Opitz completes women’s rowing coaching staff
August 25, 2023 | Women's Rowing, Lightweight Rowing
Mitchell, Habibovic staying; Gibson, Bartos, D’Souza will join crew at Porter Boathouse
MADISON, Wis. – Head rowing coach Vicky Opitz is settling in to her new role leading the storied Wisconsin women's rowing program while the 2023-24 school year is fast approaching, and now has a complete coaching staff to help her along the way.
Jim Mitchell will stay on as associate head coach working with the openweight program, while Hodge Habibovic will continue to direct the lightweight program.
Meg Gibson arrives at Porter Boathouse, along with Katelyn Bartos, as assistant coaches working with the openweights, while former Badger Grace D'Souza returns as assistant coach working with the lightweights, her former team.
"I am beyond thrilled to be working with this awesome staff here at Wisconsin," Opitz stated. "All of these coaches bring amazing experiences, vast knowledge and great energy to the program. We are all counting down the days until our season begins and we can get to work with the athletes."
Meg Gibson
Gibson arrives in Madison after two seasons as head coach at Merrimack College, where she helped usher in the program's move to NCAA Division I rowing, running both the varsity and novice programs for the Warriors. Before taking over the program in November of 2021, Gibson served a short stint as assistant coach beginning that same June.
Outside of rowing and since this past March, Gibson served as chair of the Merrimack Athletic Department's Mental Health Committee.
Before her foray into coaching, Gibson competed as a rower at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes capture the 2018 Big Ten Rowing Championships. That included gold in the novice eight that season.
She also spent time as a student assistant coach during her undergraduate days in 2019, developing walk-on novice rowers by teaching rowing technique on ergs and training barges.
That same 2019 summer, Gibson served as head coach of Greater Lawrence Rowing's Learn to Row Program in Lawrence, Massachusetts, introducing middle school athletes to the sport and maintaining rowing equipment. She also helped as an assistant coach with the club's under-19 competitive team.
Gibson earned a degree in human development and family since from Ohio State and continues towards a master's degree in sports administration from Boston College.
"I am so honored to be coming home to the Big Ten," Gibson said. "Wisconsin is a program steeped in years of tradition, and I am beyond thrilled to be a Badger.
"I also want to thank Vicky for this amazing opportunity. I am looking forward to learning from her and Jim this year, and continuing to build on an already impressive program."
Katelyn Bartos
Bartos, also a former rower at Ohio State, joins the Badgers after graduating this past May with a degree in mechanical engineering and minor in business.
The three-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar Athlete and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and four-time Academic All-Big Ten rower helped power the OSU second varsity eight and the team to eighth place at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Her boat also took second at the 2022 Big Ten Championships to help OSU capture the conference title.
Part of the Buckeyes' leadership group her last two years rowing, Bartos also raced with the fourth-place second varsity eight at the 2021 NCAA Championships, assisting the team to a sixth-place NCAA team result.
This summer, the Copley, Ohio, native, attended the Academy of Future Coaches learning how to transition from a rower to becoming a collegiate coach.
"I'm so excited to join the Wisconsin coaching staff and be a part of such a competitive school in the Big Ten," Bartos exclaimed. "I'm ready to get the season going and have an awesome year. Go Badgers!"
Grace D'Souza
Wisconsin All-American rower Grace D'Souza returns to the Badgers as an assistant coach leading the novice lightweights.
D'Souza, a team captain, earned first-team All-America honors in 2021 racing with the lightweight eight. The Badgers captured the overall team points trophy at the 2021 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships that same season.
The Whitefish Bay native was an All-America nominee for 2020 when the season was canceled due to COVID-19. She was part of UW's lightweight eight during all four years rowing at Wisconsin and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten team member.
On the international stage, D'Souza twice competed in the Czech Republic, including at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in the lightweight quadruple sculls. She also represented Team USA in the same event at the 2021 World Under-23 Rowing Championships.
A teacher at Learn to Row camps during summers, D'Souza graduated from Wisconsin in 2021 as a double major in economics, as well as finance, investment and banking. She currently attends Marquette Law School and is on schedule to earn her law degree next May.
D'Souza also spent the past two years while in law school serving as an assistant coach for the high school boys at the Milwaukee Rowing Club.
"I am incredibly excited to join the lightweights and look forward to building on the program's continued success," D'Souza said. "I would like to express immense gratitude to Hodge Habibovic, Vicky Optiz, Chris Lalande and the Athletic Department for this opportunity."
Jim Mitchell will stay on as associate head coach working with the openweight program, while Hodge Habibovic will continue to direct the lightweight program.
Meg Gibson arrives at Porter Boathouse, along with Katelyn Bartos, as assistant coaches working with the openweights, while former Badger Grace D'Souza returns as assistant coach working with the lightweights, her former team.
"I am beyond thrilled to be working with this awesome staff here at Wisconsin," Opitz stated. "All of these coaches bring amazing experiences, vast knowledge and great energy to the program. We are all counting down the days until our season begins and we can get to work with the athletes."
Meg Gibson
Gibson arrives in Madison after two seasons as head coach at Merrimack College, where she helped usher in the program's move to NCAA Division I rowing, running both the varsity and novice programs for the Warriors. Before taking over the program in November of 2021, Gibson served a short stint as assistant coach beginning that same June.
Outside of rowing and since this past March, Gibson served as chair of the Merrimack Athletic Department's Mental Health Committee.
Before her foray into coaching, Gibson competed as a rower at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes capture the 2018 Big Ten Rowing Championships. That included gold in the novice eight that season.
She also spent time as a student assistant coach during her undergraduate days in 2019, developing walk-on novice rowers by teaching rowing technique on ergs and training barges.
That same 2019 summer, Gibson served as head coach of Greater Lawrence Rowing's Learn to Row Program in Lawrence, Massachusetts, introducing middle school athletes to the sport and maintaining rowing equipment. She also helped as an assistant coach with the club's under-19 competitive team.
Gibson earned a degree in human development and family since from Ohio State and continues towards a master's degree in sports administration from Boston College.
"I am so honored to be coming home to the Big Ten," Gibson said. "Wisconsin is a program steeped in years of tradition, and I am beyond thrilled to be a Badger.
"I also want to thank Vicky for this amazing opportunity. I am looking forward to learning from her and Jim this year, and continuing to build on an already impressive program."
Katelyn Bartos
Bartos, also a former rower at Ohio State, joins the Badgers after graduating this past May with a degree in mechanical engineering and minor in business.
The three-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar Athlete and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and four-time Academic All-Big Ten rower helped power the OSU second varsity eight and the team to eighth place at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Her boat also took second at the 2022 Big Ten Championships to help OSU capture the conference title.
Part of the Buckeyes' leadership group her last two years rowing, Bartos also raced with the fourth-place second varsity eight at the 2021 NCAA Championships, assisting the team to a sixth-place NCAA team result.
This summer, the Copley, Ohio, native, attended the Academy of Future Coaches learning how to transition from a rower to becoming a collegiate coach.
"I'm so excited to join the Wisconsin coaching staff and be a part of such a competitive school in the Big Ten," Bartos exclaimed. "I'm ready to get the season going and have an awesome year. Go Badgers!"
Grace D'Souza
Wisconsin All-American rower Grace D'Souza returns to the Badgers as an assistant coach leading the novice lightweights.
D'Souza, a team captain, earned first-team All-America honors in 2021 racing with the lightweight eight. The Badgers captured the overall team points trophy at the 2021 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships that same season.
The Whitefish Bay native was an All-America nominee for 2020 when the season was canceled due to COVID-19. She was part of UW's lightweight eight during all four years rowing at Wisconsin and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten team member.
On the international stage, D'Souza twice competed in the Czech Republic, including at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in the lightweight quadruple sculls. She also represented Team USA in the same event at the 2021 World Under-23 Rowing Championships.
A teacher at Learn to Row camps during summers, D'Souza graduated from Wisconsin in 2021 as a double major in economics, as well as finance, investment and banking. She currently attends Marquette Law School and is on schedule to earn her law degree next May.
D'Souza also spent the past two years while in law school serving as an assistant coach for the high school boys at the Milwaukee Rowing Club.
"I am incredibly excited to join the lightweights and look forward to building on the program's continued success," D'Souza said. "I would like to express immense gratitude to Hodge Habibovic, Vicky Optiz, Chris Lalande and the Athletic Department for this opportunity."
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