WILLIAMSBURG — As the 2025-26 rowing season gets underway, the Williamsburg Boat Club announced it has a new director of rowing, Sharon Kriz.
Kriz, who graduated from Rutgers University in 1998, took up rowing during her freshman year of college. She went on to lead the Scarlet Knights to a gold medal in JV 8+ at the 1995 IRA Championship, a team bid to the inaugural NCAA Rowing Championships in 1997, and the MVP award in her senior year.
While at Rutgers, Kriz also competed on the 1997 and 1998 USA Under-23 National Team, winning a silver medal at the 1998 Under-23 World Championships.
“I was 18 when I went to college, I found a new sport, and by the time I was 20, I was seeing success on the national stage,” Kriz recalls.
In 2003 she won gold medals in the Elite single scull at the U.S. National Championships, Senior Women’s double sculls at the Canadian Henley, and fourth in the Championship double sculls at the Head of the Charles. In 2005, she sat in the bow seat of the U.S. Women’s 8+. She placed third at the Munich World Cup Regatta, fourth at the World Championships in Gifu, Japan, and first in the Championship 8+ at the Head of the Charles.
Kriz began coaching rowing in 2000. She served as the Head Coach/Rowing Director at the Saugatuck Rowing Club before doing the same at the Maritime Rowing Club. Under Kriz’s leadership, she has qualified athletes to race at the USRowing Youth National Championships every year since 2007.
“I’ve coached a lot of kids and a lot of very successful ones. I love coaching at the junior level versus the college level, because you really do have a chance to mold the kids and introduce them to the competitiveness or what they can do to get better. I get to really help them go through those ups and downs of what being an athlete is all about,” Kriz said.
Now, Kriz takes over the Williamsburg Boat Club.
“I was really looking for somewhere where I could run the whole show. I love coaching, I love being on the water. Both Saugatuck and Maritime were for-profit clubs, so they are run a little bit differently. They are very competitive. I love competitive rowing, but I kind of wanted to be in a little bit more of a community-focused program. This is a place where I can do more than just winning races,” Kriz said.
Kriz hopes to bring a new style to rowing as the director of the Williamsburg club.
“I’m really looking forward to helping the overall club elevate. We want to bring more people into the program. I’m really looking forward to the racing season, I love racing. When you get to go to a race and you win or lose, if you just race to the best of your ability, that’s just the outcome of doing so many other things really well. Setting the goals, not just that race before, but all the things that lead up to it that I really look forward to doing with Williamsburg Boat Club,” Kriz said.
On June 7 and 8, the Williamsburg Boat Club will commemorate National Learn to Row Day. The free event will expose kids and adults of all ages to the basics of the sport. Pre-registration is required.
To learn more about the Williamsburg Boat Club, visit williamsburgboatclub.org.