Coaches
Director of Rowing / Head Novice Coach
Coach Matt Kaminski:
Coach Kaminski returns for his 15th year at Melbourne HS Rowing. During his tenure he has helped guide the Bulldogs to 7 State Scholastic Championship wins, 20 State Scholastic Top Three finishes, 23 crews qualifying for Scholastic Nationals, numerous Space Coast Team Championships and many other regatta wins.
He started his rowing in England while in high school, and then locally at Florida Tech where he spent four years in the Varsity 8 and captained the team his junior and senior years. He has competed successfully at the local, state, regional, national and international level, but hung up his oars after the 1996 Olympic Rowing Trials to see how much more damage he can do property adjacent to the local golf courses.
Coach Kaminski has been coaching in the area since 1993 including Head Women’s Coach at Florida Tech, where he helped lead the Panthers to multiple team and individual wins and medals at the State, Conference, Southeast, and Dad Vail Regatta Championships.
“The last four years has been really exciting here at Melbourne HS,” says Coach Kaminski. “I am really looking forward to having such highly qualified coaches and assistants here to help the team keep progressing from the hard work done by the parents and rowers these last few years.”
Contact Matt Kaminski: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Coach Gwen Sully – Women’s Varsity Coach
We welcome Coach Sully as the coach of the Women’s Varsity squad after several successful seasons with the Pennsylvania State University Crew.
She began her coaching career in Northern Virginia and served the rowing community for many years in areas of fundraising, development of rowing programs, as well as regatta organization and support. She has rowed competitively for clubs in the Northern Virginia area as well as North Carolina and has had the opportunity to train under several elite/Olympic rowers and coaches. She draws from her collective experiences with them in training young oarsmen and oarswomen.
Gwen is a US Rowing Level 3 certified coach and continues to attend conferences, seminars, and workshops to enhance her skills and knowledge.
Her goals for Mel Hi Crew are to build a firm foundation to support a solid, competitive rowing program, and to insure that all rowers come away from their experience with a sense of achievement, satisfaction and pride in their accomplishments.
Contact Gwen Sully: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Coach Jon Lothian - Men's Varsity Coach
Bio Coming Soon
Assistant Coaches - Karen & Manny Franco
Welcome back to Manny & Karen Franco for their 3rd year as Assistant coaches for Mel Hi Crew.
Karen teaches Economics at Melbourne High School, and is the School Liaison for the Crew Team.
Manuel (Manny) is a Financial Planner and President of API Financial
Management, inc.
Manny & Karen are both athletic and very much enjoy their time with
Mel Hi Crew.
Contact Karen Fraco:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Contact Manuel Franco:
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Assistant Coach - Christyna Pena
Bio Coming Soon
