Varsity Boys Crew

Lauren Travers has led Germantown Academy’s Boys Crew program since 2006, guiding student-athletes through a strong tradition of excellence on the water and off.

In 2024, the Patriots qualified one boat for the SRAA National Championships.

The 2020 season was canceled, but prior to that, GA sent two boats to SRAA Nationals in 2019.

In 2018, the program achieved a major milestone, placing a school-record seven boats in the finals at the Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association Championships. That same season, two GA boats finished in the top six at the prestigious Stotesbury Cup Regatta.

Outside of GA, Travers has coached the Whitemarsh Boat Club (WBC) junior program since 2006. Under her leadership, WBC crews have earned medals at major events such as the King’s Head Regatta, Head of the Schuylkill, the Cooper Cup, City Championships, Stotesbury Cup, and Scholastic Nationals. She also teaches private rowing lessons and runs learn-to-row classes at WBC.

Travers began her rowing career as a student at the Agnes Irwin School, where she won the Philadelphia City Championships twice, earned bronze at the Stotesbury Cup, and claimed a Scholastic National Championship title as a senior. She continued her career at Boston College, where she earned multiple medals at the New England Championships, Jesuit Invitational, Big East Championships, and Dad Vail Regatta—highlighted by a gold medal at Dad Vail as a junior.

Today, Travers remains active as a competitor with Whitemarsh Boat Club and has earned victories at the King’s Head Regatta, Navy Day, Independence Day Regatta, Quaker City Masters, and Head of the Schuylkill.

Updated: June 5, 2025

Dick O’Hern is the head coach of the Germantown Academy girls rowing program and oversees much of the team’s logistics. He coordinates with parents to organize weekly regatta support, manages the purchase and maintenance of most equipment, and collaborates closely with head coach Lauren Travers to prepare the team for each spring season.

O’Hern has been involved with GA crew since 2002, initially in a supporting assistant role until 2014. That year, he joined as a full assistant coach, working primarily with the girls’ program. In 2016, he became the full-time novice girls coach, and in 2021 he was promoted to head coach of the girls crew.

Among his notable achievements are leading the novice 8 of the Class of 2019 to their first race win during his inaugural novice coaching season. That crew went on to finish 4th at City Championships, with seven members rowing all four years at GA and three continuing their rowing careers in college. Another highlight came in 2021 with the girls junior quad (Class of 2022), which advanced through the semifinals at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta and finished 5th in the finals.

O’Hern’s primary coaching goal is to help each rower discover her passion for rowing, develop a love for the sport, and strive for excellence on the water.

Updated: June 5, 2025