Scott Steckel is in his 10th season of leading the San Diego State women[apos]s rowing program.
Steckel took over the reigns of the program in 1993 when it was still a club sport. During that time he built the team into one of the fastest rising club programs in the nation.
In 1997, San Diego State[apos]s rowing team became recognized as a Division I varsity athletic program. The team began competition in the fall of 1998.
In his first full season at the Division I level, Steckel didn[apos]t miss a beat in continuing the success the team enjoyed as a club sport, transforming the program into a nationally competitive one.
The 1998-99 campaign saw the Aztecs[apos] varsity eight crew close the season with a No. 18 ranking in the USRowing coaches[apos] poll. SDSU was one of six teams from the Pac-10 region to be ranked among the nation[apos]s top 20. The Aztecs[apos] lightweight eight squad closed the year ranked eighth nationally.
SDSU wrapped up its inaugural season with a win in the varsity eight, second varsity eight and novice four at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. The Aztecs also medaled in the varsity four race, placing third.
Another highlight of the program[apos]s first season was winning the San Diego Crew Classic[apos]s Cal Cup.
SDSU kept to its winning ways during the 1999-2000 season, with its lightweight eight crew finishing fifth at the National Rowing Association Championships in Camden, N.J.
Other sucesses included the Aztecs[apos] varsity eight crew posting wins in the Parker Cup, WIRA Championships and San Diego City Championships.
The Aztecs[apos] varsity eight boat closing the year with a fifth-place finish in the petite final of the Pac-10 Championships, and its was the program[apos]s novice eights who finished first at the Pac-10 event.
Steckel[apos]s 2000-01 team closed the year with a strong showing at the Pac-10 Championships, highlighted by the novice eight[apos]s first-place finish in the petite final and varsity eights third-place time in the petite final. A day earlier the Aztecs[apos] novice four and varsity four boats posted top finishes in the grand finals of the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships. That same varsity four squad won the WIRA Championships in April and closed the season with a top finish in three of its last four races.
Other highlights of the season were a sweep of the San Diego City Championships, an event that puts bragging rights on the line for SDSU, San Diego (USD) and UC San Diego.
The 2001-02 season saw the Aztecs win the San Diego City Championships for the seventh consecutive time. SDSU also won the Miller Cup, competing against the likes of UCLA, and posted a dual victory over Southern California. The Aztecs[apos] novice four boat raced to a gold medal finish at the Pacific Coast Rowing Association Championships.
In four years as a varsity sport, two SDSU rowers have been named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association all-west region first team, three to the second team and two placed on the third team.
Steckel[apos]s athletes also perform in the classroom, with five being honored with the CRCA[apos]s national scholar-athlete award. Aztec rower and current assistant coach Meredith Johnson was an Academic All-American in 2000 and was one of 58 female student athletes to earn the NCAA[apos]s postgraduate scholarship award in 2001.
Steckel has been tied to the Aztec rowing program since his days as a student-athlete at SDSU. He rowed for an SDSU men[apos]s squad which twice captured the coveted California Cup at The San Diego Crew Classic and also enjoyed an undefeated season.
Steckel was born on April 9, 1971, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated from San Diego State in 1994 with a degree in psychology. Steckel has attended numerous coaching symposiums and clinics. He has earned a Level-II coaching certification from the United States Rowing Association, and has also served as an assistant coach for the United States women[apos]s national team at the Arco Olympic Training Center in nearby Chula Vista, Calif.