Susan Parkman

Head Coach
Office Phone: (503) 370-6655
Cell Phone: (503) 758-5928
E-mail: sparkman@willamette.edu

Susan Parkman is in her third year as the head coach of the Willamette University men's and women's rowing teams. She began working at Willamette in March of 2006.

Parkman has extensive experience with rowing, both as a competitor and as a coach. Prior to arriving at Willamette to lead the Bearcats, she coached at the collegiate level at Santa Clara University and at the University of Washington.

She also has been an assistant coach with U.S. Rowing and represented the United States as a coach at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She coached the U.S. women’s single sculler to a ninth place finish out of 24 entries.

Her interest in rowing began as a college student at Humboldt State University. A few years later, she became head coach at Santa Clara. Parkman then went to the University of Washington, where she was assistant novice women’s coach. Her experience also includes coaching at Lakeside High School in Seattle, Wash., where her efforts resulted in the varsity girl’s team placing several rowers at the national level. She also worked with an outreach project, the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program, to get young people entering the ninth grade involved in rowing.

At Willamette, Parkman has significant goals for the Bearcats. The men’s and women’s teams compete in the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference (NCRC) and the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) and the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. The women’s team also competes in NCAA Division III.

“My goals ultimately are to win the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference and to get a berth at the NCAA Championship for the women’t team,” Parkman said.

“I’m thrilled to work with student-athletes at this stage of their lives ... helping to teach them the skills needed to balance the demands of academics and athletics. I want to open their eyes to see that they are capable of so much more than they think. I emphasize the skills of teamwork: trusting each other as they work hard together.”

In addition to her duties at WU, she coaches at the master’s level with the Willamette Rowing Club in Portland, Ore. Parkman also is a professional photographer, known for her portraits and rowing photos. Parkman and her husband, Tiff Wood, live in Portland.

David Bentsen
Assistant Coach

David Bentsen joins the Bearcats this year as an assistant coach. He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, where he was a member of the Class of 2006. During his years at Pacific Lutheran, he competedwith the PLU rowing team.

At Willamette, he is in his second year as a student attending the WU College of Law. He is glad to be able to commit some of his time to working with the Bearcats as they prepare for regattas throughout the year.

Ashley San Blise
Assistant Coach

Ashley San Blise is in her first year as an assistant coach at Willamette Univesity. She is in her fifth year at Willamette and is finishing her Environmental Science major. She was a member of the rowing team at Willamette for four years, starting in 2003.

San Blise, who is originally from Salem, is proud to help continue the traditions of Willamette Rowing. Her mother, Kathie, and family pets Rocky, Quinten, Ravenna and Fiona, also live in Salem.