Greg Kruczynski was hired as the Colgate University women’s rowing coach in 2004.
In 2011, Kruczynski led the Raiders to the third place finish at the Patriot League Championship, which was their highest finish since 2007. The team had two second-place finishes in the Varsity Four and Varsity Eight races, with the Varsity Eight finishing ahead of Navy for the first time in program history. Colgate also went on to win two silver medals and a bronze at the ECAC Mid-Atlantic/New England Regional Rowing Championship. He had four athletes named to the All-Patriot League First and Second Teams, two student-athletes named to the All-Academic team and four named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholar-Athletes.
In his first season, Colgate placed second at the inaugural Patriot League Championship, finishing second in both the Varsity 8 and Second Varsity 8 and fourth in the Varsity 4. The Raiders went on to take third at the ECAC Championship. He coached Maureen Lynch (’06) to a CRCA All-Mid Atlantic Region selection and CRCA All-American second team. That same year, Jane Hornickle (’06) was named a CRCA National Scholar-Athlete.
During the 2005-06 season, Colgate finished in the top five of the collegiate women’s eight event at the Head of the Charles. The Raiders claimed third at the Patriot League Championship, placing second in the Varsity 8 and taking third in the Varsity 4 and Second Varsity 8. Lynch and Lindsey Hochman (’07) were named to the first all-Patriot League team. At the ECAC’s, Colgate finished fifth overall reaching the grand finals in the Novice 8, Second 8 and Varsity 4, while the Varsity 8 won the petite final. Hornickle was again was named a CRCA National Scholar-Athlete, while Lynch garnered all-region honors for the second straight season.
At the Head of the Charles in 2006, the Raiders walked away with a sixth-place finish in the collegiate four and 20 out of 57 crews in the collegiate eight. In the spring, Colgate once again took third place in the Patriot League Championship with third-place finishes in the Varsity 8, Varsity 4 and a fourth-place showing in the Second Varsity 8. Colgate finished fifth at the ECAC Championship racing in the grand final of all three events. Colgate took second in the Varsity 4, fifth in the Second Varsity 8 and sixth in the Varsity 8. Hochman named all-region and earned all-Patriot League status along with Vicky Hulit (’10). Kinsey Carlson (’07), Ande Reisman (’08), Sarah Kruse (’09) and Meredith Remmer (’09) were each named CRCA National Scholar-Athletes. Carlson went on to become the first Colgate rower to be named the Patriot League Women's Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
This past year, 2007-08, Colgate reached the finals in each race it entered at the Knecht Cup in April. The varsity eight won the petite finale, the four finished fifth in the grand final, and the second eight and novice four each claimed fifth place in the petite finals. Two weeks later, the Raiders posted a fourth-place finish at the Patriot league Championship. The eight finished third and the second eight claimed fourth place. At the ECAC METRO Championship, the varsity eight reached the grand final and finished sixth, while the second varsity eight won the petite final. Meredith Remmer (’09) and Vicky Hulit (’10) were both named to the all-Patriot League team. Remmer was named the 2008 Patriot League Women’s Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and a CRCA National Scholar-Athlete along with Meredith Buerger (’10), Sarah Kruse (’09) and Allison Patchen (’10).
Prior to joining the Raiders’ staff, Kruczynski served as the assistant coach for the women’s rowing team at the University of Massachusetts for five years. During his time at UMass, the Minutemen were crowned the Atlantic-10 Conference champions each year, and earned a national ranking.
The Novice 8 won a bronze medal while the Novice Lightweight 8 won a gold medal at the Dad Vail Regatta in 2000. In 2002, the Novice 8 won a gold medal at the Kenecht Cup and a bronze medal at the ECAC Metro-Atlantic Championship. The Novice 4 won a bronze medal at the Dad Vail Regatta that same year. In 2003, the Varsity Lightweight 8 received a silver medal at the ECAC Championships and the Novice 8 won the ECAC Metro Cup.
Before joining the Minutewomen, Kruczynski served as the head coach of the women’s rowing team at Williams College for one year. During that year, the Varsity 8 placed first at Stonehurst Regatta, won a silver medal at the New England Rowing Championships, and a bronze medal at the Champion International Collegiate Regatta. They were also selected as one of four Division II/III teams for the 1999 NCAA Championships.
Kruczynski has additional experience as a graduate assistant coach at UMass for two years. During those two years, the Varsity 8 won a silver medal at the NCAA Championship in 1997 and placed fourth at the NCAA Championship in 1998.
Kruczynski received a bachelor’s degree in math and computer science from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1990. He earned his master’s in exercise science with an exercise physiology emphasis from UMass in 1998.
