Boathouse Dedication and Alumni Reunion [click here for a transcript of the dedication address]. T-shirts still available! (L and XL shirts reduced to $10. Contact Larry Groves at lgroves@cfl.rr.com)

Handbook: You can find more detailed information regarding WPHS Crew in our handbook, which is now available for downloading. To view the handbook, you will require Acrobat Reader®, which you can obtain free at www.adobe.com. To download the Handbook, [click here].

History of Rowing at

Winter Park High School

Winter Park High School Crew began in 1962 with a hand-me-down racing shell. When the North Orlando Optimist Club decided to sponsor a racing crew, the school leaped at the opportunity. That year, a ten-man WPHS crew raced the junior varsity teams of schools that rowed against Rollins College. Now, thirty-eight years later, the hallways of WPHS are adorned with trophies from state, regional and national rowing championships. A note in the 1962 WPHS Yearbook alluded to the future: "It is hoped that other schools in Florida will follow Winter Park's lead and sponsor their own teams." In fact, through the years more high schools around the state have added crew teams and Wildcat rivalries have grown to include Edgewater, Boone and Lake Brantly in the metropolitan Orlando area and Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, Melbourne, Sarasota and Miami statewide.

After the initial 1962 season, crew was dropped until 1966, when Don Ogilvie coached 27 rowers. In subsequent years, Winter Park has been coached by Jay Gustavson, a member of Rollins varsity crew team (1967); Jack Lyden, a former WPHS rower (1968); Bruce Cepuran (1969); Clark Wray (1970 - 72); and Paul Skogsberg, whose teams captured four straight state AAAA titles (1973 76).

Women's crew got its start at Winter Park High School in 1974 when it was the only women's team in the area and raced against local colleges. In 1977, Tom Lineberry arrived at WPHS, starting his initial four year period of coaching WPHS crews. As coach of both the men's crew and women's crew, Lineberry led the school to its first national championships in 1979; a senior 4 women's boat and a junior varsity men's boat. That year a WPHS men's 4 represented the South at the Olympics Sports Festival in Colorado.

In 1982, there were separate coaches for the men's women's crews for the first time. Ralph Bateman, who had rowed for WPHS from 1970 - 72, succeeded Lineberry, while Julie Scott, a former Rollins rower, coached the women. Scott Lyden, a WPHS rower (1974 - 76), next coached the men. Lyden and Scott coached through the late 80's along with Jim Cooper of UCF. Julie Scott coached the women's Varsity 4 boat to a gold at Nationals in 1987. In 1988, Pam Chase and Ashley Tarr, both former Rollins rowers signed on to coach the women. In 1990, Chase and Tarr guided the women's varsity 8 to a national championship at Stotesbury Regatta.

Dan Bertossa, a former rower at the Florida Institute of Technology, arrived with the 1990's. Coach Bertossa, along with Ashley Tarr, who had become head coach for the women, directed the Wildcats to the State Championship in 1990, 1991, and 1992. In 1992, the women's varsity 8 was undefeated in Florida and was fourth in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, and the women's varsity 4 won Scholastic National Championships in Virginia.

With the return of Tom Lineberry for the 1993 season to coach the women's crew and with the continuing guidance of Dan Bertossa for the men's crew, WPHS has captured the State Championships in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, and was runner-up in 1995. During those same seasons (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) at the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia, WPHS rowers have come home with gold, silver and bronze medals hanging from their necks as national champions.

The end of the 1998 season brought a major change to Winter Park High School Crew. The team had rowed off of a site on Lake Howell loaned to the crew team by the Wilson family for over 20 years. Throughout the years, Winter Park Crew has touched the lives of hundreds of student athletes and their families, and a commitment existed in the community to continue this outstanding program. To ensure the continuation of Winter Park Crew, parents of Winter Park Crew rowers and alumni established the Millennium Rowing Association (MRA) whose purpose was to secure a permanent home for the team. In August of 1998, the MRA acquired property on Lake Howell with plans to complete a new boathouse before the beginning of the 1999 season. Through the efforts of many parents, past and present, and the community as well, this monumental achievement was accomplished. The Winter Park High School Crew Team established the legacy of a permanent home for the team.

The 1999 - 2000 season saw the departure of Tom Lineberry, replaced by a new women's coach, Mike Vertullo to join coach Marta Mareno on the women's team. The men's team continued to be guided by returning coaches Dan Bertossa and Jim Campbell. The team continued with the tradition of success in 1999 - 2000. In May 2000 the team once again captured the State Championship title for Florida. Several boats from both the men and the women competed at both the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia and the Schoolboy National Regatta in Delaware. All boats had good races with several boats qualifying for the finals races. One boat, the men's Junior 4+, took a gold medal in Philadelphia and a silver medal in Delaware.

The 2000 - 2001 season saw the departure of Marta Moreno as assistant women's coach. The coaching staff was expanded with both women's and men's assistant coaches. At the Annual Crew Kickoff Breakfast on February 10, 2001the highlight was an honor bestowed on Coach Bertossa in recognition of his years of dedication to the program and to celebrate a national title for the team. It seemed to the members of Crew Boosters that the most meaningful honor would be recognizing Coach Bertossa on the four that earned that gold medal. Much to his surprise, the shell was unveiled and christened the "Daniel A. Bertossa" as a lasting tribute.

An integral part of the success of the crew teams has for many years been the Crew Boosters of Winter Park, Inc., an organization of parents dedicated to the support of the athletes. The board of Crew Boosters of Winter Park, Inc. is in the process of revising the by-laws of the organization. To review the proposed by-laws and a summary of the changes, please go to our by-laws page.

If you would like more information about the Winter Park Crew Team or would like to make suggestions regarding our web presence, please contact wpcrew@usa.net. You may also use our feedback form.