SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL ROWING
MEET THE COACHES
Assistant Coaches
Ted Bristol
Head Coach
Ted Bristol has been coaching crew at Sidwell Friends since 2008, first as assistant coach and for the last twelve years, as head coach. He recently led the Sidwell Freshmen boat to qualify for their first ever Nationals (2022), during which they made the semi-finals.
He has a long history of rowing on the Potomac River, first serving as co-captain of the rowing team at George Washington University where he was voted Most Valuable Oarsman his senior year. He then coached the GWU freshmen men for a season and has rowed as a member of the Potomac Boat Club. Ted now rows out of Thompson Boat Center and coaches part time at Capital Rowing Club in DC.
Ted is the parent of two Sidwell graduates, Hannah (’10), who rowed for Sidwell, and Daniel (’13). Ted was a principal at Faegre Drinker Consulting, where he headed the public sector practice team.
Cecilia Laguarda
Cecilia Laguarda learned to row at Sidwell Friends and earned a seat with the varsity her freshman year. She was a four-year varsity rower, chosen to be team captain in both her junior and senior years. She graduated in 2013 and went on to row at Harvard for two years where she earned bronze and silver medals at the Ivy League championships.
After college, Cecilia became a science teacher in Colorado. She returned to Sidwell in 2021 as an Upper School biology teacher and assistant rowing coach. She and Coach Taylor helped guide the Freshmen 8 to the Scholastic Nationals in their first season working together.
Maggie Taylor
Maggie Taylor was a four-year student athlete at the University of Virginia (UVA). During her career as a rower, she served in various team and UVA Athletics leadership positions, ultimately becoming an ACC Champion and 4th place NCAA finisher in the Women’s Varsity 4+ event.
Maggie began coaching for Sidwell Friends during the 2021-2022 season and with Coach Laguarda, helped guide the Freshmen 8 to a silver medal at the VASRA championships.
When she isn’t coaching on the Potomac, Maggie works as a congressional staffer in the House of Representatives, where she manages a portfolio that includes issues of foreign affairs, intelligence, international trade, and humanitarian crises.
Meet the 2023-24 Board
SFS Rowing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the Sidwell Friends School girls' crew team and raises the funds necessary to purchase and maintain equipment used by the team. The capital budget is amortized over ten years so that we can afford large purchases, such as new shells, without unduly burdening current families.
SFS Rowing's equipment currently includes two eights, two fours, a launch and motor, twenty+ ergs, three cox boxes, safety equipment, and lots of oars. We fund the capital budget with donations, primarily from current parents, and from large and small fundraising events.
Marc Neilson
President
This is Marc's third year with the board. His daughter Leia started with the SFS crew in 2022 as a freshmen. Marc has served on several Sidwell Parent Committees and is an active Senior class grade representative. Marc runs a corporate training consultancy and also coaches cycling and triathlon.
Owen Donley
Vice President
Laura DeBonis
Treasurer
This is Laura’s first year on the SFS Rowing board. Her daughter Lia started on the SFS crew team in 2022 as a freshman. Laura works as a consultant and advisor primarily to tech start-ups and non-profits. In her free time, she loves spending time with her kids, running, and walking the family dog Clio.
Debee Yamamoto
Secretary
This is Debee's first year on the SFS Crew Board. Her daughter, Emi Nyhan started rowing as a freshman in 2023. Debee has served as a clerk in several different areas within Sidwell's Parent Association and has a background in civil rights advocacy and international development focusing on food security issues. She has a lengthy, ever growing and aspirational list of books to read that she is always trying to tackle