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Overseeing 22 Years of Growth (K-State Sports Extra, May 29, 2025)

Entering his 22nd season at Kansas State, Patrick Sweeney brings more than 40 years of international and collegiate coaching experience to the Wildcat women’s rowing program, including tenures with the British and Belgian Olympic teams.

As the second coach in Wildcats' rowing history, Sweeney arrived in Manhattan in 2003 after a one-year appointment as the associate men's varsity coach at Stanford. Prior to his year there, Sweeney was head coach and technical director of the Belgian Olympic Team for six years.

The top crew of Sweeney's K-State tenure was the 2008-09 1V8+. Their accolades include capturing gold at the Head of the Des Moines, defeating Alabama on its own Black Warrior River and clenching a tightly contested third place at the San Diego Crew Classic. The crew would go on to a convincing victory over rival Kansas to secure the Kansas Cup before claiming the gold medal at the Big 12 Championship.

The 2013-14 season was headlined with several firsts for the K-State rowing program, including the programs first Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in Noelle Dykmann. The team won five gold medals and a bronze medal at SIRAs for the first time in program history and prior to the postseason, defended their Sunflower Showdown title for a fourth-consecutive season against Kansas.

At Big 12s, the Wildcats finished a close second to Oklahoma, highlighted by a gold medal showing by the 2V4 and runner-up efforts from both the 1V8+ and 2V8+. At C-USAs, the Wildcats depth shined through once again with the 1V4 nabbing gold to headline a third-place finish.

The Wildcats finished in the top-3 at Big 12 on six other occasions, including consecutive years from 2017-19. bronze medal performances by the 1V8+ and 2V8+.

With Sweeney, K-State took home the Kansas Cup 11 times, most recently in 2023, and earning consecutive wins on four occasions in 2005-06, 2008-09, 2011-14 and 2018-19.

During the 2017-18 season, Sweeney led the Wildcats to a number of accomplishments, including leading K-State to win the Sunflower Showdown over rival Kansas and a third-place team finish at the Big 12 Championship. In addition, Sweeney guided Kennedy Felice and Mattie Warner to All-Big 12 selections.

K-State continued its success under Sweeney during the 2018-19 season, where the Wildcats won their second-straight Sunflower Showdown over rival Kansas, sweeping the Jayhawks 22-0. The Wildcats then went on to place third among Big 12 programs at the Big 12 Championship, on their way to earning the 2019 Co-Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year award after overcoming the loss of teammate Samantha Scott.

During his tenure at K-State, Sweeney prioritized academics, evident by the four Rowing Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year; Jadyn Greisen (2022), Molly Ross (2019), Megan Murray (2015) and Allison Dorau (2014). Murray, Ross and Madison Jensen were K-State's nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 2015, 2019 and 2022.

In addition, 108 student-athletes have earned the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar-Athlete Award since 2006 to go along with 10 CRCA All-Region selections. Sweeney produced countless conference award winners with 23 All-Big 12 Conference honorees, 351 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 27 student-athletes have received the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12’s highest academic honor, since 2011.

A multiple-time champion as a coxswain, Sweeney began his competitive career at the age of 12 for club crews in England. He eventually progressed to the British National Team, where he competed as a coxswain in eight World Championships (two gold, three silver) and three Olympic Games (one silver, one bronze).

As an international coach, Sweeney took crews to 11 World Championships and four Olympic Games. He has collected two gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the World Championships and one gold and one bronze at the Olympics. In addition, he won four national championships while coaching at the University of California.

Sweeney and his wife, Martha, reside in Manhattan, and have one daughter, Toula.

#	Name	Class	Hometown
	Tatum Alexander	Fr.	Scottsdale, Ariz.
	Madelyn Barrett	So.	Springfield, Mo.
	Jayden Brandt	So.	Topeka, Kan.
	Alyssa Buettner	Jr.	Shawnee, Kan.
	Sylvia Cunningham	Fr.	Stanton, Neb.
	Lindsey DeVreugd	Jr.	Kansas City, Mo.
	Ellie Erwin	Fr.	Walton, Ken.
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	Halle Fee	So.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
	Paige Fox	So.	Linwood, Kan.
	Jordan Girkin	So.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
	Jadyn Greisen	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.
	Grace Hall	Fr.	Flower Mound, Texas
	Kendra Hamman	So.	Wamego, Kan.
	Rachel Harman	So.	Inman, Kan.
	Lorelei Harris	Fr.	Spring Hill, Kan.
	Grace Hendrickson	So.	Elk River, Minn.
	Kaitlyn Henke	Sr.	Hoffman States, Illinois
	Patricia Hokanson	Jr.	Bucklin, Kan.
	Madison Jensen	Sr.	Wichita, Kan.
	Emma Johnson	Fr.	Anaconda, Mont.
	McKenna Johnson	Jr.	Shawnee, Kan.
	Kaylee Kleinschmit	Jr.	Olathe, Kan.
	Madison Koller	So.	Overland Park, Kan.
	Kennedy Loyd	Fr.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
	Gracyn McClain	So.	Wichita, Kan.
	Kay Pakkebier	Fr.	Prairie View, Kan.
	Lauren Plum	Jr.	Healdsburg, Calif.
	Neva Roenne	So.	Meridan, Kan.
	Anna Ryan	So.	Lees Summit, Mo.
	Kiersten Schmalz	Fr.	Kansas City, Mo.
	Idallis Shaffer	Jr.	Kiowa, Kan.
	Symone Simmons	So.	Garden City, Kan.
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	Emily Stark	So.	Burlington, Ill.
	Makenzie Storm	Fr.	Webb City, Mo.
	Kyla Traub	Fr.	Spring Hill, Kan.
	Ava Werner	Fr.	Kansas City, Kan.
	Zoey Whorton	Fr.	McPherson, Kan.
	Bianca Wollmeister	Fr.	Hohenau, Paraguay
	Catie Wood	So.	Lake Quivira, Kan.

Coaching Staff
Image	Name	Title	Email	Phone Number
	Patrick Sweeney	Head Coach		(785) 532-3739
	Beth Damman	Assistant Coach		(785) 532-3739
	Kennedy Felice	Assistant Coach		(785) 473-8336
	Taylor Hartman	Assistant Coach		(785) 410-8813
	Tony Staten	Boatman/Boathouse Manager		(785) 587-7863
	Martha Sweeney	Administrative Assistant		(785) 532-3739
	Emily Johnson	Graduate Assistant	ejohnson@kstatesports.com	(785) 532-3739

Support Staff
Image	Name	Title	Email	Phone Number
	Sydney Markt	Assistant Athletic Trainer (Rowing)
	Ashleigh Slattery	Academic Counselor (WBB, ROW, TEN)	aslattery@kstatesports.com	(785) 370-5325

Kansas State University Athletics

2023 Rowing Roster

Tatum Alexander

Madelyn Barrett

Jayden Brandt

Alyssa Buettner

Sylvia Cunningham

Lindsey DeVreugd

Ellie Erwin

Halle Fee

Paige Fox

Jordan Girkin

Jadyn Greisen

Grace Hall

Kendra Hamman

Rachel Harman

Lorelei Harris

Grace Hendrickson

Kaitlyn Henke

Patricia Hokanson

Madison Jensen

Emma Johnson

McKenna Johnson

Kaylee Kleinschmit

Madison Koller

Kennedy Loyd

Gracyn McClain

Kay Pakkebier

Lauren Plum

Neva Roenne

Anna Ryan

Kiersten Schmalz

Idallis Shaffer

Symone Simmons

Emily Stark

Makenzie Storm

Kyla Traub

Ava Werner

Zoey Whorton

Bianca Wollmeister

Catie Wood

Patrick Sweeney

Beth Damman

Kennedy Felice

Taylor Hartman

Tony Staten

Martha Sweeney

Emily Johnson

Sydney Markt

Ashleigh Slattery