UCLA Men's Rowing

Ken Jurkowski, Head Coach, First Year
In his inaugural season with the crew, Coach Jurkowski’s efforts are focused around creating a culture of excellence. Each practice affords the crew the opportunity to more closely reach their potential through their own effort and dedication. The crew appreciates the responsibility required of the task before them, and approaches attaining their goals with an enthusiastic and aggressive nature. Every achievement builds confidence and a perspective that no challenge is too great.

Coach Jurkowski competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the single sculls, finishing 11th overall. He also has a bronze medal in the men’s eight at the 2006 World Championships in Eton, England, and was the stroke of the men’s quadruple sculls at the 2005 World Championships in Gifu, Japan. He is a 2003 graduate of Cornell University, with a B.S. in Biological Engineering Technology.

Martin Reschke, Assistant Coach, First Year
Martin graduated from UCLA in the spring of 2009. He rowed all four years while earning a B.A. in History and a minor in English and Eastern European Studies. Martin plans on attending law school but is focusing his time now on training and coaching.

While at UCLA, Martin rowed in the Varsity Eight all four years, raced at the IRA two times finishing 6th and 5th in the Men’s Coxed Four, and earned three All Pac-10 Conference Title Awards as well as four Pac-10 All Academic team awards. He served as the team captain for three years and stroked the Varsity Eight for three years.

Daniel Prasch, Volunteer Assistant - 1st year
Daniel is a recent graduate from UCLA, rowing for the Men's team in his two years he attended UCLA. He graduated in 2009, earning his B.A. in History and minored in Education Studies. He is now at Cal State Northridge working on his Master's Degree in Education, and is currently rowing for a Master's club out of Marina Del Rey.

Daniel rowed for the Varsity 8 during his senior year, besting USC and LMU in the duel races, and placed 2nd and 3rd in the Opening Day Regatta and Newport Invitational, respectively. He has earned his place among the Pac-10 All-Academic team in the closing season of his collegiate rowing career, and is looking forward to contributing back to the program.

Julie Nichols, Volunteer Assistant Coach, First Year
Julie Nichols is a current PhD Graduate Student in Mechanical Engineering at UCLA (Masters Degree earned Dec. 2009). Julie was a distance runner at Livermore High School in California. When she arrived at college she decided to walk-on to the rowing team. She rowed in the Open weight Varsity program all 4 years of her undergraduate education at UC Berkeley (Cal) while earning a Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering. Her top collegiate result was 3rd in the V8+ at the 1999 NCAA Championship. After a few years of trying to coordinate a career and elite rowing, Julie put the engineering on hold and committed to an intense training schedule. She has represented the USA in five World Championships (Bronze LW4x 2004, Silver LW2x 2005), the 2007 Pan American Games (Silver W4x), and the 2008 Olympic Games. She started graduate school at UCLA in the Fall of 2008 and plans to pursue a career in Biomechanics.

Greg Heidt, Volunteer Assistant Coach, First Year
Greg Heidt is this newest volunteer assistant to join the UCLA rowing program. Born and raised in Westwood, Greg has fond memories of biking to Pauley Pavilion wearing a sign that read, "I need a ticket!" Since Bruin basketball fans were so generous to Greg during his youth, he is happy to give some of his time to help the crew in their quest for greater boat speed.

Greg was introduced to the sport of rowing at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. After high school, Greg went on to pursue an undergraduate degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He rowed lightweight crew for four years at Cornell and graduated with one of the most decorated lightweight rowing classes in Cornell's history. Greg accumulated six medals from major US races, winning the Eastern Sprints in 2006 and back-to back National Championship titles in 2006 and 2007. Greg also competed three times at the Henley Royal Regatta in England where his crew finished second in 2006 and 2007.

In addition to rowing, Greg enjoys competing in triathlon, running, cycling, cross country skiing and golf. His hobbies outside of competitive sport include hiking, surfing, alpine skiing, fly fishing and archery. Greg was recently married to his Cornell coxswain, Emily Heidt, who he met at St. Paul's.

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