Chris Tolsdorf
Program Director and Head Girls Coach – 10th Season
Chris started as Boy’s Head Coach in the fall of 2015 and took over as the director of the Unionville program during the summer of 2016. Although he started with the Varsity Boys, Chris has coached every team at some point, and continues to help out wherever he is needed. He is a USRowing Level 2 Certified Coach.
In 2024 his JV8 won a silver medal at SRAA Nationals, the first in program history. This was quickly followed by a bronze medal in the V4 event, adding to their bronze from PSRA City Championships. In 2023 his Girl’s 2nd 4 won Silver at Stotesbury, his JV8 and V4 won Silver at PSRA City Championships, and his V4 made the final and finished 6th at the SRAA National Championship. His crews have won medals at SRAA Nationals, PSRA City Championships, Head of the Occoquan, and USRowing Mid-Atlantics, and he has raced crews at The Head of the Charles and USRowing Youth Nationals.
Chris rowed at Yale University, stroking the Varsity 8 for three years. He also rowed at the US Olympic Festival and spent a brief and uneventful time rowing with the US National Team. He lives in West Chester with his wife (also a Yale rower) dogs and chickens. His three children stop by to visit from time to time.
In addition to high school rowing, Chris has coached at the collegiate level at UMass, Georgetown, UVA, and Drexel. His collegiate crews also won multiple medals and championships including Gold at Dad Vails and a Bronze medal the IRA Championships. He still rows every fall at the Head of the Charles with an increasingly aging Masters 8.
Maegan Hailey
Novice Girl’s Coach – 8th Season
Maegan has led the Novice Girls for many years and prides herself on creating a positive team culture. In 2024 her Novice 8 won silver at PSRA City Championships adding to her teams incredible success over the past 8 years. She is a USRowing Level 2 Certified Coach.
Maegan graduated from Unionville High School in 2017 and graduated from West Chester University majoring in psychology and minoring in American Sign Language. She also works as a pre-school teacher at Fairville Friends School.
She spent all four years of high school on Unionville Crew. She started her novice year rowing and after three seasons switched to coxing. She couldn’t be more stoked to come back to the team to coach.
Michael o’dwyer
Varsity Boy’s Coach – 4th Season
This is Michael’s fourth season with Unionville, and he is returning as the Varsity Boys Coach. In 2024 he led the team to their highest ever finish at SRAA Nationals, with the Varsity 4 placing 7th overall.
Originally from Delaware, Michael spent roughly 18 years living in both Ireland and England. He started rowing at the age of 13, at Royal Chester Rowing Club, located in Chester, England. He graduated from University in 2017 with a degree in Sports Science and Injury Rehabilitation. He then pursued a career in coaching that same year and has never looked back; working at St. Peter’s School, York, while also working towards a Post Graduate Degree in Education.
With a dad, two brothers, and a sister who are deeply rooted in the sport, Michael felt that continuing to immerse himself in rowing was only right. However, he now occasionally runs in his free time, so that he has something else to talk about other than rowing. He was looking for a reason to move back to the US for some time, with Unionville and the sport of rowing affording him that opportunity.
erin megill
Novice Boy’s Coach – 1st Season
Unionville Crew is proud to welcome Coach Erin back to the program! A 2020 graduate of Unionville Crew, she is coming home to pass along all her experience and leadership to the next generation of athletes.
A 2-time Captain at Unionville, she continued her rowing career in college as a Division 1 athlete at Loyola University Maryland and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education in 2024 . While at Loyola Erin was again a 2-time Captain (21-22, 22-23) before unfortunately medically retiring after her junior year. She continued to be involved in the rowing program as a Walk-on/ Novice Coach for the 23-24 season. Additionally, Erin is coaching with the Conshohocken Rowing Center’s summer program.
