Coaches

Head Coach, Pasha Spencer-Levitan

Pasha Spencer was named the new head coach of the University of Portland women's rowing program during the summer of 2013. Spencer, who previously was the head coach of the women's rowing team at Saint Mary's, spent the previous five years as the Executive Director of the Everett Rowing Association.

Spencer took over a program that was established as an NCAA Division I program in 2011 and she led the Pilots to a third-place finish at the 2014 WCC Championships. After a fifth-place showing at the 2015 WCC’s, Spencer led a young squad to a solid fourth-place finish from 2016-2018, which was highlighted by the varsity eight posting the fastest time ever at the championships.

Spencer is a Level III U.S. Rowing certified coach who has been head of the Everett Rowing Association since 2008. Prior to Everett Rowing, Spencer spent five years at the helm of the Gaels in Moraga, Calif. In her second season, SMC broke an eight-year losing streak at the WCC Championships. From 2006 to 2008 the team moved up one place each WCC Championship with a team-best second place finish in 2007.

Spencer also spent two years (2001-03) as the assistant coach and head recruiter at Yale. In her first year the Bulldogs' novice team swept the Ivy League with an undefeated season. At the 2002 NCAA Championships, Spencer guided the varsity four to a bronze medal and the school's first ever NCAA medalist finish. In 2003, the novice team broke a five-year non-medaling streak and rallied to a bronze medal finish at the Eastern Sprint Championships.

Before working at Yale University, Spencer spent just over one year with the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, Conn. as a Master's Rowing Program Coordinator and the Head Junior Women's Coach. She joined Saugatuck Rowing Club after coaching the novice women's crew at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. In her second year at Trinity College, she guided the novice team to an undefeated season and a gold and silver medal championship at the New England Championships and the Champion International Regatta.

Following a four-year collegiate rowing career at the University of Washington, Spencer joined the Huskies rowing staff as an assistant in 1995. In her only year as the assistant novice women's crew coach, she coached the second and third novice boats to gold medal finishes at the Northwest Regional Championships on Vancouver Lake, Wash.

A native of Stevenson, Wash., Spencer graduated from Washington with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1995. During college and prior to her coaching career, Spencer was a forest firefighter for 7 seasons which included 3 years on the Winema and Flagstaff Hotshot crews and 1 season rappelling from helicopters with the Lake Chelan Helitack Crew.

Spencer resides in North Portland with her husband David Levitan, and daughters Kalea and Eliana.

Assistant Coach, Plamen Petrov

Email: petrov@up.edu

The University of Portland women’s rowing program added Plamen Petrov as an assistant coach during the spring of 2016. A head coach and the president of Oregon Rowing Unlimited since 2012, Petrov was a Bulgarian national team member for seven years.

A native Bulgarian, Plamen has been involved with rowing since he was eleven years old. He has a master’s degree in Sculling, Sweeping, and Physical Fitness Teaching. For twenty-plus years he has been teaching and coaching, using his broad knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and performance as a foundation for his coaching style.

Plamen was a Bulgarian National Team member and he won several Bulgarian national titles in sculling and sweeping rowing between 1979 and 1991. He also participated in the Juniors World Championship in 1984 and 1986.

Under his guidance, athletes have medaled at regionals and raced at US Junior Nationals. His coaching stops include Reed College, the UP men’s club team and Lake Oswego Community Rowing.

Assistant Coach, Melissa Gomez

Email: gomezm@up.edu

Coach Melissa started her rowing career at the University of Portland when it was a club sport. She stayed with the program as it transitioned to a Varsity sport her second year. Making the varsity 8+ her junior and senior years, Melissa was made captain her final year with the Pilots in 2014. She helped lead the team to a highest ever third place finish at the West Coast Conference Championship.

After graduating with a degree in Biology, Melissa moved to San Francisco to coach at Pacific Rowing Club where she saw two fours go to Youth Nationals in 2016. The lightweight varsity 4+ came away with a silver medal, finishing 2nd overall while the varsity 4+ came away with a respectable 10th place finish.

Following the successful season at Pacific, Melissa moved back to Portland in order to coach at her alma mater, University of Portland as the Novice coach. Melissa hopes to instill a strong work ethic and relentless drive in her rowers. She hopes that the lessons learned from rowing will allow any student to be successful in college and later in life.

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