Kendall Schmidt

Kendall Schmidt is in her first year as an assistant coach with the Duke rowing program. Schmidt joins the Blue Devils after a year as a varsity girls' assistant coach at Mercer Rowing in Princeton, N.J.

With Mercer, Schmidt coached the second, third and fourth varsity girls' boats, increasing the team depth. Schmidt contributed to Mercer's highest number of USRowing Youth National Championships qualifying boats. She also collaborated with the rest of the coaching staff to improve the cohesion, team culture and competitiveness of group.

Prior to, and while, coaching, Schmidt was heavily involved in USRowing, serving as the National Team Training Center coxswain from 2014-17. Schmidt participated in six to eight hours of training per day as a coxswain for U.S. Senior National Rowing Team and presented a trio of USRowing coxswain clinics across the country. She traveled with the U.S. team to the 2015 world championships and 2016 Olympics as a team manager and managed pre-selection for the Olympic women's quad. At the 2012 and 2013 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, Schmidt helped the women's 8+ to a pair of first place finishes. She later coxed the U.S. women's national team to titles in the championship four in 2013, 2014 and 2015 at Head of the Charles. Schmidt then guided the U.S. national team to the Remenham Cup, the premier women's 8+ event, at the Royal Henley Regatta in 2016. In 2014, she led the New York Athletic Club's women's 8+ to first at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.

Schmidt rowed for Cooke Carcagno at Wisconsin, where Schmidt served as the V8 coxswain her final three years. Her three trips with the V8 to the Big Ten Rowing Championships resulted in two bronze and one silver medal. During her freshman campaign, she steered the novice eight to a Big Ten title. Schmidt, who was presented the Big Ten Female Medal of Honor as a senior, was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten Team selection, a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a First Team All-Big Ten pick as a senior.

A native of Greenfield, Wis., Schmidt graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a civil engineering degree in 2013.