Tempe Town Lake Junior Rowing
Bios coming soon!

Head Coach - Michele (Knowlton) Thorne

Assistant Coach - Ryan O'Sullivan

Novice Coach - John U. Ciani
John is a native Phoenician who graduated from St. Mary's H.S. in 1981.  Attending the University of San Diego,
John took up the sport of rowing and was a four year rower.  He was a three year Varsity Lettermen and elected
team captain his senior year.  Upon graduation in 1985, John became the Head Coach for the USD Women's
program where he coached until 1989.  During that time the Women's team won the San Diego Crew Classic Cal
Cup (1986) and back to back San Diego City Championships (1986-87). 

John moved back to Phoenix in 1989 and helped start the rowing program at Xavier College Prep in 2002.  For
9 years John worked with the school and parents to develop a competitive high school rowing program in the
desert.  Xavier Prep Crew is one of only three "school only" programs in the Southwest Region.  During this time
span Xavier Prep became more competitive and in 2008 won the Freshmen 8 event at Southwest Junior Regional
Championship and finished third in the Freshmen 4 that same year.  In 2009, Xavier Prep again won a bronze
medal in the Freshmen 8 at the Southwest Junior Regional. 

John is a self employed landscaper who is committed to the sport of rowing and to the development of high school
athletes.  He is very excited about the opportunity to coach for Tempe Town Lake Rowing and to help make this
program not only the best on the lake, but in the Southwest Region as well..  John's favorite quote is from the
philosopher Aristotle:  "We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, therefore is not an act rather a habit".

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