The Team
The ARION team is comprised of up to 18 athletes, 3 coaches, and the SRA community.
Good friends in the extra mile
Recognizing the roller coaster journey that is elite rowing. ARION strives to embrace the idea of good friends in the extra mile. We believe that gains live in the extra mile, and it should be a fun adventure in those spaces. Having friends alongside pushing us, carrying us, and relying on us enhances the experience
ARION rowing is a team experience and we consider our team to be all who are on the journey. Our theme on this journey is gratitude and vulnerability, in all things we are grateful for the community behind us, we are grateful for the friends alongside us, and we are grateful for the competitors who push us. With all that to be grateful for, we are also willing to be vulnerable and put our best selves out there without excuse or safety net. We practice and we train and we race - vulnerable to failure, frustration, or whatever is thrown our way and grateful that our team is there by our side. We believe our best selves are not achieved if there are parts of us that are held back and left unexamined and we believe our team is at its best when grateful and vulnerable with each other
ARION Coaches
The ARION program is coached by Eric "Cat" Catalano. Cat has coached inside the USA Jr Development system and has also taken trials boats to World Championships. Cat began coaching the fledgling club of Saratoga Rowing Assoc in 1998 and helped bring the club to national attention as a high school program. Following a brief stint at Harvard/Radcliffe in 2004-2007, Cat returned to SRA as the executive director and head coach. In 2016, following the Olympic Trials, Cat started the ARION program.
Cat is a frequent presenter at coaching conferences on teaching technique and rigging. He believes that the best experiences are found when the challenges and skills are appropriately balanced from the middle school rowers all the way to the Olympians, and his coaching philosophy is "teach, train, select" in that order and emphasis.
Cat coaches on "themes" to the group as a whole, and gives individual coaching to athletes within the theme of the practices or if specific technical changes for that individual are on the verge of a breakthrough. Best success is found under Cat's coaching by the athlete who can direct and hold focus, is willing to the the mental work of making changes and willing to be patient but persistent as some changes take time. It also helps to catch him outside of practice time when you can. He stays pretty busy, but he loves sharing knowledge/insight and brainstorming when asked.
Steve Bohler: Technical Advisor
Steve started rowing in 1985 for Rutgers University and has coached numerous successful teams, including Oxford University men, Columbia University and the University of New Hampshire. Steve specializes in rowing technique, biomechanics and the use of data to optimize performance. As a certified Sports Psychology Coach, Steve also helps athletes enhance their "mental strengths" in practice and racing.
Stacey Apfelbaum: Coach
Stacey is a former national team member and world champion, Stacey has over 30 years of coaching experience at the high school, collegiate and club levels. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Stacey was varsity coxswain for three years before becoming involved with the US National Team. While a member of the Pioneer Valley Rowing Association, Stacey won the Head off the Charles three times, numerous National titles and Canadian Henley (including 2022 as coach/coxswain!). As a coach, she has led crews to the podium at the NY State Championships, Stotesbury Cup, Dad Vail, SRAAs and USRowing Youth and Senior Nationals. Stacey has been a teacher at the Academy of the Holy Names for 17 years.



ARION Team
The ARION program is comprised of several athletes at various points along their olympic journey. Along the way we make time to appreciate the journey.
Kristi Wagner
2021 Olympian W2x
2022 Worlds 2x
2023 PanAm Games 2x
College: Yale University
Years Rowing: 12
US National Teams: 1
Hometown: Weston, MA
Lauren O'Connor
2023 Pan-Am Games 2x
College: University of Wisconsin- Madison
Majors: Biology and Environmental Science
Years Rowing: 5
Hometown: Belleville, WI
Coached at University of Wisconsin lightweights
Megan Goodman
College: University of San Diego (Undergrad), Northeastern University (Masters)
Major: International Relations and Spanish (Undergrad), International development (Masters)
Years Rowing:
Hometown:
International Race Experience: 2015 U23 Women's Double.
Lauren Miller
College: University of Minnesota
Major: Neuroscience, Art Minor; most recently MBA grad 2022
Coached at University of Minnesota
Readiness to Fight: 5.5
Which Animal best represents your fighting style: Rhinoceros; actually a pretty docile animal, but will run through a wall if I have to
If you were a potato dish what would you be?: Tater tot hot dish don’t cha know
Ricky Flowers
College: Weslyan
Major: whales
Years Rowing:
Hometown: Salem, MA
Coached at Umass Amherst
Savannah Brija
2022 Worlds W4x
2023 PanAm Games 4x
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College: Ithaca College
Major: Clinical Health Studies/ DPT
Years Rowing: 5
Hometown: Lemont, IL
"Sav" was selected to the 2022 National team in the Women's Quad
Hannah Paynter
2022 Worlds Spare
College: Princeton University
Major: Psychology Major
Years rowing: 13 years
Hometown: Lyme, CT
Veronica Nicacio
College: University of Portland
Major: Biology
Years rowing: 9 years
Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Karina Feitner
College: Ithaca
Major:
Years rowing:
Hometown: small town, MA
Kate Horvat
College: Yale