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

Sal Lilienthal

Rowing Operations Manager

In 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.
Julianne Petrillo

Assistant Coach

Julie 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.
Timothy Poole

Head Coach
Ellissa Popoff

Assistant Coach

Ellissa Popoff is the Assistant Dean of Faculty, Head House Parent in Emerson, and a member of the History Department faculty as well as Assistant Coach for Girls Varsity Crew. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Elissa grew up in Pennsylvania, Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Taiwan. A graduate of Tabor Academy, she holds a bachelor's degree in history and psychology from Williams College and a master’s 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, she 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.