Boys Varsity: Lawrence Smith

Lawrence Smith has coached crew for nearly thirty years, including all of his seventeen years at the Academy. During his time leading the Boys Varsity squad, Exeter’s first eight has won the New England Interscholastic Rowing Assocation (NEIRA) Championship Regatta a remarkable six times. His 1996 crew went on after their undefeated season to win the USRowing Youth National Championship in Cincinatti, Ohio, an unprecedented accomplishment.

Smith learned to row at South Kent School in Connecticut, and went on to row at Princeton University. At Princeton, he stroked on the varsity for three years including two as captain. After the 1978 season coaching the Coast Guard Academy Varsity Lightweights, Smith returned to South Kent as teacher and coach from 1979 to 1987. While in graduate school in 1988-89, he coached the University of New Hampshire freshmen to two Dad Vail championships and then worked with the ‘89 U.S. Pre-Elite camp. Smith, who teaches history, holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire.

Girls Varsity: Sally Morris

Sally Morris enters her third year of coaching at Exeter in 2007 and her twenty-fourth year coaching the sport overall. In the last two spring seasons, girls have had tremendous success under her guidance, the first eight winning gold at the NEIRA Championship Regatta and the second eight taking silver both years.

A native of Boxford, Massachusetts, Morris was a four year varsity letter-winner with the crew program at Trinity College in Connecticut where she graduated in 1985. A year later, Morris joined the crew coaching staff at Brooks. Under her guidance, Brooks’ fours enjoyed exceptional success capturing four NEIRA Regatta Championships in 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2005 as well as two USRowing Youth National Championships in 2004 and 2005. Along the way, Morris has seen numerous rowers move on to successful college programs as well as to compete at the world class level. A teacher of Classical Languages, Morris earned a Masters in Classics from Tufts University in 1990. She is a member of the faculty as a teacher of Classical Languages and is a member of numerous classical societies.

Boys Junior Varsity: David T. Swift

David Swift ‘64 rowed at Exeter and on the first eight that the Academy sent to the Henley Royal Regatta his senior year. He went on to having an outstanding career rowing at Dartmouth, including winning the IRA Championship Regatta his sophmore year and later becoming captain of the heavyweight squad. His career coaching began in 1971 at Brooks School, where the varsity four won gold at the 1977 NEIRA Championship Regatta. Swift returned to Exeter, coaching the varsity from 1986 to 1989 and the junior varsity since 1990. In this time, the boys third boat has won the NEIRA Championship Regatta more than it has lost—nine total wins in seventeen years. Swift, an instructor in mathematics, holds a master’s degree from Wesleyan and has also served as the Dean of Students. He is currently director of the crew program. The boys first boat, Titus, is named in Swift’s honor.

Girls Junior Varsity: Rebecca Moore

Becky Moore learned to row at Radcliffe College, where she earned four varsity letters and co-captained the heavyweight squad her senior year. While teaching English, she coached the girls varsity at Choate-Rosemary Hall from 1980-1984, including a NEIRA Championship title in 1983. She has coached the girls junior varsity at Exeter since 1990, and the girls third boat has had tremendous success at Interschols under her guidance.