Laura Macfarlane

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Fourth Year at Iowa Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin, 2000

Laura Macfarlane, a native of Baldwin, Wisconsin, is in her fourth season as an assistant coach for the Hawkeyes. She will be Novice Head Coach this year.

In 2004-05, Macfarlane worked with the first year rowers throughout the year, guiding them to a fifth-place finish at the Central Regional Championships.

Her first two years at Iowa, Macfarlane served as the varsity assistant and was responsible for the Varsity Fours. At the 2003 Big Ten Championships, the first Varsity Four earned a second place finished while the second Varsity Four became Iowa's first ever Big Ten Champions. At the Central/South Sprints that year, both Varsity Fours placed third in their respective events. Macfarlane is also responsible for in-state recruiting and conducting summer camps.

Before joining the Hawkeyes, Macfarlane was the Novice Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While working with the Badgers, she coached the first Novice 8+ to a bronze medal and the second Novice 8+ to a gold medal at the Big Ten Championships. She also led the Novice 4+ and Varsity 4+ to first-place finishes at the Eastern Sprints.

Prior to coaching at Wisconsin, Macfarlane spent one season as an assistant coach at Sacramento State University, in California. Macfarlane was responsible for the first Novice 8 and the Junior Varsity 8 during her time with the Hornets.

Macfarlane attended the University of Wisconsin, where she rowed for the Badgers from 1995-1999. During her collegiate career, she earned First Team All-Central Region, was presented the Graves Family Award by her teammates, based on her contributions to the program and its traditions, and was a student-athlete board representative. She won three Midwest Rowing Championships, an IRA title, and medaled twice at the Eastern Sprints Championships. In 1999, she competed at the NCAA Championships and the Women's Royal Henley Regatta. During her collegiate career, Macfarlane also took part in multiple National Team Development and Identification Camps. While completing her degree at Wisconsin, she served as an assistant rowing coach with the Novice Openweight's during the 1999-2000 season.

Macfarlane graduated in 2000 from Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cartography and GIS.