University of Massachusets Athletics
Rowing
- Title:
- Graduate Assistant Coach
Putnam coached at Rutgers University the last four years, where she led the novice/freshman squad from 2002 - 2006 and assisted with the varsity boats. In her third spring season with the Scarlet Knights, Putnam[apos]s 2005 novice eight won the Big East Championship and finished 7th overall at the Eastern Sprints. Her crews also brought home Big East silver medals in 2003 and 2004, and a bronze medal in 2006.
Prior to Rutgers, Putnam spent the 2001-02 season at the U.S. Naval Academy coaching the freshmen/novice women. Following a successful fall campaign in which Navy[apos]s novices won the Navy Day Regatta, the Head of the Schuylkill and the combined men[apos]s and women[apos]s points trophy at the Princeton Freshmen Invite, Putnam[apos]s first novice eight went 15 and 1 in regular spring season competition. Both her first and second novice eights then went on to qualify for the Grand Finals at Eastern Sprints. Finishing 6th overall, the 2002 novices were Navy[apos]s first ever women[apos]s crews to qualify for an Eastern Sprints Final in an eight-oared event. Putnam served as an intern for the Princeton Lightweight Women from 1999-2001. Her 2001 novice lightweight eight won gold at the Eastern Sprints and both freshmen classes went on to contribute to IRA national titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
A native of Massachusetts, Putnam graduated with honors from UMass in 1998, with a B.A. in Comparative Literature. Putnam picked up the sport of rowing as a novice walk-on freshman year. Her rowing career was highlighted by an Eastern Sprints gold medal in the Varsity Lightweight Eight.
