Jen Figueroa, Head Coach and Varsity Women’s Coach
Jen began her rowing career in 1994 as a junior at Edgewater High School in Orlando. At Edgewater, she was able to row in the women’s varsity eight which won a silver medal at Scholastic Nationals in 1995. While at Edgewater, she was women’s team co-captain and voted Most Valuable Rower in 1995. After graduating from high school, she was awarded several scholarships to attend the University of Charleston for rowing and to major in sports medicine. After completing four years of rowing and studying, she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science specializing in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training. She rowed for a year after graduate school for the Newport Aquatic Center in southern California and was able to compete at the San Diego Crew Classic and taught herself how to row a racing single. After finishing a Masters degree in Motor Control and Kinesiology, she moved to Gainesville to pursue a teaching career and be closer to her family. Currently, Jen is in her 9th year of teaching Anatomy & Physiology at Buchholz High School and is excited to be the varsity women’s coach this year! Her goal is to teach every female high school rower how to be confident and strong both on the water and off. Jen is a USRowing Level 3 coach. She still rows and trains year round and competes in masters regattas with our growing masters program. Jen has medaled at the Head of the Hooch numerous times and won a gold medal at the Head of the Charles in 2009. Jen credits her passion for rowing to the excellent coaching she received at Edgewater High School and the University of Charleston and tries to ignite this spark with her younger rowers. She will forever feel indebted to Brian Goodwin, Sean Gustafson, and Joe Tewkesbury for changing her life by teaching her to row.
John Catron, Men’s Varsity Coach
John started rowing as a sophomore at Winter Park High School in 1975, where over the following three years he won two state championships and made the finals in a 4+ at Nationals. He then competed for the University of Central Florida where he won a state championship as a freshman, made the finals at Dad Vail, and represented UCF at the Royal Henley Regatta in England, the Head of the Charles in Boston, the Canadian Henley, and even a South American regatta in Lima, Peru. After graduating from UCF, John continued to row at the Masters level, winning numerous gold medals at Masters Nationals and Masters Worlds in places as far flung as Seattle, Washington, Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as winning gold at the Head of the Charles in 1990. John’s coaching career began a year after he finished rowing at UCF when he took over responsibility for the freshmen men’s team at his alma mater in 1983, followed the next year when he shepherded UCF’s 2nd men’s eight, and then taking over as the school’s varsity women’s coach in 1988. In between those dates John found time to coach the Rollins College women’s team to a successful season in 1987 and most recently coached Orlando Rowing Club’s Masters women’s eight in 2000. When not rowing or coaching, John teaches history at Santa Fe College and the University of Florida. No, John did not row with Noah on the Ark, but he has been around crew for a long time and has always enjoyed both competing as a rower at a high level, and helping younger oarsmen and women achieve their potentials as student-athletes.
Kyle Croft, Co-coach, Novice Men
A Gainesville native, Kyle began his rowing career in 2005 at Gainesville Area Rowing where he rowed for four years. After beginning his first month at GAR as a novice, Kyle was quickly moved up to the varsity team because of his passion and work ethic. Kyle quickly learned the sport and earned a spot stroking the JV4+ at States and Regionals. Kyle served his senior year as co-captain and also helped lead the MV8+ to a 2nd place finish at Regionals as well as a trip to USRowing Nationals, a first for the GAR Varsity Men.
Kyle is entering his second year at GAR as Varsity Men’s Assistant Coach. He is also pursuing a degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida and is currently on the pre-med track. Kyle credits Gainesville Area Rowing for the knowledge and skills he learned that helped him reach his athletic and academic achievements and he looks forward to helping the rowers at GAR reach their full potential.
Kellen French, Co-coach, Novice Men
Courtney Fosmoe, Novice Women’s Coach
Courtney began her rowing career with GAR in 2005 as a freshman at Eastside High School. In her four years rowing with GAR she placed 1st in her Freshman 4+ at States, 3rd in her Lightweight 4+ at States, and 1st in her Lightweight 4+ at Regionals to qualify for Youth Nationals in 2009. She began coaching with GAR in 2010 as the Women’s Assistant Coach and spent spring season coaching the Novice Women. Courtney completed her first 2 years of undergrad at the University of Florida and will be continuing her education at the UF College of Pharmacy. She looks forward to this coming season with the Novice Women!
Glynn Hayes, Middle School Coach
Glynn began his rowing career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991. For the three years that he rowed for UNC, Glynn rowed in the men’s 8+, the men’s 4+, and medaled in the ACC championship, Head of the Hooch, SIRAs, as well as several regional regattas.
After graduating UNC, Glynn started a high school rowing program for the Lake Euwana Rowing Club in Klamath Falls, Oregon. In addition to coaching, Glynn also continued rowing and won the gold in the Men’s open pair at the Northwest championship. Glynn’s experience coaching the Lake Euwana team led to his next position as coach of Eastside Crew/Gainesville Area Rowing in 1997/98, which he undertook while completing a master’s degree in Zoology and Geology at the University of Florida.
Glynn graduated with his master’s degree in 1998. He left Gainesville to earn a doctorate in Paleontology and pursue a teaching and research career. He recently returned to Gainesville to teach Oceanography, Geology, and Biology at Santa Fe College as well as conduct research with the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Returning to Gainesville in 2010, Glynn was once again able to coach for GAR, this time as an assistant coach. He joined the GAR master’s team to enjoy the thrill of competing and rowing again. He earned his level II US Rowing coaching certificate and is now proud to be the novice men’s coach.
Dylan Collins, Assistant Coach; Men’s Varsity
Dylan began his rowing career in 2006 at Stanton College Preparatory School. In 2010 Dylan was the Men’s Varsity Captain and was given the Leadership Award. Dylan graduated from Stanton, which is consistently ranked in the top 10 schools in the nation, in 2010 from the International Baccalaureate program. Dylan was a member of the National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, and completed over 150 hours of community Service.
Dylan is now in his second year at the University of Florida as an Electrical Engineer with a minor in Aerospace leadership. Dylan is a Cadet in the United States Air Force ROTC and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Dylan has also avidly trained Crossfit and in his spare time is seeking his EMT-Basic certification.
Jacob Landauer, Assistant Middle School Coach
Jacob began his rowing career at Gainesville Area Rowing in spring of 2006 as a middle school sculler. He rowed for 5 years at GAR, during which time he attended the USRowing Youth National Championships twice in the men’s Varsity 8+ for GAR. Jacob also rowed for a semester at UCF where he earned a gold medal in the college and club 4+ category.
While rowing for GAR in high school, Jacob was elected as a team captain. This year spent as a co-captain really encouraged him to continue his rowing career and make the jump into coaching.
Jacob came back to Gainesville after one year at UCF, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to coach for GAR. He is now taking EMS classes at Santa Fe, with plans to go to Fire School in the next few years.
