Our coaches are dedicated to providing the highest level of professional instruction and mentoring for both competitive and recreational rowers in a safe and supportive environment.
Nicoleta Mantescu Rowing Director
Nicoleta started rowing as a teenager and became a member of the Romanian Junior National Team that won numerous international championships. After graduating from the Romanian Institute for Physical Education, she started her coaching career first as a club coach and then coach of the National Team that won first place in the Olympic Games in Barcelona and the World Championships in Indianapolis. Nicoleta started working as Assistant Director of the Romanian Rowing Federation, supervising and coordinating all rowing activities in Romania. She came to the US in 1995, and started coaching at SRC where she has been instrumental in developing the Junior, Novice and Masters Programs.
Sharon Kriz Junior Rowing Program Director
She oversees all aspects of the junior rowing program and is the Head Coach of the Competitive Junior Boys Team. She also gives private sculling lessons to all skill levels.
Sharon began rowing at Rutgers University in 1994. She went on to row in the varsity 8+ for 3 years, graduating in 1998 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and as the team MVP. In 1997 and 1998 Sharon was named to the USA 4- for the Under-23 World Championships, where she finished 5th and 2nd respectfully. After taking some time off, Sharon returned to competition in 2005 and was named to the Women’s 8+ for the World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan, where her boat finished 4th. In her rowing career Sharon has won numerous medals at the Canadian Henley, US Elite Nationals and Head of the Charles.
Sharon began coaching at SRC in the fall of 2000. She has been a head coach for the Masters Women’s Program, Junior Girls Program and in the winter of 2006 she took her current position as Junior Rowing Program Director and has led her crews to victories at the Northeast/Mid Atlantic Regional Championships, Youth National Championships and US Rowing Club National Championships.
Sharon is a Level III US Rowing Certified Coach and has been helping lead the Saugatuck Rowers since the opening on the club.
Nicoleta Donea
Another native of Husi, Romania, Nicky was selected for Romania’s National Junior Team in 1992. She also participated in National level training in at the Snagov Center; then rowed at World Championships and international regattas throughout Europe. She started coaching in 1998 and her team won the gold for Juniors at the Romanian Nationals. At SRC, she coaches rowers for juniors through master’s and is known for her ability to analyze strokes and help our rowers overcome ingrained “bad habits".
Costel Mutescu
Costel a native of Romania has a degree in Exercise and Sport Science with concentrations in rowing and soccer from the University of Bacau.
Competitively Costel was one time Olympian and 12-time National Team member. He won several medals racing in Junior World Championships, U23 World Championships, World Cups and Senior World Championship.
He retired from competing after the 2000 Sidney Olympic Games when he took a coaching job with the U23 National Team.
Before joining the the Saugatuck Team, Costel built the masters program and supervised the junior program at Greenwich Rowing Club.
He is also certified as a US Rowing level III Coach.
Elena Radu
Native of Bucharest Romania, Elena started rowing at the age of 13.
She trained in Romania as a member of the National Team serving as a coxswain. Elena participated in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow bringing home a bronze medal. She also participated in two World Championships and numerous international regattas. In 2005 she was recognized as a "Distinguished Coach" by the Romanian Rowing federation for having trained athletes in preparation for the Romanian National and Olympic teams.
She started coaching at SRC in 2002 and she has been instrumental in the Club’s success in winning the National Championship Title five times since she started coaching.
Florian Tudor
Matt Love
Matt started rowing in 1998 at the Saugatuck Rowing Club. After a successful junior rowing career he attended Fairfield University where he was member of the Fairfield University Men’s Rowing Club. He won numerous medals at his university’s conference championships. Matt earned a B.A. in Politics and Environmental Studies. In 2006, Matt started coaching at Saugatuck.
Christine Pacioretty
Christine Pacioretty graduated from Lehigh University in 2008 where she competed on the Women’s Rowing Team for all four years. She is currently obtaining her master’s degree in education from Fairfield University and lives in New Canaan.
Randy Wilhelm
Has been the Competitive Junior Boys Novice Coach since the fall of 2007. His novice boy’s crews have won medals at many regional regattas including Riverfront Recapture, Head of the Housatonic, Head of the Fish, Mercer Lake Sprints and Cooper Cup.
Randy started rowing sweep at Chaminade High school and learned to scull at Sagamore Rowing Club on Long Island. He rowed four years at Fairfield University, graduating in 2007, where he stroked the varsity boat and served as team captain for 3 years.
While coaching at Saugatuck, Randy also coaches the Fairfield University Rowing Team as the Men’s Freshman Coach leading his crews to numerous wins in their regular season as well as medals at the Dad Vail.
