Kate Strum Last College: Bates '03 Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Two Years

Kate Strum, who completed her second year as an assistant coach at Bucknell in 2006-07, is a 2003 graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where she received a degree in English and was captain of the rowing team. While there she was the recipient of the Emily E. Dorrance Memorial Award, given to the female athlete who encourages athletic excellence in both her teammates and herself.

A coxswain during her final two years of college, Strum has guided Bucknell's varsity fours to unprecedented success over the past two years. In Bucknell's first contest against Ivy League competition this season at Princeton, the fours led the way, with wins over Penn and Dartmouth in the varsity four and the only outright win of the day, beating Princeton in the second varsity four. The varsity four went on to win its second consecutive Patriot League Championship and first ECAC Metro Championship, contributing to both the team's second straight Patriot League title and the Overall Points Trophy at the ECAC.

Under Strum's guidance in 2006 the varsity four opened the year with a second-place finish at the Murphy Cup, enjoyed an undefeated home season and posted a win at the Lake Wheeler Invitational. The varsity four continued its success by winning at the Patriot League Championships and contributing heavily to the team's first-ever conference title. Additionally, the varsity four placed fifth out of 54 entries at the Dad Vail Regatta.

Prior to arriving at Bucknell, Strum was an assistant coach for the women's rowing team at the University of California, Davis, as well as a certified personal trainer. Primarily a novice coach, Strum assisted with the varsity squad and was also the primary recruiting contact. She helped guide the first novice eight to a third-place finish at the WIRA Championships in 2005, while the second novice eight claimed first. The first novices also won the petite finals at the Pac-10 Championships to secure a seventh-place finish.

Strum started her coaching career with the Community Rowing Program at Yale University in 2002. She taught and coached rowing to students at the American School for the Deaf and Special Olympic athletes.