Kate Wachala

Kate Wachala comes to Sparks Consulting after a decade at Williams College as an Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Head Women's Rowing Coach. Wachala led the Ephs to 3  Division III National Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2017 as well as numerous runner up and Top 5 finishes in her tenure as the Ephs coach.

Previously, Wachala served as the first assistant women's crew coach at Yale University for 8 years, a second assistant at Northeastern University for 1 year and with the U.S. Junior National Women's Team for 7 years and is a former U.S. Olympic and National Team rower herself.

At Yale, Wachala served as the Bulldogs' recruiting coordinator and coached the 3rd varsity and novice women. Wachala's 2009 Yale 2V crew won the Eastern Sprints title, a first for Yale since 1987.  In 2007, Wachala was named the CRCA New England Assistant Coach of the Year.

As a coach with the U.S. Rowing Junior National Team from 2004-2011, Wachala worked with many different levels, from Junior B athletes to the Jr. Worlds Development team and from 2009-11, she was an assistant with the Junior World Championship Team. She coached boats that competed at the 2009 FISA World Rowing Junior Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France where the women's 8+ captured a gold medal, followed by a silver medal in 2010 in Racice, Czech Republic and a bronze medal in Eton, Great Britain.

Wachala (nee´ Maloney) has coached rowing at every level from high school to college to masters and her first exposure to rowing came in 1992, when she joined Mt. Baker Rowing in Seattle. The next year she enrolled at the University of Washington (UW) and started an impressive string of four undefeated regular seasons and four Pac-10 Championships. Her 1994 JV 8+ won the National Championship and her 1995 V8+ defeated Princeton in the regular season and finished 2nd to them at the National Championships in Ohio.

During the summers of her collegiate years Wachala competed with the U.S. National Team at the Olympic Festival in St. Louis, MO where her 4+ won Gold, at the Nations Cup Regatta in 1995 and 1996 where she won a bronze in the pair at Groningen, The Netherlands, and gold in the straight four at Hazewinkel, Belgium, respectively.

Wachala moved on to the U.S.Senior National Team in 1997 and raced in the 4- in Aiguebelette, France at the World Championships. In 1998, she was in the US 8+ that won a silver medal in Cologne, Germany and again in 1999 in St. Catharine's, Ontario. Finally, Wachala finished her competitive racing career at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where she rowed in the USA 8+ and finished 6th.

Wachala graduated from the University of Washington in 2001 with undergraduate degrees in Art History and Anthropology. She holds a Masters in Education from the University of Washington as well, which she earned in 2016. Currently, Kate resides in Manchester Center, Vermont with her husband, Jim and daughter, Elinor and their two trusty canine sidekicks, Lolo and Eve. They all enjoy the outdoors, travel and the close proximity of family in the Northeast.