Juniors Coaching Staff
Sydney Large
Executive Director & Boys Head Coach
director@mkejuniors.org — (262) 357-1499
Sydney Large is a Cedarburg, WI native and began her rowing career at the University of Minnesota coxing for the men’s rowing program. After a successful freshman year, placing 5th at Dad Vails and 6th at ACRAs she transferred over to Minnesota’s Women’s Program, earning accolades such as B1G Scholar-Athlete. As a Sport Management major, she was heavily involved in Minnesota’s Athletic Communications Department, working with most teams across campus. She also worked for other organizations, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota United FC, US Bank Stadium, and the Final Four. Additionally, Sydney began working in event and operations management for the Super Bowl where she has continued to freelance for NFL events for the last 8 years.
Following graduation in 2020, Sydney moved to Austin, TX where she worked full-time in athlete marketing and became heavily involved in Texas Rowing Center ("TRC") as a masters coxswain, racing in numerous regattas such as Head of the Charles and winning back-to-back Club Points Trophies at US Rowing Masters Nationals. Sydney’s coaching career began at TRC as the Head Girls Novice Coach, winning a Texas State title and Central Youth Championship title in her first year,
With two years of remaining NCAA eligibility, Sydney transferred to the University of Central Oklahoma to pursue her MBA while continuing to work full-time. During her time in Oklahoma City, the UCO Bronchos won the GNAC Conference Championship and went to back-to-back NCAA DII National Championships, placing 2nd in 2023 and 3rd in 2024. Throughout her time at UCO, Sydney earned accolades including CRCA Scholar Athlete, First Team All-GNAC Conference, and multiple GNAC athlete of the week awards. During her time at UCO she served as interim Masters Head Coach at OKC Riversport and coached learn to row programming.
Sydney is currently the Women’s Head Coach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering and stepped into the role of Milwaukee Rowing Club Boys Head Coach in Spring 2025. In her short time with the boy's youth program, she has fostered a positive environment for the athletes to develop and improve, highlighted by sending two men's crews to youth nationals in June. Sydney was announced as Executive Director of the Milwaukee Rowing Club in August 2025.
Zoë Tiffin
Co-Head Girls Coach
Zoë Tiffin began rowing in seventh grade at the Milwaukee Rowing Club and went on to compete at the collegiate level for Trinity College. During her time at Trinity, she served as stroke seat of the Varsity 8+, leading her crew to strong finishes at NCAA Championships and other national-level races.
Zoë’s collegiate career is highlighted by back-to-back First Team All-American honors (2023, 2024) and three First Team All-NESCAC selections. She raced and medaled in the 1V8+ at the 2024 NCAA Division III Championships, was a medalist at the 2023 Head of the Charles, and competed at the Royal Henley Regatta in 2024. Recognized for her excellence both on and off the water, Zoë was also one of five finalists for the 2024 Division III Athlete of the Year.
After graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2024, Zoë moved back to Milwaukee to work for Exact Sciences. She became involved in coaching for Milwaukee Rowing Club in the summer of 2023 and then returned in fall 2024 under Head Coaches Roger Huffman and Sydney Large.
Danika Holbrook
Co-Head Girls Coach
Since joining the Milwaukee Rowing Club in 2022, Danika has been a transformative force in the club’s high school program. In addition to her regular coaching responsibilities, she has spearheaded sculling and high-performance ergometer camps, providing unique opportunities for athletes across Milwaukee’s rowing community.
During her time at MRC, the girls program has achieved consistent success at the USRowing Youth National Championships:
Youth Women’s 8+: 2022, 2023 (12th), 2024 (16th), 2025
Youth Women’s 2V8+: 2023, 2024 (13th)
Youth Women’s U17 4+: 2022, 2023, 2025
Danika’s own rowing journey began at age 11 at the Durham Boat Club in New Hampshire. Just one year later, she claimed her first national title in the Junior Women’s Double. Over her junior career, she went on to win nine national titles across a range of events, including the 1x, 2x, 2-, and 4x. In 1990, she represented the United States at the Junior World Championships in Aiguebelette, France, stroking the Women’s 4-.
From 1991 to 1995, Danika rowed for Princeton University, completing all four years with an undefeated record and earning four national titles. Simultaneously, she competed internationally, winning a bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships in Račice, Czech Republic, and a gold medal at the 1994 World Championships in Indianapolis, USA—both stroking the Women’s Lightweight Four (4-). Later in her elite career, Danika stroked the U.S. Women’s Quadruple Sculls at the 2002 (Seville, Spain) and 2003 (Milan, Italy) World Championships, before culminating her international career by stroking the U.S. Quadruple Sculls at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Danika and her husband, Ben—a former Brown University rower and fellow 2004 Olympian in the Men’s Quad—are the proud parents of four children. Their two eldest, both MRC alumni, now row for UCLA.
John Creighton
Co-Head Girls Coach
John started helping coach the high school girls crews in the fall of 2019
He learned to row as a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. He was a 3 year letterman at Penn and selected to the US National team sweep camps in 1981 & 1982. While attending graduate school at Bucknell in 1983-85, he helped start their rowing club and became their first coach. John has been an active member of the MRC since 1987 and raced in numerous regattas including Henley Royal Regatta, Canadian Henley, US National team trials, US Masters Nationals and at least 30 Head of the Charles regattas.
He has 3 daughters and his middle daughter, Meredith, was in Roger’s first women’s 8+ that finished 13th at Youth Nationals in 2013. John recently retired from CBRE and spends the winter months in Delray Beach, Florida.
Dan Graham
Director of STEM to Stern, Head Middle School Coach, Assistant Coach
dangraham@mkejuniors.org — (608) 320-4004
Grace D’Souza
Assistant Girls & Boys Coach
Grace has been an Assistant Boy’s Coach at the Milwaukee Rowing Club since August 2021. Her experience in rowing ranges from the Milwaukee Rowing Club to the US National Team. As a junior athlete, Grace rowed for the Milwaukee Rowing Club from July 2013 through July 2017. During her time as an athlete at MRC, Grace competed at The Head of the Charles, the San Diego Crew Classic, and most notably, Youth National Championships in the Lightweight 4+. Additionally, Grace served as the team captain during her senior year. In addition to rowing, Grace also competed on the Whitefish Bay Varsity Tennis and Ski Racing teams.
Grace was recruited to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Women’s Lightweight Team where she began her collegiate career as a Division I Athlete. Her notable Collegiate racing experience includes: The Head the Charles, The Head of the Hooch, San Diego Crew Classic, The Knecht Cup, Eastern Sprints, and the IRA. While on the team, Grace set the standing Freshman and All-Time 2000m records for the lightweight team. In addition, Grace served as the Lightweight Team Captain during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.
During her summers, Grace trained with High Performance groups around the country and competed for the US National Team in 2021 in the Lightweight Womens 4x. In 2018, Grace rowed at Vesper Rowing Club in Philadelphia, competing in US Time Trials (2nd in the LW 1x), Club Nationals, and Canadian Henley. In 2019, Grace was selected for the U23 US National Team Camp in Boston, MA, and again competed at US Time Trials (2nd in the LW 1x). In 2020, after being selected for the U23 US National Team Camp again, which was interrupted by COVID-19, she continued to train virtually with the team. Finally, in 2021, Grace trained at Mission Rowing in Santa Barbara, CA, where she qualified the U23 Lightweight 4x at US Time Trials. Later that summer, she placed 3rd in the LW 4x at U23 World Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.
Grace began Law School in Fall 2021 at Marquette University. In addition to Law school and coaching the Boy’s Team, Grace continues to train for Senior level competitions. At the 2021 Head of the Charles, Grace placed 3rd in the Lightweight Women’s Single. She hopes to continue to compete at a high level and educate the younger athletes on opportunities at a national level.
Sandy Williams
Assistant Boys Coach
Sandy has been an assistant coach with the Varsity Boys program since 2014. His rowing experience goes back nearly to the dark ages, having rowed in the 1960s at Harvard College under the watchful eye of coaching legend Harry Parker.
A lifelong resident of Milwaukee, after graduating from Harvard and then Columbia Law and Business schools, he returned to the city to practice corporate law and raise a family of four boys and numerous dogs. Retirement in 2012 led to a brief flirtation with coaching high school football and then a recommitment of his passion for coaching to the sport of rowing, which had become so important to him in college.
Roger Huffman
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Roger served as the former Executive Direcor and Head Girls’ Coach at The Milwaukee Rowing Club from 2012 to 2025. Highlights of his MRC tenure include seeing the girls make their first ever USRowing Youth National Championship appearances in the Women’s 8+ (15th in 2013), the Women’s Lwt 4+ (13th in 2014), and the Women's 4+ (15th in 2015). The girls again qualified the Youth Women’s 4+ in 2019 (15th place). Since returning from the Covid lockdown, the girls program has competed at Youth Nationals in the Youth Women’s 8+ in 2021, 2022, 2023 (12th place) and 2024 (16th place), the Youth Women’s 2V8+ in 2023 and 2024 (13th place), and the Youth Womens U17 4+ in 2021 (4th), 2022, and 2023. He was named the Program Director in March of 2014.
Roger began his coaching career in 2010 at the University of Wisconsin. In the spring of 2011 he coached the Men's Second Freshmen Eight to a gold medal at the Eastern Sprints. In the academic year of 2011-2012, Roger served as an assistant coach for the Men's Heavyweight program at Princeton University. In Princeton, he assisted with Princeton University High Performance Camps, Carnegie Lake Rowing Association Masters team, and contributed to the success of the Men’s Varsity program. Prior to joining the MRC staff in 2012, Roger also assisted with the USRowing Men's Development Camp in Madison, WI.
Roger began his rowing career in the fall of 2006 as a freshman at Orange Coast College. In his two years at Coast, he won the Men's Varsity 8+ at the San Diego Crew Classic and won two consecutive gold medals at the WIRA (Conference) Championships. Roger then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his junior and senior year. In 2009 he earned a silver medal at the Eastern Sprints in the Second Varsity Eight, and in 2010 he rowed in the Varsity Eight which placed 4th at the Eastern Sprints. He also earned medals at Club Nationals and Canadian Henley in 2009, highlighted by a gold medal in the Senior 8+ at Canadian Henley.
Roger lives in Shorewood with his wife, Colleen, and dog, Tucker.