Our Coaches

  • Head Coach

    Jack joins Illinois rowing with over a decade of rowing and coaching experience. Having begun rowing in middle school in Jacksonville, FL, he competed as a junior primarily in the single and double sculls for Jacksonville Rowing Club.

    In college, Jack rowed at the University of Virginia , where he won two medals at ACRA and was a member of the Varsity 8+, before his last two seasons were cut short by Covid-19. After graduating from Virginia, Jack obtained a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge in England. While there, he coached the women’s team at Girton college, leading them to their most successful season in four years.

    Jack is now returning to the world of ACRA rowing, swapping the orange and blue of UVA for the orange and blue of Illinois, where he is looking to continue the growth of the program and lead them to future success.

    Email: jack.kellmanson@illinoisrowingassociation.com

  • Program Director and Associate Coach.

    Zoe Zapel rowed at UIUC, including a brief stint as assistant coach. Zoe then went on to become the head coach at a rowing club in Rochester. Now back at Illini Rowing, Zoe is excited to coach the program.

Assistant coaches

  • Zainie, the newest addition to Illini Rowing's coaching staff, is no stranger to Clinton Lake. She began her rowing career at Illinois as a coxswain in 2019 and navigated the waters all four years, learning and loving the nuances of the sport. Beginning her tenure during a coach-less semester, Zainie and her boat became each other's guides, forging bonds of gratitude with her teammates that would endure through graduations and a pandemic. Zainie’s introduction to the sport engraved a love for it like no other and she continued to embed herself into the DNA of Illini Rowing. In her time, Zainie served as the Women's Team Secretary (2020-2021), Women's Team President (2021-2022), and the Varsity Men's coxswain. Zainie’s roots with Illinois Rowing run deep and she says it was a privilege to guide the team through the uncharted territory of the COVID-19 era.
    With her profound admiration for the sport and firsthand experience with Illini Rowing, Zainie is excited to pay her experience forward and trade in the ninth seat for one in the launch.