Martin Stone Position: Head Coach Alma Mater: Saint Mary's (Calif.) '89

The 2009-10 campaign will mark the 12th season of women's rowing at Notre Dame. Since that inaugural season, head coach Martin Stone has been the individual responsible for elevating and building a national-caliber program that has enjoyed tremendous success, prominence and respect amongst its peers.

When he was named the program's first-ever head coach back in October of 1997 after rowing was granted varsity status, Stone came to Notre Dame with just one simple objective -- to build a program that was recognized as one of the nation's best. During his tenure, few could argue that he has the program headed in that direction.

In just its eighth season competing as a varsity sport, Notre Dame earned its first-ever team berth in the NCAA Championships in 2006 and then followed with its second consecutive team bid in 2007. The Irish finished 9th in '06 and followed that up with a 12th-place finish in '07. The back-to-back NCAA berths earned the Irish respect as one of the top collegiate programs in the country.

In 2009, Notre Dame captured its sixth straight BIG EAST crown to extend the league's second-longest current active title streak. Only the Irish women's swimming and diving team have won more consecutive BIG EAST crowns (13) than Stone's rowing program.

Notre Dame made BIG EAST history in 2008 en route to winning its fifth straight conference crown as the Irish became the first team in conference history to sweep all six races with victories in the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four, second varsity four, novice eight and novice four.

For the third straight year in '08, Stone and his assistants Joe Schlosberg and Marnie Stahl were selected as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

Notre Dame's varsity eight crew also finished the 2007-08 campaign ranked for the third time in as many seasons as the Irish ended the year 18th in the final Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA)/US Rowing ranking.

Amanda Polk, the most decorated rower in school history, carved a unique niche as the program's first four-time All-American as she garnered CRCA first-team honors for the third consecutive year after earning second-team accolades as a freshman. Polk also capped off her career by earning first-team CRCA All-Central Region honors, one of two Irish rowers to be selected for all-regional honors. Polk's teammate, Julie Sobolewski was a second-team honoree.

In 2006-07, the Irish finished 12th at the NCAA Championships and won its fourth consecutive BIG EAST crown, while also placing fifth at the Central/South Region Champion-ships.

The varsity eight crew finished in the top-10 of the national polls for the second straight year with a sixth-place finish in the national rankings.

The varsity eight boat won the gold medal at the BIG EAST Championships and was third at the Central/South Region Championships. At one point during mid-season, the Irish varsity eight crew rattled off five consecutive wins over top-10 boats for the first time ever in program history and climbed to an all-time high of third in the national poll.

Polk became the program's first three-time All-American and was a repeat selection on the CRCA first team. Teammate Allison Marsh copped second-team All-America honors.

Five rowers garnered CRCA All-Central Region honors as Polk, Marsh and coxswain Maria Romano were selected to the first-team, while Meghan Boyle and Laura Pearson were tabbed as second-team honorees.

The unmatched success of the 2005-06 campaign could certainly be considered the program's benchmark. During the season, the Irish finished ninth in the team competition at the NCAA Championships after earning the school's first-ever team bid. Highlighting the Championship was a victory by the varsity eight boat in the Petite Final as the crew earned a seventh-place finish overall. Both the second varsity eight and varsity four crews also advanced to the Petite Final in their races and finished 12th and 11th, respectively.

Stone was tabbed BIG EAST Coach of the Year in `06 for the second time in his career after Notre Dame won its third consecutive conference title by winning four of six races. He also was named the CRCA Central Region Coach of the Year (an honor that he also earned in 2002) after the Irish finished a program-best third at the Central/South Region Championships.

After beginning the season unranked, Notre Dame's varsity eight boat finished fifth in the final CRCA/US Rowing ranking. In addition to finishing fifth at the NCAAs, the Irish varsity eight copped gold medals at both the BIG EAST and Central/South Region Champion-ships. The win at the Central/South Region Championships was the first in a Grand Final for a Notre Dame varsity eight boat. Earlier in the spring, Notre Dame recorded its highest finish ever -- fourth place -- in the Jessop-Whittier Cup race at the San Diego Crew Classic.

A record three rowers from the varsity eight crew earned All-America recognition by the CRCA that was highlighted by Polk becoming the second rower in the program's history to earn first-team honors. In addition to Polk, Sarah Palandech and Julie Sobolewski garnered second-team honors.

Five rowers (the most in school history) earned CRCA All-Central Region honors, including four first team honorees. Polk was a first-team selection for the second consecutive year, while Palandech, Sobolewski and Romano copped first-team for the first time in their careers. Melissa Felker rounded out the list as a second-team selection.

In 2004-05 Notre Dame won its second straight BIG EAST title by winning four of six events.

The Irish enjoyed one of its best showings at the Central/South Region Championships with a seventh-place finish (its highest to date at the time). Polk became the first Notre Dame freshman to earn All-America honors as a second-team honoree and also was the first rookie to garner All-Central Region first-team honors.

Notre Dame's 2003-04 season seemed to set the stage for the success of the past three seasons. Following three consecutive second-place finishes, Notre Dame copped its first-ever team title at the BIG EAST Rowing Challenge by winning four of five race titles, tying the conference record for individual crowns.

The Irish varsity eight crew made an appearance in the NCAA Championships for the second time in school history and earned an 11th-place finish. Notre Dame also finished 16th in the final CRCA/US Rowing.

The '03-'04 campaign saw Natalie Ladine earn first-team CRCA All-America honors as she became the second rower in school history to earn All-America accolades. Ladine and Alice Bartek garnered All-Central Region honors as well.

Consistency has been the hallmark of the Notre Dame rowing program under Stone. Although the Irish did not advance to the NCAA Championships in '03, there were still many firsts in the program during that 2002-03 campaign as the second varsity four won its first-ever gold medal at the Central Regional Championships. Notre Dame also won three gold medals (the most up to that point) at the BIG EAST regatta as the Irish won the second varsity eight, the varsity four and the second varsity four. Notre Dame defeated top teams such as Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee and Clemson throughout the season and finished just out of the top 20.

Ashlee Warren and Ladine earned CRCA All-Central Region accolades, while Warren also became the first rower in Irish history

to win the BIG EAST/Aéropostale Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a semifinalist for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

In 2001-02, Stone, one of six finalists for coach-of-the-year honors, led the Irish to one of their best seasons as the Irish earned a final ranking of 13th after being ranked as high as ninth at one point in the campaign. The Irish also earned their first-ever invitation to the national regatta, placing 16th at the NCAA Rowing Championships in the varsity eight.

That season, the Irish boasted a then program-high four All-Central Region honorees. Warren also became the first rower at Notre Dame to earn All-America honors when she was named to the second team.

The Irish finished the 2000-01 season ranked 16th nationally. The varsity eight took fifth and the second varsity eight sixth at the 2001 Central Regions, while the second varsity four was fourth in its final, and the varsity four won the petite title at the same event.

Other highlights of the campaign included the varsity eight winning the Head of the Elk, its first such victory in a regatta of that magnitude, and five other races during the spring. The Irish received an invitation and placed sixth in the Jessop-Whittier Cup at the prestigious San Diego Crew Classic.

Stone also coached Warren and Michelle Olsgard to CRCA all-region honors in `01. Leah Ashe became the first Irish rower to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors when she was named to the women's at-large second team.

Stone's second season saw dramatic improvement from his squad that boasted the talents of Katrina Ten Eyck, one of the top rowers in the nation. Ten Eyck, who garnered CRCA all-region honors, was invited to train at the United States Olympic Training Center.

In 1998-99, Stone sent the program off to a rousing start and quickly put Notre Dame on the map as he led the lightweight eight vessel to a No. 12 national ranking.