.
Tom Keister – High Performance Group (HPG)

A 1994 Bates College graduate, Tom was a member of the U.S. National Team at the 2000 World Rowing Championships in Croatia in the lightweight men’s pair. In 1996, Tom joined Riverside Boat Club and has been involved with the High Performance Group since its inception in 2002. Tom became a coach for the HPG in 2005 and coached the lightweight men’s quad at the 2005 World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan.

HPG athletes have been tremendously successful, with two athletes winning Olympic medals in the women’s quad and eight at the 2012 London Games. All in all, Tom’s athletes have won four lightweight medals at World Championships and five openweight medals. Most recently, three of the four Riverside HPG athletes in the USA lightweight women’s quad made their international debut at the 2015 World Championships, finishing 6th overall.
Judith Vogel – HPG

A 2009 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she joined the coaching staff at Riverside in 2010. She worked alongside Bruce Smith to prepare six members of the Iraq National Team for the 2010 Asian Games. The following summer, she and Bob Gillette coached the lightweight men’s pair to the 2011 Under-23 World Rowing Championships (9th) in Amsterdam. She spent the summer of 2012 at Vesper Boat Club, where she served as the head coach of the U23 Lightweight Men.

Judith coached the USA lightweight women’s quad to a 6th place finish at the 2015 World Championships. The boat was comprised entirely of Riverside athletes, three of whom made their international debut that year.
Liane Malcos Keister – HPG

Liane began rowing at age 15 for Groton School, where she won the United Kingdom’s Women’s Royal Henley Regatta in 1994 and the high school national championships in 1995. A 2000 Brown University graduate, Liane won the NCAA National Championships in 1999 and 2000. As a member of the U.S. National Team, Liane won a bronze medal in the four at the 1998 U23 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

In 2002, Liane joined Riverside and the HPG. After a successful season with the HPG, Liane became a six-time member of the U.S. National Team from 2003-2008. She won a gold medal at the 2003 World Championships in Milan, Italy, and was a member of the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Teams as an alternate for the eight and sculling events. Since returning to Riverside in 2008, Liane has been an assistant coach with the HPG.
Nikolay Kurmakov – Women’s Sweep

Nikolay Kurmakov, one of the most accomplished coaches in Riverside history, has been coaching the women’s sweep team for over ten years. Coach Kurmakov, who emigrated to the US in 1992 and once reigned as a former Soviet Union’s National Rowing champion, brings more than 30 years of rowing experience to the program. In past years he has led the RBC Women’s Sweep team to numerous Head of the Charles victories, countless National Championships, back to back victories in the Senior Women’s 8 at Canadian Henley (2004, 2005) and many of his athletes have become some of Riverside’s most accomplished rowers at the National and World level.

Kurmakov formerly coached the Ukrainian and Soviet Union national rowing squads from 1977-1992. As a rower he won gold from 1973-75 at the National Championships in the Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. He recently won gold and set the course record in the Senior Master’s Eight at the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 Head of the Charles Regatta.
Jeff Forrester – Men’s Sweep

Jeff Forrester began rowing in 1994 at Mathews High School in Virginia, where he won multiple state championships. He was then recruited to row at Rutgers University, winning the JV 8+ at the Big East Invitational his sophomore year and taking a silver medal in the Varsity Lightweight 8+ at the IRA championships his senior year.

After moving to Boston and joining Riverside Boat Club, he was a member of crews that won the Head of the Charles Lwt 8+, Canadian Henley Lwt 8+, and Canadian Henley Lwt 4- leading to a berth on the US National team in the Lwt 8+. After a back injury put an end to racing, he focused on coaching, first under Bruce Smith with the men’s HPG at Riverside Boat Club in 2009, then as Riverside’s sculling coach in 2010. In 2011, he took charge of the men’s sweep program.
Katy Ruderman – Boy’s Juniors

Katy Ruderman was appointed Program Director for the Brookline High School Rowing Team/Riverside Boat Club Juniors in the Fall of 2012.

The 2013-14 school year will be her fourth year as the Boys Varsity Coach. In 2011, the boys placed third in the state. She took the Lightweight 8+ and the Pair to Nationals where they placed 4th and 16th, respectively. In 2012, the boys place first at the MSPRA, taking the State Champions title. The Boys Pair and Lightweight 8+ went on to qualify for Nationals at Oak Ridge, TN where they came in 9th and 12th, respectively. Katy continued her winning ways in 2013 by taking Silver at MSPRA and sent a Lightweight Pair and Four to Nationals. The Lightweight Pair took the Gold.

Katy began her rowing career as a freshman at Brookline High School. Katy rowed in boats that won the state championship, Q cup, and medaled at regionals. She also swam for Brookline, and as a senior was captain of both the swim team and rowing team. Katy rowed for Boston University crew, and has been on the Brookline coaching staff since 2008.
Andy McLaughlin – Girl’s Juniors

After coaching the Brookline girls’ novice team, Andy began coaching the Girls Junior’s Varsity program in 2014. Andy began rowing career at Hanover High School back in 2006. He rowed with the program for three years.

Andy attended Skidmore College where he continued to row. During his three years in the varsity boat he earned medals at the Head of the Fish, and competing at Dad Vails and ECACs. He was elected captain his senior year, and graduated with a BS in Exercise Science in 2012.