Deitrick named first HPU women's rowing coach

Greer Smith, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

May 24—HIGH POINT — Jessica Deitrick is back at High Point University.

Deitrick, who started HPU's club rowing program in 2014 and was its men's and women's coach through 2016 while overseeing all 21 club sports, left to become an assistant coach at the Naval Academy in 2016 and for the past four seasons served as head coach in the revival of the women's program at Colgate.

On Wednesday, she was introduced as the first head coach of HPU's new women's rowing program, which is projected to start competition in the fall of 2024.

"The only reason I left High Point was I wanted to learn how to be a Division I coach," Deitrick said. "That is why I stepped away. My husband and I love this area. We wanted to come back. When I heard about the opportunity and how the athletic department was planning to build this program and all the resources they are putting into it, I at least had to throw my hat in there and see what happens. I'm lucky enough to get this chance and see what I can do with it."

At Colgate, Deitrick led the Raiders to fourth place at Patriot League championships in 2021, the program's best showing in 10 years, and two seventh places.

Deitrick said she believes she will have an easier time at HPU because of resources and warmer weather which will allow the team to practice year-round. The Panthers will practice and compete on Oak Hollow Lake.

"I had very few resources and zero scholarships at Colgate," Dietrick said. "Being able to have scholarships and the money necessary to run a rowing program, High Point is going to give me that."

Women's rowing will be HPU's 17th varsity sport. The timeline for getting the team up and running includes getting equipment and uniforms and the building a boathouse plus recruiting athletes this upcoming academic year.

"The boathouse should be built and we should have the equipment by the spring of next year, going into the summer," Dietrick said. "So it should be ready when the team arrives in the fall of 2024."

HPU joins Duke and UNC as universities in North Carolina which field rowing teams. Dietrick said the conference in which the Panthers will compete is to be determined.

"I see that this program could turn into a nationally recognized program, and I'm a competitive person and I want to win," Dietrick said. "They are going to put resources into it so I'm excited at being the person that can make that happen."