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  Steve Peterson
 Steve Peterson
Player Profile
Hometown:
Cumberland, RI

Position:
Head Coach, Women's Varsity Rowing

Experience:
7th year at GW

alma mater:
Rhode Island '85

Varsity Women's and Head Coach

Steve Peterson is in his seventh year as head coach of the GW Rowing program. A former Olympic and National Team rower, Peterson directs the rowing program while working primarily with the women's varsity. Under his leadership, the GW women have developed into one of the more successful women's programs on the East Coast. . In his first six seasons at GW, Peterson's first varsity eight has compiled an impressive 119-43 (.735 winning percentage) regular-season record. In addition to that, his varsity crews have captured two Champion International Collegiate Regatta titles, an Atlantic 10 Championship, a bronze medal at the IRA’s, and gone on to compete at the NCAA’s. In addition to coaching at GW, Peterson has been named coach of the US Lightweight Women's National Team for the past three years. His national team crews have gone on to win two silver medals at the World Championships and two silver and one bronze medals at the Pan Am Games.

Twice Peterson has been named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (2000 and 2001), and he is currently serving as a member of the US Rowing High Performance Committee.

Peterson is a 1985 graduate of the University of Rhode Island where he earned bachelor's degrees in marketing and education. As a rower at URI, his lightweight 8 crews won the Dad Vail championships twice in 1982 and 1984. He served as an assistant coach for his alma mater from 1986-87 and was URI's head coach from 1989-91. While coaching at URI, Peterson guided the Rams to victories at the New England Championships, Dad Vails and Women's Eastern Sprints. He left URI in 1992 to accept the position of head coach for the varsity lightweight men's crew at Rutgers University, where he would coach until 1995.

A native of Cumberland, RI, Peterson rowed for the US Olympic team in the men's lightweight double sculls at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and is a six-time US National team member. He was also a 1990 World Champion in the lightweight men's double sculls. That same year, he was awarded the Vesper Cup for outstanding and inspirational achievement in international competition. He also received a bronze medal at the 1989 World University games and has won over 50 national championship medals during his 16 year rowing career. His success in the sport of rowing, recently earned him a place in the University of Rhode Island's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Peterson resides in Washington, DC, with his wife, Meredith, and their two dogs, Murphy and Cricket.