Susanne Lueck Named Clemson Rowing Coach

May 1, 1998

Clemson, SC –

Susanne Lueck, the 1998 West Coast Conference Coach-of-the-Year at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, has been named Clemson’s first head coach for women’s rowing. The announcement was made Tuesday by Clemson Senior Associate Athletic Director Dwight Rainey.

“I am excited about the opportunity to start on the ground floor of an incredible program,” said Lueck. “The support at Clemson in all areas of athletics is outstanding. All the components are at place at Clemson from the facility to academic support to the strong block of students, who have been involved in the sport at the club level.”

“With Lake Hartwell such a fine, natural facility right on campus, this can be strong selling point. The ACC is going to become a rowing power and the conference is a strong selling point as well.”

Clemson will begin its women’s rowing program in the 1998-99 academic year. The team is slated to participate in eight to 10 regatta’s including two or three events in the spring that will be held on Lake Hartwell, Clemson’s home facility. Lueck is expected to start at Clemson on June 8.

“We are fortunate to have someone as successful and experienced at the Division I level serve as our coach in our inaugural season and beyond,” said Rainey. “Susanne Lueck has an impressive list of accomplishments achieved in a short period of time. She competed at the University of Washington, the top rowing program in the country as a student-athlete, so she knows what it takes to be among the best in the country.

Lueck (pronounced LOO ik), has been the Head coach at Gonzaga for the past four years. She served as Co-Head Freshman coach from 1992-94. She was also an assistant community rowing coach at the Indianapolis Rowing Center in Indiana in 1992 and started the junior rowing program in Indianapolis In May of 1988.

This spring she guided Gonzaga to the West Coast Conference championship for the second consecutive year. The team will compete in the Pac-10 Championships later this spring. Gonzaga is an affiliate member of the Pac-10 in women’s rowing.

During the 1997 season Gonzaga won the inaugural West Coast Conference Championship, placing first in the Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+, and Novice 8+, as well as placing three rowers on the WCC All-Conference team.

The Gonzaga women’s Varsity 8 finished the 1997 season sixth in the Pac-10 Conference. Lueck was named Co-Coach of the Year on the WCC for the 1997 season. The team was also ranked sixth on the West Coast. Her teams were also successful in the classroom in 1997, posting a 3.25 team cumulative GPA.

A 1992 graduate of the University of Washington and a native of Indianapolis, IN, Lueck competed for the Huskies for four years (1988-92).