Ohio State Adds Three Assistant Rowing Coaches

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Emily Gackowski first-year head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, announced the hiring of three assistant rowing coaches.

Former Buckeyes Mandy Merritt (2011) and Bridget Schodorf (2018) along with University of Minnesota graduate Mari Sundbo join the Buckeyes for the 2025 season.

Gackowski said the new additions provide the Buckeyes with the necessary tools for a winning program.

“Words cannot express how excited I am to have Mari, Mandy and Bridget joining the staff this year,” Gackowski said. “Each coach brings their own perspective and expertise to a staff. “Any head coach that brings in a new assistant should be excited – but these three are special. They each bring skills, experience and knowledge that are difficult to come by. We are lucky to have them.”

Merritt coached the Clemson Tigers from 2016-24. During her time with Clemson, she led the novice program and coached the four boats. Merritt joined the Tigers after three seasons at West Virginia.

Merritt was a three-year letterwinner and three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer at Ohio State. As a senior, she was a member of the Second Varsity Eight that won a gold medal at the Big Ten Championships and went on to place fourth at the NCAA Championships

Schodorf joins the Buckeyes rowing program after coaching with the Craftsury (Vermont) Rowing/Green Racing project.

The Craftsbury Green Racing Project fills the gap that exists after collegiate athletics for the outdoor, endurance sports of biathlon, nordic skiing, rowing, and running. It serves as a bridge from collegiate racing to national and international level competition

Schodorf began rowing in Columbus at the age of 11. She went on to row for Ohio State for four years and helped the team to a national championship her freshman year, and four Big Ten Championship titles.

Sundbo returned to her alma mater in July of 2023 as a member of the Golden Gopher staff when she was hired as a varsity assistant coach and also served as the recruiting coordinator.

“Mandy and Bridget are both former Buckeyes so they know the legacy of success here,” Gackowski said. “Through their experiences here and outside of Ohio State, they have amassed a wealth of knowledge that will help us build on that legacy. Mandy has a personality that draws you in and that coupled with her rowing IQ and background in the sport made it a no-brainer to hire her. I had the chance to work with Bridget briefly when she was a student-athlete. She is incredibly dedicated to this sport and this team. Through her years of training and coaching after graduating, she has developed a deep understanding of this sport that we, coaches and student-athletes alike, can learn from.”

In her first season at Minnesota, Sundbo helped guide the team to its highest finish at the Big Ten Championship since 2015 as the team placed fifth, highlighted by the First Novice Eight boat earning a bronze medal.

“When I was looking for an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, Mari stood out to me as the ideal candidate,” Gackowski said. “A recruiting coordinator has a huge responsibility because they are bringing in the athletes that will eventually be the foundation of the program while also coaching the more than 80 women who are currently on the team. This is a role that requires clear communication, an enormous amount of trust, and leadership. Mari embodies all of those things while also having incredible people skills and a great technical knowledge of the sport.

“I am so happy to have all three of them on the staff this year,” Gackowksi said. “I am looking forward to announcing our other two assistant coaches in the near future and cannot wait to get started this fall.”

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