OUR COACHES
Head Men's Coach
Kyle Stanley’s love of rowing is rooted in knowing that the sport’s power is epitomized in that the value of making a boat go fast comes from so much more than just raw power and fitness. At its best, crew teaches athletes what it means to move with and for each other—to understand that individual effort matters most when it contributes to something larger than themselves.
That idea has shaped Kyle’s approach throughout more than a decade of coaching youth, collegiate, masters, recreational, and competitive rowing. His coaching philosophy centers on building strong teams through strong relationships. He believes successful programs “push from the bottom and pull from the top”: creating opportunities for new and developing athletes to grow while asking experienced athletes to lead, set the standard, and bring their teammates with them.
Kyle believes rowing offers an unusual opportunity to anyone willing to put in the work. Athletes don't need to arrive as accomplished rowers to find success. They need an environment that challenges them, teammates who invest in them, and a willingness to discover the intrinsic value of working with and for one another. In a boat, that lesson becomes tangible—nine talented individuals pushing independently will never experience what nine teammates moving together can accomplish.
Kyle has spent his coaching career building programs around that principle. His experience includes coaching at Marquette University, Great Miami Rowing Center, Westerville Rowing Club, Greater Columbus Rowing Association, and Upper Arlington Crew. Along the way, he has helped rebuild and grow programs, develop new opportunities for athletes, and coach crews competing at the regional and national levels.
A USRowing Level II certified coach, Kyle began rowing at St. Francis de Sales in Toledo before continuing at Marquette University, where he eventually served as team president. He also serves on the board of the Toledo Rowing Foundation and has remained involved in rowing and paddlesports as a competitive dragon boat steersman and coach.
GREG HARVIE
Head Women's Coach
For Greg Harvie it all started at NCAA Division I Syracuse University where he earned a 4-year scholarship for rowing. Greg has been a part of the sport ever since.
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Holds a USRowing Level 3 coaching certificate
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Has been a junior (high school kids) rowing coach for 24 years including for Upper Arlington Crew, Dublin Crew (now Central Ohio Rowing),
and Saugatuck Juniors in Connecticut (one of the most successful junior rowing programs in the country) -
Coached masters (adults) rowing for Greater Columbus Rowing Association for 5 years
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Founding board member of the Midwest Junior Rowing Association
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Has multiple USRowing Youth National Championship appearances
as a coach
ED BYRD
Ed Byrd rowed from 2006 to 2010 for Upper Arlington High School. He then returned in 2016 to coach the Novice Girls. In 2017, he moved to the boys team, taking over the Novice Boys team as Head Coach. In 2024, he became the Middle School Team Head Coach as well.
VICTOR SHILLING
Victor started out his rowing career in 2015 at Westerville Crew where he rowed for all 4 years of high school. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford in 2023 where he rowed club and was men's captain his senior year. While a Redhawk, Victor began coaching under Kyle at Westerville in the Spring season of 2021 during a semester at home and has worked under him there and while at GCRA across Griggs reservoir, mainly with the LTR program.
AIDAN SEGER (BOB)
Bob's journey to becoming a Coxswain is a bit different than most, he started in Winter of 2019 but Covid-19 had other plans for him. Zoom sessions were his introduction to coxing. But this did not stop him. He took this as a challenge and continued learning the in-and-outs of coxing
With not attending college, he continued coxing with Westerville masters in 2022 to 2024 then moving or GCRA in 2024 to present.
Started coaching LTR and middle school in the summer of 2025 with UA Crew
"Coaching is never anything I thought I'd be doing in my existence on this planet, but I'm here now and I am loving it"
ELISA KREIMAN
I learned to row in 2012 during my sophomore year at Ohio University Go bobcats! I coached the novice women for the 2016-2017 school year.
I joined Westerville Crew as a masters rower in 2018 and then soon after began coaching masters as well. In 2021 I began coaching novice women for Westerville Crew. In the summer of 2022 i switched to coaching boys and enjoyed the challenge that was coaching novice boys.
In 2023 I joined UA Crew as a novice women’s coach. I also re joined GCRA in 2023 as well and started coaching masters again.
I’m currently a 7th grade math teacher in Marysville and this will be my 11th year in the classroom. In my spare time I like to read and try and get out to row as much as I can. I’m looking forward to my 4th season on staff at UA and can’t wait to work with such a great team and coaching staff!
SAM LORTZ BAIRD
Sam grew up in Toledo, Ohio and rowed with Toledo Central Catholic High School for 4 years as a sweep rower and coxswain. She attended The Ohio State University, where she rowed for 3 seasons with the OSU Crew Club. She graduated with my Bachelor’s in English in 2012 and then my Master’s in Secondary English Education in 2013. She’s taught 7th Grade English and all levels of High School English and is now an Instructional Coach at The Charles School at ODU. Last year, she joined GCRA and learned to scull with Kyle, Victor, and Elisa. Rejoining the rowing community this past year has felt like coming home for Sam and she’s excited for this opportunity to continue to grow in this sport and to share my love of rowing with others!
MADDIE MOTZEL
Scott Shapiro brings more than 15 years of rowing and coaching experience to the sport. He began his rowing career at the University of Michigan, where he rowed for four years before turning his passion for rowing toward coaching.
Scott got into coaching, spending seven years with Westerville Crew. In 2020 he started coaching the Upper Arlington Crew, and in 2024 began to also assist in the growth of the UA middle school program.
For Scott, coaching is about sharing his love of rowing with others while helping athletes grow both on and off the water. Some of his favorite coaching moments happen away from competition—especially when experienced rowers step up to help novices carry oars and boats, offer guidance, and lead by example. Seeing athletes make newer teammates feel welcome and part of the crew is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching for him.
Scott believes the best rowing programs aren't just built on strong performances, but on teammates who support one another and pass their knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport on to the next generation.
AIDAN VANEK
Aidan is an Upper Arlington Class of 2021 Alumni. During his four years of rowing with Upper Arlington, his highlights included being named team captain during the 2020-21 school year, competing at three SRAA championships (unfortunately 2020 did not have a competition), placing 10th in the Youth 4+ at Head of the Charles, and winning Head of the Hooch in the 4+.
After his time with UA, Aidan joined the Hobart College Division 1 rowing team as a preferred walk-on. During his time with Hobart, Aidan was a member of the 1st and 2nd Varsity 8s. His highlights included being named a captain his junior and senior years, voted as Team MVP his senior year, competing at the Head of the Charles in ‘22 and ‘24, racing at the IRA National Championships in ‘24, and selected to be the team’s Athlete Study Mentor from Sophomore through Senior years.
Outside of his competitive rowing days since graduating Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2025, Aidan is working as a Clinical Research Assistant in The Ohio State University’s Department of Otolaryngology and volunteers with GCRA’s Para Adaptive Rowing Program (PARP). Additionally, Aidan is still rowing on the Griggs through GCRA.
HOWARD BRUSS
Middle School Coach
Howard began rowing in high school, where he served as team captain at St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo, before continuing his rowing career at The Ohio State University.
His passion for the sport was rekindled when two of his three sons rowed for Westerville Crew, inspiring him to return to the water with the masters program. Howard is excited to join UA Crew, bringing both competitive rowing experience and a passion for developing young athletes.
He previously served as Head Middle School Coach for Westerville Crew from 2023–2026, where he helped introduce and develop the next generation of rowers.
In addition to rowing, Howard has extensive coaching experience in tennis. He has taught high-level tennis to teenagers and adults and most recently coached with Buddy Up for Life, a high-energy adaptive tennis and fitness program for children and adults with Down syndrome.
Howard lives in Westerville with his wife, Wendy, and their three sons, Howie, Ethan, and Aiden.
He spent 27 years in technology, including serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Ascena Retail and Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Safelite AutoGlass. In 2022, he followed his passion for health and wellness by opening a HOTWORX 24/7 infrared fitness studio in Westerville, followed by a second location in Delaware, Ohio last October.
LAURA HULT
Laura Hult learned how to row on Griggs reservoir with Dublin Crew. Her first coach was Greg Harvie. As a freshman in high school, she was promoted to the varsity team and her eight won the National Championships that spring. That same year she competed at States for the Dublin Coffman Swim Team.
She earned a full ride scholarship for rowing with the University of Michigan. Her college team won Big Tens and placed top six at NCAAs multiple times. She also coached masters at Ann Arbor Rowing Club and led summer high school rowing camps for Pioneer High School. She holds the title of “worst pizza delivery driver ever” for Pizza Bobs.
She went on to graduate from Ohio State law school and spent a semester at Oxford studying comparative law. She then went on to practice as a corporate attorney at AmLaw 200 firms. She is ranked in Chambers for business and finance and ranked by her peers in Best Lawyers. She was recently named a “Woman of Influence” by Columbus Business First in recognition of her mentoring contributions to the young professionals in the business community.
She has served on multiple nonprofit boards and co-founded the Columbus chapter of Women in Transactions for the Association of Corporate Growth.
She lives in Dublin with her 14 year old daughter and pack of spoiled cats and dogs.
Maddie was a high school basketball and track athlete turned rower in college. Starting as a walk-on at the NCAA Division I University of Minnesota, she quickly fell in love with rowing and spent the next four years learning everything she could about the sport, developing from a novice to a scholarship-earning athlete. Her favorite rowing memory is beating the University of Wisconsin (her home state) at the Big Ten Championships her junior year. After a brief stint in Texas to obtain her Master in Public Health degree, she moved to Columbus to work at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Maddie was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to rowing as a coach, joining UA Crew in the Spring 2026 season as an Assistant Coach on the women's team. She is a certified Level 1 coach with US Rowing and can't wait to continue learning and growing alongside her fellow coaches. Row Bears!