UNCW Crew Alumni

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UNCW Crew Alumni

This page was created to connect anyone who was associated with UNCW's rowing team from its beginning

The mission of the UNCW Crew Club Alumni Association is to maintain the bonds of friendship between all members of the UNCW Crew Family and to provide financial and volunteer support for the current UNCW Crew Club Men and Women rowers so they can successfully compete at the highest level of collegiate rowing.

09/28/2026

2nd issue of the Rowing Alumni Newsletter is here!

Registration link for the reunion is in the previous post. Join us October 2 & 3!

Row Hawks! 🚣‍♂️👐🏼

09/15/2026

Sammy wants you to join the 2026 Rowing Reunion October 2 & 3 !!

Register here: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofNorthCarolinaatWilmington/events/uncw-rowing-reunion

🚣‍♂️ Friday, October 2:
Happy Hour and Ergathon @ 5-7pm
Yard games and tailgate w/ Team & Coach
Location: Ember Park at Riverlights
3714 Watercraft Ferry Ave

🚣‍♂️ Saturday, October 3:
Alumni Row @ 11am - 1pm
Location: UNCW Boatyard (Belville Park)
580 River Rd SE, Belville, NC

Rec Center & Erg Room tour @ 5:30pm
Location: on-campus (Pat Leonard Rec)

Refreshments and Dinner @ 6-8pm
Location: on-campus (Madeline Suite)

09/07/2026

Join us for our final Rowing Endowment conversation through Zoom presented by the university at 7pm today, September 7.

Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73222013178?pwd=kapoteEhls864eToc4llG4Rnafqs2D.1

password: 2d06yK

A group of rowing alumni and UNCW are building an Endowment for the rowing team to have consistent financial support for future Rowing Seahawks.

Learn how you can become a founding member and how your donations will be even more impactful.

Row Hawks!

08/16/2026

We are excited to row out the first issue of the rowing alumni newsletter. Thank you for your continuous commitment to the program, and we hope to see you at the alumni reunion weekend Oct 2-4, 2026.

*If you didn’t receive a copy to your email, message us to be added.

08/12/2026

Get to know UNCW's Rowing Coach:
I'm Kirk Howard, a retired anesthesiologist and longtime Masters rower. My wife and I have lived in Wilmington since 1989, where we raised our two daughters.

What brought you to Wilmington?
An opportunity to work at the local hospital, but it was the area itself—and the sense that it would be a wonderful place to raise our two daughters—that made the choice easy for my wife and me.

How did you get into rowing and coaching?
Rowing found me almost by accident: a dare from my college roommate turned into 18 months of serious training and a spot on the U.S. Team at the 1977 World Championships. After medical school and settling in Wilmington, I got back into the sport as a Masters rower, which led to coaching UNCW Crew—first in the early 1990s, and stepping back into the role starting last year.

Favorite rowing memory?
One of the things I'm proudest of is watching some of our rowers go on to compete at the national and international levels—Brian Gibson and Curt Browder in particular.
And this past spring, our team put together some great racing at the NC Championships in High Point. The men's collegiate four had a barn-burner race, finishing third by just one one-hundredth of a second, while our women's collegiate four put in a great performance, finishing second overall.

Goals for the 2026–27 season?
In a small program like ours, a lot of the rowers' motivation comes from feeling like part of a cohesive team and having concrete goals on the horizon. This year, I want to build more of that community through regular team meals and social events. On the water, we've got an intrasquad team scrimmage on October 10th, giving us an exciting competitive target right out of the gate.

A Message to the Alumni?
To our alumni — thank you for the foundation you built and for continuing to show up for this program. We've got a new home at Belville Riverwalk Park, new ergs in the Rec Center, and a full complement of boats for the first time. If you're ever back in Wilmington, come see what the club looks like now—and if you're willing to lend your time and stories to the next generation of rowers, we'd love to have you involved.

08/05/2026

SAVE THE DATE! Alumni Reunion weekend. Meet the Coach. Meet the team. Checkout the new facilities and equipment. Itinerary and more details to follow! 👐🏼🚣‍♂️

04/14/2026

24 hour challenge to support UNCW Rowing. We appreciate you!

Fun fact: we are currently #1 in most funds raised in history by alumni for sports teams!

Visit the link below to give 👐🏼 🚣
**be sure the “Select a Designation” is Rowing Club (quicker to type it in)

giving.uncw.edu/rowing

09/26/2025

Reunion Weekend has arrived!!! Please join us for some, or all events:

Dinner Registration: https://alumni.uncw.edu/events/rowing-club-alumni-event?srctid=1&erid=20187463&trid=1aa35b25-8599-42a2-a5cd-b63143732e38&fbclid=PAdGRleANDvl5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp2CpY5XLmTVgXR-UXeNVjlwj_CFxCyK0rHgnGhPX_pCu4iJAO2jNWM7qIIlu_aem_HrTmV_PEuI2GM2FM355-IA

Donate to the fundraiser: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/29883/donations/new?designation=rowingclub

09/13/2025

🚨Reunion Weekend Itinerary🚨

Meet the Team and new Coach !!!

🚣 Sept 26 (Friday): Ergathon Fundraiser & Tailgate | 4 - 7pm
Location: Belville River Park
Address: 580 River Rd SE Leland, NC

🚣‍♀️ Sept 27 (Saturday): Alumni & Team Row | 9-11am
Location: UNCW Boat Yard
Address: 580 River Rd SE Leland, NC

🚣‍♂️ Sept 27 (Saturday): On Campus Dinner | 6-8pm
Location: UNCW - Madeline Suite
Address: Cahill Dr (next to Wagoner Dining)

***link to register: https://alumni.uncw.edu/events/rowing-club-alumni-event?srctid=1&erid=20187463&trid=1aa35b25-8599-42a2-a5cd-b63143732e38

08/01/2025

WE MOVED! Thanks to Lia Hudgins and Coach Howard’s hard work, UNCW Rowing has a new home at Belville Riverwalk Park. Located on the Brunswick River with 4 miles of protected water and an easy 15 minute drive from campus. It’s a perfect spot for competitive rowing and hosting regattas. We bid farewell to the unpredictable Cape Fear River and welcome an exciting future for the Seahawks! 👐🏼

Address

Wilmington, NC
28403

Website

http://uncw.edu/alumni/crew.html, https://giving.uncw.edu/rowing, https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofNorthCa

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