Eric Summers is in his ninth season at the helm of the Hamilton College rowing program. Summers has more than 15 years of coaching experience to draw upon as he continues to build Hamilton crew into one of the top programs in New York.
The women finished 2011 and 2012 at No. 10 in the final USRowing Division III Top 15 coaches poll, and third in the 2012 New York Region rankings according to the NCAA. The women's varsity eight also ended up third in the 2012 NCAA New York Region rankings. For the second year in a row, Summers guided Hamilton to the Tampa Mayor's Cup team points title. The women's varsity eight was victorious against Union College in 2012 as Hamilton retained the Gilman Plate for the seventh straight year. The men possessed the Gilman Cup for winning the varsity eight four straight years from 2007 to 2010.
Holly Bailey '12 received the first all-America award from the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) in women's program history under Summers' tutelege in 2012. Eight rowers have been selected to the NESCAC all-conference team the past three seasons.
Hamilton tied for fifth place out of 27 programs in the point standings and earned the award for most improved team at the 2009 New York State Championships. In summer 2008, Summers took 14 members of the women's team to England to compete in the Reading Amateur Regatta and the Henley Women's Regatta. Hamilton captured the points trophy at the 2007 Augusta Invitational Regatta in South Carolina.
In 2009, Andre Matias '12 became the first rower from the African nation of Angola to take part in the under-23 world championships. Summers worked with Matias as part of Angola's coaching staff in 2010, and coached him at the African championships and under-23 world championships. Rachel Johnson '13 and Dylan Jackson '13 competed in the 2012 USRowing Club National Championships. Willy Cowles '09 earned gold medals in the elite men's single scull and double scull events at the 2011 U.S. Rowing National Championships, and Allie Hoeltzel '14 rowed in the U.S. 2011 Under-23 World Championships Trials.
Exceptional academic performance is important to Summers as six rowers made the 2012 NESCAC Spring All-Academic Team. The team is restricted to letter winners in the sophomore, junior and senior classes that have a cumulative grade point average of 3.35 or better. Sophie Breene '12 and Dominique Paiement '12 were named CRCA national scholar-athletes for Divisions II/III in 2012.
Summers guided the men's varsity program at Colgate University for two years before arriving at Hamilton. His lightweight eights earned a No. 1 seed in the Champion International Collegiate Regatta and the first national ranking in program history, and he helped Colgate win team titles at the 2000 Patriot League and state championships.
Summers' other coaching experiences include one season as the men's varsity coach at the University of Miami, head coach of the Syracuse Chargers junior men's competitive rowing program, graduate assistant coach for the Syracuse University women's program, assistant coach at the U.S. Junior Women's Team East Coast Development Camp and an assistant at the Potomac Boat Club Lightweight Men's Development Center.
Summers graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Colgate University in 1991 and earned an MBA from the Syracuse University School of Management in 1997. He lives in Fayetteville, N.Y., with his wife Robin and their two sons, William and Daniel.
Shawn Turner is in his second season as an assistant coach for Hamilton College men's and women's crew. Turner was the boys' freshman coach for the Shenendehowa Crew Club in 2011.
Turner served as an assistant coach for the Rensselaer Crew Club in 2004 and 2005. Prior to Rensselaer, he was the head girls' varsity coach for the Shaker Rowing Association, and a men's varsity coach/sculling coach for Marina Aquatic Center Junior Crew. He started his career as the head coach for Shenendehowa from 1998 to 2000.
Turner rowed for the University at Albany from 1995 to 1999, and received the coaches award three times from 1996 through 1998. He graduated in 2000 with a degree in anthropology.
Eric Summers - Head Coach
esummers@hamilton.edu
315-859-4069
315-859-4117 (fax)
