Juniors Rowing Coach Bios

Sarah Gehrke is the Women’s Head Coach for OKC Riversport Juniors Rowing. Sarah feels incredibly fortunate to be able to call her passion her career and enjoys learning alongside her athletes daily as they rise to new challenges. Sarah started her coaching career after an eight-year rowing career at St. Louis Rowing Club and Indiana University, Bloomington. She has coached juniors, collegiate, and masters programs across the country, including the National Cathedral School, Saratoga Rowing Association, University of Southern California, North Park University, Washington University in St. Louis, SLRC, Artemis Rowing, and Indiana University. Her international coaching experience includes time working with the Nicaraguan National Team in Nicaragua prior to the 2017 Central American Games. Sarah’s most recent coaching has led crews to medals and grand final participation at Youth Nationals, SRAAs, Stotesbury Cup, and qualified a U19 Men’s 2x to compete in the 2019 Junior World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She was also the Lead Coach for USRowing’s Women’s ODP High Performance camp in the summer of 2021.

Coach Hilton Park started coaching the OKC junior team in spring 2021. Hilton rowed for the Junior program in 2012 through 2017. He is currently training at the OKC High Performance Center. His goal is to be on the U.S. national team.  Hilton is coaching because he loves to teach young athletes and share some of his own experience as an athlete. He is excited to help athletes reach any goal they have for their day and career.

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Brooke Ruszkiewicz recently moved to OKC to train with the High Performance Team. Finishing her youth rowing career this June, she’s recorded a 1st and 2nd place finish at Midwest regionals, a 4th and 10th place finish at Youth Nationals in the 2- and 4x respectively, and was crowned the national champion in the U23 LTWT 1x.  This past spring, she received the 2021 CRRC Steve Schaefer Award that recognizes resounding work ethic and also graduated high school with high academic honors. Brooke has been involved with coaching since age 15 when she first started coaching hockey and leading power skating lessons. With the transition to rowing, she moved from coaching hockey to volunteering and coaching learn-to-row camps at her original juniors program. Her goals for this next year include training for U23 world championships, preparing for a pre-med undergraduate experience, and inspiring young girls within the sport of rowing.