The Riverside Boat Club Masters Women Sweep program is a competitive team of rowers age 30+.
We are a roster of approximately 20 women who love to train hard and row fast while balancing personal and professional lives.
We race in local regattas, including the Cromwell Cup and Head of the Charles; regional New England regattas; US Rowing Masters National Championship; and occasionally international regattas, such as World Rowing Masters Regatta and Heineken Regatta.
Our formal program runs from April through October, though some members stay on the water until the river freezes. Members are encouraged to participate in weekly team training sessions during the winter months. We recognize our teammates’ work and family commitments and try to provide a balanced training approach.
Practices
Coached on-water practice runs from 5:15AM to 6:45AM on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday each week.
We train and race in 8+s, 4s (+/-), 4xs, and 2xs. While this is primarily a sweep team, members are strongly encouraged to develop their sculling skills.
TO JOIN
The team welcomes new rowers age 30+ and skilled coxswains of any age as roster space allows via a 3-session try-out. Applicants should be fit, technically proficient, and have experience rowing and racing at a competitive level.
Please complete a RBC Membership Application and indicate you would like to join the Masters Women program.
You may also contact the squad captains to learn more about the team and application process.
RECENT RESULTS
Sweeps and Sculls, 2025
Master Womens 8+: 2nd Place; 3rd Place
Cromwell Cup, 2025
Master Womens 8+: 1st Place
Quinsigamond Sprints, 2025
Master Womens 8+: 1st Place
Master Womens 4+: 1st Place
Textile River Regatta, 2025
Master Womens 8+: 1st Place
Master Womens 4+: 1st Place
Head of the Charles, 2025
Women’s Grand Master 8+: 10th Place/34
Women’s Master/Senior Master 4+: 13th Place/28
Head of the Schuylkill, 2025
Women’s Master 8+: 3rd Place/15
HEAD COACH
Kelsey Barolak is a 2017 graduate of Harvard University where she rowed for Radcliffe, and is currently pursuing a Masters at Boston University in counseling and sport psychology.
Kelsey rowed in the 2018 winning Cambridge Blue Boat, and with Riverside’s High Performance Group and Open Women’s Sweeps program. She previously coached the Washington College women, and recently coached the junior men and masters teams at Greenwich Crew.
Kelsey joined the RBC Masters Women as Head Coach in 2025. In addition to our program, Kelsey coaches the U17 boys at CRI.
COACH
Kelsey Barolak
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CaptainS
Clarice Johnson
clarice.johnson@riversideboatclub.com
Jessica Spada
jessica.spada@riversideboatclub.com
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