George Washington University Athletics
Men’s Rowing Alumni Join Forces to Name New Boat for Coach John Devlin
8/7/2019 12:05:00 PM | Men's Rowing
Alums Ben Adams, Marshall Brown, Matt Russell and Jared Shaw team up for “Big Kitty 2.0”
GW Men's Rowing Coach Mark Davis and a group of men's rowing alumni are working together to donate a new boat for the men's Varsity 8 and name it for John "Big Kitty" Devlin (GWSB '76), GW's Men's Rowing Coach from 1991 until 1997.
Alumni Ben Adams ('94), Marshall Brown ('95), Matt Russell ('95) and Jared Shaw ('96) are leading the charge with fellow alumni, encouraging them to contribute to the naming effort. The group has a $30,000 goal.
"John didn't just make us better rowers, he also made us better teammates and better people," said Brown. "Those of us fortunate enough to compete for him want to keep his memory alive, and there's no better way to do that than have his name emblazoned on the Potomac for every practice, and pushing GW oarsmen to go faster in every race."
For decades, Devlin was a fixture in collegiate rowing in Washington, DC. He coached at Georgetown from 1972 until 1991, when he took over GW's men's program. He coached Aquil Abdullah ('95), GW's first U.S. Olympic Rower, and changed dozens of lives. He completed his MBA at the George Washington School of Business in 1976. Devlin died in 2014.
The first boat named in his honor was dedicated at the GW Invitational in April 2014. In the same year the original "Big Kitty" finished 14th at the IRA National Championship. A new boat is expected to help GW climb in the national rankings after last the team's gritty win in the third-level final at IRA National Championships in June.
"Updating our racing fleet allows us to stay competitive with the top teams in the country," GW Men's Rowing Head Coach Mark Davis said. "Last spring provided great momentum but we need alumni support to keep taking seats!"
Adams, Brown, Russell and Shaw aim to complete the fundraising effort by August 31, with the hope of dedicating the boat at the GW Invitational the weekend of April 10-11, 2020.
To contribute to the project, please visit the crowdfunding page or contact David Earl with at 202.994.0549 or dearl@gwu.edu. Donors who give $1,500 or more can name a seat in the boat.
Alumni Ben Adams ('94), Marshall Brown ('95), Matt Russell ('95) and Jared Shaw ('96) are leading the charge with fellow alumni, encouraging them to contribute to the naming effort. The group has a $30,000 goal.
"John didn't just make us better rowers, he also made us better teammates and better people," said Brown. "Those of us fortunate enough to compete for him want to keep his memory alive, and there's no better way to do that than have his name emblazoned on the Potomac for every practice, and pushing GW oarsmen to go faster in every race."
For decades, Devlin was a fixture in collegiate rowing in Washington, DC. He coached at Georgetown from 1972 until 1991, when he took over GW's men's program. He coached Aquil Abdullah ('95), GW's first U.S. Olympic Rower, and changed dozens of lives. He completed his MBA at the George Washington School of Business in 1976. Devlin died in 2014.
The first boat named in his honor was dedicated at the GW Invitational in April 2014. In the same year the original "Big Kitty" finished 14th at the IRA National Championship. A new boat is expected to help GW climb in the national rankings after last the team's gritty win in the third-level final at IRA National Championships in June.
"Updating our racing fleet allows us to stay competitive with the top teams in the country," GW Men's Rowing Head Coach Mark Davis said. "Last spring provided great momentum but we need alumni support to keep taking seats!"
Adams, Brown, Russell and Shaw aim to complete the fundraising effort by August 31, with the hope of dedicating the boat at the GW Invitational the weekend of April 10-11, 2020.
To contribute to the project, please visit the crowdfunding page or contact David Earl with at 202.994.0549 or dearl@gwu.edu. Donors who give $1,500 or more can name a seat in the boat.
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