CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT women's lightweight crew coaching staff of Head Coach Amelia Patton and Assistant Coach Kendall Chase has been named the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Lightweight Co-Coaching Staff of the Year. The MIT coaching staff shared the honor with the Harvard Radcliffe lightweight coaching staff.

The CRCA Coach and Staff of the Year Awards honor the exceptional leaders behind the success of collegiate rowing programs across all NCAA divisions and the lightweight category. These awards recognize those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, competitive achievement, and a deep commitment to the student-athletes and teams they guide.

The honor is the first for Patton, who is in her 18th year with MIT and her third as head coach, and Chase, a former US Olympian, just completed her second full season as an assistant. 

"We are so incredibly honored to be the co-recipient of this year's CRCA Staff of the Year," said Patton and Chase of the honor. "As everyone in the coaching field knows, it truly takes a village, and that includes our amazing athletes."

The MIT women's lightweights won a pair of medals at the IRA National Championship, as the Varsity 4+ earned national runner-up honors and the 2x claimed bronze medal winning performance in the Women's Lightweight Varsity 2x Grand Final. The silver medal performance in the V4+ was the best result for the lightweight four since a runner-up performance at the 2023 IRA National Championship. MIT's 2024 season also included victories in the singles and pairs events at the Knecht Cup as well as a standout performance at the Dad Vail Regatta that saw MIT win five medals across four events.

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