Crew
Ted Riedeburg – Head Coach/Varsity Men’s Coach
Ted Riedeburg became head coach of the Bolles rowing program in 2003. He also works as a resident parent in the boys' boarding program.
Ted served as an assistant coach at Bolles from 2000-03, coaching the varsity men, after a stint in 1998 coaching the novice men. He holds a Level III coaching certification with the United States Rowing Association and is a certified Concept II Indoor Rowing Instructor. Riedeburg's experience also includes training at the Craftsbury Sculling Center in 2007 and serving as a coach’s assistant with the Northeast Rowing Center in 2005. He is also a Certified Personal Trainer through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
As head coach, Riedeburg has seen an increase in participation and enthusiasm in the Bolles rowing program, along with continued success. In 2009 he helped to lead the Bulldogs to three State Titles in the Men’s Lightweight 8, Women’s 2nd Varsity 4 and Women’s Freshman 4, the most ever in the history of the program in one championship weekend. Since becoming head coach, Riedeburg has led Bolles to seven State Championships in six years, with several other 2nd and 3rd place finishes.
In an effort to make the community more aware of rowing and health, Ted started a Row for the Cure Event in Jacksonville after losing his mother to breast cancer in 2001. In five short years, the event has grown monumentally to the largest national event raising over $100,000 for the cause. This year the event will take place at the new Peyton Boathouse and Rice Family Crew Complex and will host an exhibition of the Olympic Gold Medal Winning U.S. Women’s National Team 8.
Riedeburg is a graduate of Poughkeepsie High School in New York, where he began rowing as a freshman. In his senior year he was voted to the local crew all-star team by area coaches. His crews had success at local and regional regattas, as well as good showings at larger regattas such as the Stotesbury Cup Regatta and the Empire State Games. Ted graduated from the University of North Florida in 1996 with a degree in Jazz Studies.
(904) 424-2869 (cell) or (904)256-5082 (office)
Sarah Jane Donovan (’04) – Assistant Coach Varsity Women/Coxswain Coach
Sarah Jane Donovan began coxing for Bolles in the fall of her seventh grade year and excelled for six years, including two state championship titles. The spring of her senior year, Donovan received the Million Stroke Award for six straight years of dedication.
Donovan walked on to the University of Florida varsity men’s club team in the fall of 2004. She was the varsity men’s A 8 coxswain all four years that she attended Florida. In the spring of 2008, Donovan made the American Collegiate Rowing Association’s South All-Regional team.
For over 10 years, crew has been an integral part of her life. Because of her relentless enthusiasm for the sport, Sarah Jane has even coxed a race on the Thames in England and skulled on the Guadalquivir in Spain. She is thrilled with the opportunity to return to Bolles where she can continue to share her love and knowledge of rowing.
John Ray – Assistant Coach – Novice Men
John Ray learned to row on Lake Harris in Lake County, FL at the Howey Academy, which was one of the five original rowing teams in the state of Florida. From there, John went to Duke University and helped coach there when they were first starting their program. He then rowed at Johns Hopkins while attending graduate school.
John has coached at all levels of men and women, sweep and sculling. He has coached boats that have medaled or won regionally, at U.S. Nationals, and at the Canadian Scholastic Championships. John takes pride in knowing that several of his former rowers have become coaches themselves, and wants to help build a firm foundation with the novice men’s team here at Bolles.
Kari Harmon – Assistant Coach – Novice Women
Kari Harmon comes to Bolles from the University of Wisconsin where she rowed all four years. While with the Badgers, Kari received several accolades including 2004 second-team All-American, 2004 second team All-Big Ten Award, and in 2004 and 2006, she received the First-Team All Central Award. She was also part of a Big Ten Championship Team in 2002.
As an assistant coach at Wisconsin after she graduated, Kari helped her team to a 2nd place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a third place finish at the Southwest Championship in 2007. In addition to assistant coaching, Kari was the Assistant Rigger in 2007 and coached two summers at the University of Wisconsin High School Camp.
Jere Cook - Assistant Coach – Middle School Sculling
Jere Cook is a competitive rower with single and double sculling awards at the local and national level. From 1997 to 2003, he was on a team to write and evaluate the Y2K U.S. Air Force Fitness Training program. Cook has been an indoor rowing instructor since 1997. He served as a coach for the US Air Force, National Guard Florida Rowing Team from 1996 to 2003. Cook retired from the Air Force as a full Colonel in 2003 following 37 years of service.
Cook holds a Master's degree in Wellness. His credentials also include certification as a Master Fitness Trainer by the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research, Personal Trainer and Fitness Counselor by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, Concept2 Master Rowing Instructor, Red Cross Instructor for CPR and automated external defibrillator training, and he is American Council on Education certified to grant continuing education units for educational purposes.
A.J. Riedeburg (’93) – Assistant Coach
AJ Riedeburg joined the rowing program in 2008. AJ was a part of the Swimming Program here at Bolles during high school and continued to swim in college at Clemson University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition from the University of Florida, a Doctorate in Chiropractic and a Bachelor’s in Anatomy from Parker College. AJ is also a certified Concept 2 Indoor Rowing Instructor, and is an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer. Riedeburg rowed in college, both at Florida Institute of Technology and University of Florida. With this background, she is helping expand the Core, Strengthing, and Conditioning Program. She is married to Head Coach Ted Riedeburg.