| ||||||||||||
Joan O'Hara begins her third season as Head Coach of USD Women's Rowing. Since joining the Toreros in the fall of 2004, Coach O'Hara has already made her mark on west coast rowing: in just her first season at the helm of USD, O'Hara was named West Coast Conference (WCC) Coach of the Year, 2005.
The 2004-2005 season brought important recognition to USD Women's Rowing. The program boasted 7 women's eights, and enjoyed racing success at such high-level competition as the PAC-10s, where the varsity eight placed 9th ahead of WIRA conference rivals LMU and UC Davis, as well as city-rival San Diego State University. The 05 team also made a lasting impression on the east coast at the highly-contested ECAC/Metro Championship Invitational Regatta in Massachusetts where the varsity eight took 4th against more than 18 DI teams from around the country.
The Toreros continued to improve in the 2005-2006 racing season, when they again achieved program bests. In the fall, the varsity eight placed 7th out of 51 crews at the world-famous Head of the Charles regatta in Boston, and also raced to a 4th-place finish at the fiercely competitive regional regatta, the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival, against 24 other teams including nationally-ranked UCLA. In the spring, USD went on to fortify their reputation in DI rowing on a national-level at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia. The varsity eight placed 4th out of 41 teams, missing first place by only 2 seconds; another USD Women's Rowing best. At the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championship, the Toreros made the Grand Final in an unprecedented 5 events, taking home medals in three, including the Gold in the Women's Pair, and seeing two athletes named to the 2006 All-WIRA Team. Between 2005-2006 four Toreros have been named to the WCC All-Conference Team as well.
In addition to their success on the racecourse, the Toreros have achieved great things in the classroom over the past two years. Coach O'Hara's philosophy is that young women who are empowered, disciplined, and confident will achieve in every arena. The team's commitment to well-rounded success in 05 and 06 seasons has resulted in 7 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Division I National Scholar-Athletes, 6 WCC All-Academics, and 41 USD Honor Role Students, as well as the highest number of WCC Scholar-Athletes of all USD Teams in 2005, and the highest Team GPA of all USD Women's Varsity programs in 2006, the second-highest among all Torero men's and women's teams combined.
A veteran of the U.S. National Team training system, Coach O'Hara has brought extensive experience to the Toreros. A U.S. National Champion in numerous events, including the Lightweight Single, O'Hara came to USD from Wellesley College in Boston where she was the Head Coach from 2000-2004. During her tenure at Wellesley, Coach O'Hara elevated the rowing program to its first and only #1 National Ranking in NCAA Division III, and the teams first qualifications for post-season competition. Under Coach O'Hara, Wellesley Rowing had three consecutive ECAC Invitational Championship appearances, earning the Bronze in 2003 against DI competition, won the NEWMAC and Seven Sisters Conference Championships for the first time ever, and received their first and only NCAA Championship bid in 2003, where they placed 4th.
Coach O'Hara believes that coaching entails more than simply guiding athletes to become proficient rowers. In her role as Head Coach, she strives to create an environment of trust, respect, accountability and the highest standards of excellence. She believes in educating the whole person, and providing opportunities for personal growth and life-lessons that extend far beyond athletics. Coach O'Hara's impact on her athletes is reflected in the fact that over the past 7 years, 6 of her athletes have gone on to become professional rowing coaches.
O'Hara, a Long Island native, is no stranger to San Diego. In 1997-98, she was a Resident Athlete at the Untied States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, where she trained as a lightweight sculler under Head Coach Hartmut Buschbacher. Although she no longer competes at the Elite level, O'Hara rows with the San Diego Rowing Club, and most recently placed 6th in the Women's Open Eight at the 2005 San Diego Crew Classic. O'Hara holds a BA in Art History from Loyola College in Baltimore, and an MA in Liberal Arts from San Diego State University.
