Girls Varsity Crew
Team Overview
The Frederick Gunn School Girls Crew Team trains and competes in both the fall and spring seasons, racing against some of New England’s most competitive crews. In the fall, we race against high schools and club programs at the Riverfront Regatta, the Head of the Fish, the Head of the Charles, and the Braxton regatta in Philadelphia in head race events. Since 2005, the team has placed in the top three at the Riverfront, Head of the Connecticut and Head of the Housatonic regattas.
The spring season is highly competitive and comprised of several faster 1500 meter races. Our spring schedule includes dual meets and cup races with other NEIRA schools such as Windsor, Taft, Greenwich Academy, Deerfield, St. Mark's, Middlesex, and Choate. We also host and compete in the annual Founder’s Day Regatta at The Gunn’s home course in early May. Though most of our team members have no rowing experience before joining the team, many have pursued rowing beyond Gunn into college. We currently have alumnae competing at Northeastern University, University of Miami, Cornell, Mount Holyoke, Trinity and Stanford. Our current team is made up of young women, regardless of size and experience, who have a desire to compete, and who want to be part of a meaningful high school athletic experience. From the novice season, all rowers and coxswains are an essential part of our program, and we invite rowers and coxswains of any level to join us as we continue to gain momentum.
Meet the Coaches
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Rowing Operations ManagerIn addition to assisting the Crew Team and coordinating The Frederick Gunn School’s Regattas, Sal is the Head Coach for the Boys and Girls Varsity Ski Teams and teaches U.S. History and in 2021, taught a popular Winterim course, "Revolutionaries, Spies and a Traitor." Outside of Gunn, he operates the Bicycle Tour Company, based in Kent. As an Independent Revolutionary War Historian, he authored two Experiential Learning Travel Guides. In August 2021, Sal’s led a 700-mile Bike and Kayak Tour, following the 1781 Route of the French and American Armies from Newport, Rhode Island to Yorktown, Virginia, supported in part by a grant from the National Park Service. While at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, he studied Economic Development in Sri Lanka and enjoyed rowing competitively.
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Assistant CoachJulie Petrillo ’18 joined The Frederick Gunn School faculty in 2022. Julie is teaching Pathways, a freshman course that is part of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy’s four-year curriculum. She is an Assistant Coach for Girls Varsity Crew and Girls Varsity Ice Hockey. A proud Gunn alumna, Julie graduated from Trinity College, where she majored in educational studies and minored in English. A four-year member of Trinity’s NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Team, Julie won a silver medal with the open eight in the Head of the Housatonic Regatta in her freshman year, and was named Captain in her senior year. Originally from Orange, Connecticut, she now lives on campus.
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Head CoachTim received both his BA in English and his M.Ed from the University of Texas at Austin. In his time there, he also rowed as a lightweight for Texas Crew. At The Frederick Gunn School, Tim teaches English and is the head girls rowing coach.
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Assistant CoachEllissa Popoff joined the History Department faculty in 2022. Ellissa teaches World History and Psychology and is Assistant Coach for Girls Varsity Crew. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Alyssa grew up in Pennsylvania, Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Taiwan. She graduated from Tabor Academy and holds a bachelor's degree in history and psychology from Williams College as well as a master’s degree in psychology from Connecticut College. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School, Ellissa taught in the Social Sciences Department at Tilton School in New Hampshire. In her last year there, served as Assistant Coach for Girls Varsity Ice Hockey, and as a dorm parent, and ran the grade 12/post-graduate level program. Fun fact: Ellissa lived in Northern Sweden (in the town of Ornskoldsvik) for a year between high school and college. In her free time, she likes to hike, knit, crochet, and travel. She lives on campus with her boyfriend, Nick Sceggell, her dog, Marla, and cats, Alvie and Simon.
Meet The Players
Girls Varsity Fall Crew Roster
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Isla Beckstrom02026Roxbury, CT
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Olivia Bond02024Los Angeles, CA
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Gracielle Boucher02025Watertown, CT
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Emily Chiappa02023New Milford, CT
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Sierra Cortes02023Morris, CT
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Katarina Crea02025Avon, CT
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Anna Damosy0
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Emma Eschweiler02024Shelton, CT
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Martha Ewing02026New Preston, CT
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Youying Gong02026Shanghai
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Grace Harlow02025New Preston, CT
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Tianzi Jin02024Zhangjiagang City
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Isabel Junkin02025Stratford, CT
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Polina Krushelnytska02024Rivne
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Olivia Kurtz02025Wake Forest, NC
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Stella Leonard02025Woodbury, CT
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Zane Leonard02025Woodbury, CT
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Anna Lauren Lerner02023Honolulu, HI
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Xinyi Li02024Pawcatuck, CT
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Zining Lu02024Nanjing
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Mabel Rude02025Litchfield, CT
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Taylor Sall02025Riverside, CT
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Aria Trotta02023Guilford, CT
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Lyla Waterstreet02026Southlake, TX
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Anya Zigmont02026Durham, CT
Girls Varsity Spring Crew Roster
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Isla Beckstrom2026Roxbury, CT
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Gracielle Boucher2025Watertown, CT
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Livia Correia2023Camaçari
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Katarina Crea2025Avon, CT
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Juliet Denman2024Morris, CT
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Emma Eschweiler2024Shelton, CT
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Grace Harlow2025New Preston, CT
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Isabel Junkin2025Stratford, CT
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Catherine Kleiner2025Roxbury, CT
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Olivia Kurtz2025Wake Forest, NC
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Stella Leonard2025Woodbury, CT
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Zane Leonard2025Woodbury, CT
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Ava Rubbo2025Pasadena, CA
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Taylor Sall2025Riverside, CT
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Catherine Schroeder2026Roxbury, CT
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Aria Trotta2023Guilford, CT
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Anya Zigmont2026Durham, CT