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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
	Regan Ahlers	Fr.	Watertown, S.D
	Madelyn Barrett	Jr.	Springfield, Mo.
	Jayden Brandt	Jr.	Topeka, Kan.
	Sylvia Cunningham	So.	Stanton, Neb.
	Lindsey DeVreugd	Sr.	Kansas City, Mo.
	Ellie Erwin	So.	Walton, Ken.
	Halle Fee	Jr.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
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	Paige Fox	Jr.	Linwood, Kan.
	Jordan Girkin	Jr.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
	Anna Guhr	Fr.	Hillsboro, Kan.
	Grace Hall	So.	Flower Mound, Texas
	Rachel Harman	Jr.	Inman, Kan.
	Lorelei Harris	Fr.	Spring Hill, Kan.
	Grace Hendrickson	Jr.	Elk River, Minn.
	Emma Johnson	So.	Anaconda, Mont.
	Madison Koller	Jr.	Overland Park, Kan.
	Harmony Leiker	Fr.	Gardner, Kan.
	Kennedy Loyd	So.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
	Gracyn McClain	Jr.	Wichita, Kan.
	Madelyn Navrkal	Fr.	Lincoln, Neb.
	Emily Northcutt	Fr.	Dardenne Prairie, Mo.
	Kay Pakkebier	So.	Prairie View, Kan.
	Sienna Pargiter-Walker	Fr.	Carbondale, Colo.
	Kiersten Playter	Fr.	Independence, Mo.
	Regan Reker	Fr.	Stewartville, Minn.
	Leah Roane	Fr.	Melissa, Texas
	Neva Roenne	Jr.	Meridan, Kan.
	Izzy Ross	Fr.	St. Louis, Mo.
	Anna Ryan	Jr.	Lees Summit, Mo.
	Kiersten Schmalz	So.	Kansas City, Mo.
	Symone Simmons	Jr.	Garden City, Kan.
	Emily Stark	Jr.	Burlington, Ill.
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	Makenzie Storm	So.	Webb City, Mo.
	Kyla Traub	So.	Spring Hill, Kan.
	Ava Werner	So.	Kansas City, Kan.
	Zoey Whorton	So.	McPherson, Kan.
	Bianca Wollmeister	So.	Hohenau, Paraguay
	Catie Wood	Jr.	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
	Madison Jensen	Graduate Assistant		(785) 477-9986
	Tony Staten	Boatman/Boathouse Manager		(785) 587-7863
	Martha Sweeney	Administrative Assistant		(785) 532-3739

Support Staff
Image	Name	Title	Email	Phone Number
	Sydney Markt	Assistant Athletic Trainer (Rowing)
	LaReine Schock-Leonard	Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition		(785) 370-1689
	Anne Weese, Ph.D.	Director of Mental Wellness/Sport Psychology		(785) 320-0714
	Collin Gallery	Mental Health Clinician		(785) 706-8560
	Ashleigh Slattery	Academic Counselor (WBB, ROW, TEN)	aslattery@kstatesports.com	(785) 370-5325

Kansas State University Athletics

2023-24 Rowing Roster

Regan Ahlers

Madelyn Barrett

Jayden Brandt

Sylvia Cunningham

Lindsey DeVreugd

Ellie Erwin

Halle Fee

Paige Fox

Jordan Girkin

Anna Guhr

Grace Hall

Rachel Harman

Lorelei Harris

Grace Hendrickson

Emma Johnson

Madison Koller

Harmony Leiker

Kennedy Loyd

Gracyn McClain

Madelyn Navrkal

Emily Northcutt

Kay Pakkebier

Sienna Pargiter-Walker

Kiersten Playter

Regan Reker

Leah Roane

Neva Roenne

Izzy Ross

Anna Ryan

Kiersten Schmalz

Symone Simmons

Emily Stark

Makenzie Storm

Kyla Traub

Ava Werner

Zoey Whorton

Bianca Wollmeister

Catie Wood

Patrick Sweeney

Beth Damman

Kennedy Felice

Taylor Hartman

Madison Jensen

Tony Staten

Martha Sweeney

Sydney Markt

LaReine Schock-Leonard

Anne Weese, Ph.D.

Collin Gallery

Ashleigh Slattery