Pocock High Performance Team

Emil Kossev - Program founder and technical consultant
Hometown: Gabravo, Bulgaria
College: National Sports Academy – Sofia, Bulgaria

Emil has coached at Pocock Rowing Center since 2003. He has been a member of the U.S. National Team coaching staff since 1998. Named to the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team as coach of the women’s lightweight double. Since 1996, he has coached more than 41 U.S. and international crews, earning 27 medals at championship regattas. Four-time Bulgarian national team member. Won 13 Bulgarian national sculling titles between 1982 and 1991.

Julie McCleery - Program director and coach
Hometown: White Plains, NY
Education: Georgetown University, BA; Harvard University, M. Ed.; University of Washington, Doctoral Studentt

Julie has been a coach at the Pocock Rowing Center for seven years, becoming the director and head coach in fall of 2006. In 15 years of coaching, she has coached juniors, masters and elites in national and international competition. She coached the lightweight single at the 2004 World Championships and a variety of 2006 national champions. She also won numerous medals at the national and international level as an athlete.

Carlos Dinares - Head Coach
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Education: University of Barcelona, B.S. in Sport Science; Polytechnic University of Catalonia, M.B.A.

Before coming to the U.S., Carlos managed the Catalan Rowing Federation for eight years and organized the 2004 World Rowing Championships in Banyoles as the Executive Director. He began coaching in Spain and currently is in his third year coaching at the University of Washington. Carlos has been rowing since age 13. As a Spanish national team member, he competed in three World Championships and won medals in team boats at the 1997 Luzern World Cup and Mediterranean Games. After a devastating motorcycle accident in 1992, he fought for four years to get back and finally selected to the team again in 1996 and 1997.He most recently placed second in the lightweight single at the 2007 Head of the Charles.

Alicia Cole
Birth date: July 6, 1977
Hometown: Corona del Mar, CA; College: Vassar College

Results: Bronze medal in the elite lightweight single and fourth place in the senior lightweight single at the 2006 U.S. National Championships. Silver medal in the elite lightweight single at the 2005 U.S. National Championships.

Alicia began sculling in 1999 after 4 years in Vassar College’s sweep rowing program. Before moving to Seattle, she trained at the Newport Aquatic Center in Southern California for 4 years while managing the Center’s office and coaching rowing. This is Alicia’s 4th year training with Pocock’s High Performance Team. She is also working on her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University with an expected graduation date of June 2010.

Kate Bertko
Birth date: November 8, 1983
Hometown: Oakland, CA; College: Princeton University

Results: Finals in NSR1 2008

Kate is a Scientist in a cardiovascular research lab at UW. This is her first year at PRC.

Lindsey Hochman
Birth date: June 2, 1984
Hometown: Seattle, WA; College: Colgate University

Results: First year training in the Pocock Team

Lindsey works part time at King5 News as a sports clip producer and works part time in PR at McQuaid & Co. Strategic Communication

Liz Patterson
Birth date: June 13, 1983
Hometown: Davis, CA; College: University of California - Davis

Results: Gold medal in the lightweight double and silver medal in the lightweight quad at the 2006 U.S. National Championships. Fifth place in the Collegiate Eight at the 2003 Henley Women’s Regatta.

Liz went to culinery school, as well as studied art history. She has recently been accepted into the masters program at University of Washington for art history starting in the fall.

Michelle Hall
Birth date: Feb 13, 1983
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC College: University of North Carolina

Results: First year training on the Pocock Team

Michelle is getting her masters in chemistry at UW, and teaches part time at a private school. She also takes breakdancing classes!

Michelle Trannel
Birth date: Feb. 28, 1983
Hometown: East Dubuque, IL; College: Iowa University
Results: Fifth place in the lightweight quad at the 2006 World Championships. Gold medals in the lightweight quad and open quad at the 2006 U.S. National Championships.

Michelle is in her third year training at Pocock and works full time as an electrical engineer at Component Engineering in Seattle.

Nicole Sylvester
Birth date: July 2, 1981
Hometown: Dover, NH; College: Cornell University

Results: Silver medal in the women’s eight at the 2006 FISA Rowing World Cup. Spare on the U.S. quad at the 2005 World Championships (fifth place). Gold medal in the women’s eight at the 2005 Head of the Charles.

Creative Director at Seattle Urban Pages Magazine.

Niki Sherey
Birth date: October 12, 1980
Hometown: Ft. Worth, TX; College: University of Oregon

Results: First year training on the Pocock team

Niki works full time as a big shot at Pocock Rowing Shells. If you need a Pocock boat, she is the person to go to, and she flies all over the place attending all these cool rowing conventions.

Niki's home club is the Lake Washington Rowing Club.

Ursula James
Birth date: February 6, 1980
Hometown: Pretoria, South Africa; College: University of Pretoria

Results: Gold Medal in the 1x, 2x, 4x Catalunia Champs, Spain; Gold Medal in the 4x Spanish Champs, Spain

Ursula came to the U.S. in 2004, and learnt to row at Greenlake. She moved to Lake Stevens Rowing Club and joined the Pocock Team in the fall of 2007. She works part time at Anytime Fitness and recently opened her own Graphic Design Company called Grobler & James LLC.