MADISON, Wis. – Head coach Vicky Opitz welcomes Mary Anderson to the Wisconsin women's rowing staff as an assistant coach with the lightweight program, while 2024 Olympian Sophia Vitas will return to her alma mater as a graduate assistant coach.
Anderson spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Gonzaga, helping lead the Zags to a 17th-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships and a 19th-place result at the 2023 event. Gonzaga won 2023 and 2024 West Coast Conference championships both seasons.
Prior to joining Gonzaga, Anderson spent time at Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, coaching with OKC Riversport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she helped with the U-17s and junior women's novice programs among others.
A standout rower and 2019 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Anderson won three medals at the Big 12 rowing championships for the Sooners while also earning Academic All-Big 12 honors. Her rowing accolades include stroking the varsity eight to second place at the Big XII championships. She also owns a win at the San Diego Crew Classic.
In addition to a bachelor's degree from OU in health and exercise science, Anderson is an ACE certified personal trainer and boasts experience as a fitness instructor at Orangetheory Fitness.
She is currently working on a master's degree from Gonzaga in sport and athletic administration.
"Mary brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as both a successful college athlete and college coach," Opitz said. "Her balance of kindness and fierce competitive nature will be an excellent addition to our Badger rowing community. We look forward to her strength and conditioning background being utilized out on the water with our athletes."
Vitas (pronounced VEE-tahs), who is about to compete in her first Olympic games early this coming Saturday morning in the women's double sculls in Paris, will join the UW program as a graduate assistant coach.
A Badger rower from 2013 through 2016 after transferring from UW-Milwaukee, she helped her second novice eight to a Big Ten title in 2014, while rowing for the varsity eight that placed 13th at the 2015 NCAA Championships and the second varsity eight that finished 10th at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
Since her time at UW, the four-sport high school varsity letterwinner claimed fourth in the women's eight at the 2017 World Rowing Championships, seventh in the women's quadruple sculls at the 2019 World Rowing Championships, fifth in the double sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Championships and third in the double sculls at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Most recently, Vitas won the double sculls at the 2024 World Rowing Cup II event.
"Sophia was a walk-on rower here at Wisconsin who embodies the true determination and spirit of the program," Opitz explained. "We could not be more thrilled for her to bring her national team experience and Badger pride to our team. She is a role model for all Wisconsin athletes."
