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Dan Gehn finished his 14th season as Director of Rowing and Head Men's Rowing Coach at Gonzaga University in 2008. Under his guidance Gonzaga crew has become a recognized team on the West Coast and in recent years the Bulldogs have started to appear on the national rowing scene. Since 2001 Gonzaga has compete as a member of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association, which includes all West Coast schools not members of the Pacific-10 Conference. His Varsity 8+ and Junior Varsity 8+ teams have had 10 WIRA top-three finishes since moving into the conference. They have also won the California Cup twice, in 1997 and 2003, and the San Diego Crew Classic. In 2005 and 2008 Gehn was named the WIRA Coach of the Year. Gonzaga has also made a mark on the national scene, most recently with the 2008 Varsity 8+ obtaining a bid to the IRA National Championships placing 21st. This was the school's first appearance since the IRA has become the official men's national championship 12 years ago. They also had their first appearance in the USRowing Top-20 rankings debuting at number 18. The Bulldogs are no strangers to the IRA's, having made their first splash in 1996 when the Varsity 8+ finished 13th. Since then the Varsity 4+ has dominated for the Zags, finishing fourth in 1998, 2006 and 2007. The Varsity 4+ also claimed a seventh place finish in 2005 and a ninth place finish in 2004. Helping programs garner national recognition is something Gehn has prided himself on since entering the coaching profession in 1989 as freshman men's rowing coach at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater. His freshman rowing squads were repeatedly ranked among the nation's elite squads for freshman crew. In 1989 his freshman 4+ claimed the championship at the IRA Championship Regatta. During his six-year tenure at Wisconsin, Gehn's squads won six Midwest Rowing Championships and had four top-six finishes in both the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championship Regatta. Prior to his coaching career, Gehn was a standout rower at Wisconsin until he graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. While a member of the Badger rowing squad, Gehn helped guide his teams to four straight top-three finishes at the IRA Championship Regatta, including a freshman championship in 1985. The Badgers 1986 varsity 8+ also claimed a national title at the Cincinnati Regatta and during the 1986, `87 and `88 seasons Wisconsin won the Ten-Eyck Trophy representing the overall team champion at the IRA's. Gehn finished his four years of rowing at Wisconsin with his squads never finishing lower than eighth at a national event with 10 finishes in the top three or higher. Gehn was able to parlay his rowing success in college to a spot on the U.S. National Rowing Team in 1987. That team won a Silver Medal at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Ind. A true promoter of crew, Gehn has worked during the summer with several United States Rowing Association Developmental Camps. In 1999 and 2000 Gehn worked with the USRA Men's Development Camp in Madison, Wisc., and coached his squad to several top three finishes at the Canadian Henley Regatta, including a first place finish for the Intermediate 8+. In 1993 Gehn coached at the United States Olympic Festival working with athletes from the North and West squads. In 2002 Gehn married Katie Scanlon, a former member of the United States Women's National Team and collegiate rowing coach. The Gehn's have two daughters, Lucy and Grace. |
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