New Hires and a Retirement at UCF
It’s been a busy few days in Orlando as UCF head coach Mara Allen announced the hiring of a new assistant coach and boathouse manager, Tess Thompson and Tanner Polo, as well the retirement of one of the sport’s longest-serving boathouse directors, Brad Woodrick.
Woodrick, who spent his last 10 years with the Golden Knights, has been a stalwart in the rowing community since he began his tenure as the boathouse manager at Princeton University in 1994. He served there for 26 years, during which time he also worked with USRowing from 1997-2000. Woodrick was a part of three world championship staffs and was the U.S. National Team boatman at the 2000 Sydney Games. Allen said, “I’m so thankful to have had Brad on staff in my first year with the program. He’s been a fixture in the rowing community for decades. We will miss him here, but we’re excited for him to get some well-deserved rest in his retirement.”
Tanner Polo will presumably take on some of Woodrick’s responsibilities as the new boathouse manager. He comes to Orlando after spending four years as a boatman and warehouse technician for WinTech and King Racing, where he focused on boat repairs and transporting boats to events.
Tess Thompson joins the Golden Knights after completing her fifth year at The Ohio State University. Thompson began her rowing career as a novice with the Buckeyes in 2020, eventually moving up to the varsity eight that won the Big 10 Championship in 2022 and placed seventh at the NCAA Championship. In 2023, Thompson became the first Ohio State rower to earn the NCAA Elite 90 Award, given annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site of each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.
“I’m excited to bring on both Tess and Tanner to our staff for the upcoming season,” Allen said. “They bring a lot of passion to the sport, and they’re exactly what we’re looking for to take this program to the next step.”
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