Coaches

Our coaches are volunteers who love to row and share the sport with others!

Ray Griggs: Boatman

Ray Griggs joined the Omaha Rowing Association in 2012. He rowed for the men’s heavyweights at the Naval Academy from 1976-1980 and was in the First Varsity Eight his junior and senior year, winning the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship in 1980. After taking a 21-½ year rowing hiatus as an officer of Marines, Ray started rowing at the master’s level after retirement and has rowed with clubs in Northern Virginia, Kansas City, Afghanistan, and now Omaha. He has competed at the master’s level in Boston and Philadelphia and at the National Masters Championships in New Jersey, Florida, and Michigan.

Robyn Whalen

Robyn began rowing in 2007 at the University of Rhode Island. She joined the novice program, knowing nothing about the sport and it left a lasting impression. Fast forward to 2016, she found ORA and started rowing in the Adult Rec program and then racing with the Masters. Coaching, sculling, sweeping, port, starboard, she loves it all. Outside of rowing she’s a boy mom, cat/dog mom and works as an Underwriter here in Omaha.

Billy Coghill

Billy was first introduced to rowing at an NCAA sports pavilion at the College World Series in the mid 2000s, but it was years later, as he failed to impress his teammates on a rowing machine at the open house for Nebraska sport clubs, that he knew he had found his sport. Billy has been rowing since 2010, first with the University of Nebraska club team and then with ORA, and coaching since 2014. He has rowed every position in a boat and developed rowers from zero experience to rowing race pieces! When not on the water, you can find him manning the desk at the Omaha Public Library's downtown branch.

Chris Preuss

Chris started rowing as an adult when she became a member of ORA. She began by joining the Adult Rec program and soon after transitioned to the Masters team. She's really taken to the sport, embracing the physical and mental challenges as well as the team camaraderie it offers. When not on the water, Chris enjoys swimming, scuba diving and is a local water aerobics instructor in addition to her day job as a high school science teacher in Omaha.

Julie Morrissey

Mehgan McMorries

Mehgan began her rowing career in high school in 2000. She rowed all four years, eventually captaining her varsity team in 2004. Once she went to college at Oregon State University, she chose ROTC over a spot on the university's competitive team. Once she graduated, she returned to the sport, rowing with various clubs and racing with Master's teams as she followed her Navy husband around the world. When she isn't rowing or coaching, Mehgan is a high school science teacher.