Martin Stone Position: Head Coach Alma Mater: Saint Mary's (Calif.) '89

With every season, Martin Stone's dream of building a national-caliber program at Notre Dame becomes reality.

When he was named the program's first-ever head coach back in October of 1997 after rowing was granted varsity status, Stone came to Notre Dame with just one simple objective -- to build a program that was recognized as one of the nation's best. In just nine seasons as a varsity sport, few could argue that he has the program headed in that direction.

With back-to-back berths in the NCAA Championships, Notre Dame has certainly caught the attention and gained the respect as one of the top collegiate programs in the country.

During the 2006-07 campaign, the Irish finished 12th at the NCAA Championships and won an unprecedented fourth consecutive BIG EAST crown. In addition, Notre Dame placed fifth at the Central/South Region Championships.

The varsity eight crew finished in the top-10 of the national polls for the second straight year and was sixth in the national ranking. The varsity eight boat won the gold medal at the BIG EAST Championships and was third at the Central/South Region Championships. At one point during mid-season, the Irish varsity eight crew rattled off

five consecutive wins over top-10 boats for the first time ever in program history and climbed to an all-time best of third in the national poll.

Stone and assistants Joe Schlosberg and Marnie Stahl were tabbed as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Amanda Polk be-came the program's first three-time All-American and was a repeat selection on the Collegiate Coaches Rowing Association's (CRCA) first team. Teammate Allison Marsh copped second-team All-America honors.

Five rowers garnered CRCA all-Central Region honors as Polk, Marsh and coxswain Maria Romano copped first-team honors, while Meghan Boyle and Laura Pearson were tabbed as second-team honorees.

The unmatched success of the 2005-06 campaign could certainly be considered the program's benchmark. During the season, the Irish finished ninth in the team competition at the NCAA Championships after earning the school's first-ever team bid. Highlighting the Champion-ship was a victory by the varsity eight boat in the Petite Final as the crew earned a seventh-place finish overall. Both the second varsity eight and varsity four crews also advanced to the Petite Final in their races and finished 12th and 11th, respectively.

Stone was tabbed BIG EAST Coach of the Year in `06 for the second time in his career after Notre Dame won its third consecutive conference title by winning four of six races. He also was named the CRCA Central Region Coach of the Year (an honor that he also earned in 2002) after the Irish also finished a program-best third at the Central/South Region Championships.

After beginning the season unranked, Notre Dame's varsity eight boat finished fifth in the final CRCA/US Rowing ranking. In addition to finishing fifth at the NCAAs, the Irish varsity eight copped gold medals at both the BIG EAST and Central/South Region Championships. The win at the Central/South Region Championships was the first in a Grand Final for a Notre Dame varsity eight boat. Earlier in the spring, Notre Dame recorded its highest finish ever -- fourth place -- in the Jessop-Whittier Cup race at the San Diego Crew Classic.

A record three rowers from the varsity eight crew earned All-America recognition by the CRCA that was highlighted by Polk becoming the second rower in the program's history to earn first-team honors. In addition to Polk, senior Sarah Palandech and sophomore Julie Sobolewski garnered second-team honors.

Five rowers (the most in school history) earned CRCA all-Central Region honors, including four first team honorees. Polk was a first-team selection for the second consecutive year, while Palandech, Sobolewski and Romano copped first-team for the first time in their careers. Melissa Felker rounded out the list as a second-team selection.

In 2004-05 Notre Dame won its second straight BIG EAST by winning four of six events. The Irish enjoyed one of its best showings at the Central/South Region Championships with a seventh-place (its highest to date at the time). Polk became the first Notre Dame freshman to earn All-America honors as a second-team honoree and also was the first rookie to garner all-Central Region first-team honors. In addition, Katie Chenoweth and Maureen Gibbons were honored as CRCA National Scholar Athletes.

Notre Dame's 2003-04 seemed to set the stage for the success of the past couple of seasons. Following three consecutive second-place finishes, Notre Dame copped its first-ever team title at the BIG EAST Rowing Challenge by winning four of five race titles, tying the conference record for individual crowns.

The Irish varsity eight crew made an appearance in the NCAA Championships for the second time in school history and earned an 11th-place finish. Notre Dame also finished 16th in the final CRCA/US Rowing.

The '03-'04 campaign saw Natalie Ladine earn first-team CRCA All-America honors as she became the second rower in school history to earn All-America accolades. Ladine and Alice Bartek garnered all-Central Region honors as well, while three individuals - Chenoweth, Jacqueline Hazen and Ladine - were recipients of the CRCA Scholar-Athlete Award.

The success of the program over the past five years has also aided Stone's recruiting efforts. Polk, a member of the United States Rowing Junior National Team that competed at the '04 FISA Senior and Junior World Rowing Championships in Banyoles, Spain in August, highlighted a seven-member class two years ago that was ranked one of the best in the country.

Consistency has been the hallmark of the Notre Dame rowing program under Stone. Although the Irish did not advance to the NCAA Championships in '03, there were still many firsts in the program during that 2002-03 campaign as the second varsity four won its first-ever gold medal at the Central Regional Championships. Notre Dame also won three gold medals (the most up to that point) at the BIG EAST regatta as the Irish won the second varsity eight, the varsity four and the second varsity four. Notre Dame defeated top teams such as Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee and Clemson throughout the season and finished just out of the top 20.

Ashlee Warren and Ladine earned CRCA all-Central Region accolades while Warren (a two-time winner), Cassie Markstahler (a two-time winner) and Chenoweth were named to the CRCA National Scholar-Athlete team. Warren also became the first rower in Irish history to win the BIG EAST/Aéropostale Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a semifinalist for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

In 2001-02, Stone, one of six finalists for coach-of-the-year honors, led the Irish to one of their best seasons as the Irish earned a final ranking of 13th after being ranked as high as ninth at one point in the campaign. The Irish also earned their first-ever invitation to the national regatta, placing 16th at the NCAA Rowing Championships in the varsity eight.

That season, the Irish boasted a then program-high four all-Central Region honorees. Warren also became the first rower at Notre Dame to earn All-America honors when she was named to the second team.

The Irish finished the 2000-01 season ranked 16th nationally. The varsity eight took fifth and the second varsity eight sixth at the 2001 Central Regions, while the second varsity four was fourth in its final, and the varsity four won the petite title at the same event.

Other highlights of the campaign included the varsity eight winning the Head of the Elk, its first such victory in a regatta of that magnitude, and five other races during the spring. The Irish received an invitation and placed sixth in the Jessop-Whittier Cup at the prestigious San Diego Crew Classic.

Stone also coached Warren and Michelle Olsgard to CRCA all-region honors in `01, while Warren, Katherine Burnett, Ann Marie Dillhoff and Becky Luckett won CRCA National Scholar-Athlete accolades. Warren and Luckett also became the first Notre Dame rowers named to the US Rowing Collegiate Honor Roll, while Leah Ashe became the first Irish rower to earn Academic All-America honors when she was named to the second team. The Irish also had 24 rowers make the BIG EAST Academic All-Star team.

Stone's second season saw dramatic improvement from his squad that boasted the talents of Katrina Ten Eyck, one of the top rowers in the nation. Ten Eyck, who garnered CRCA all-region honors, was invited to train at the United States Olympic Training Center.

In 1998-99, Stone sent the program off to a rousing start and quickly put Notre Dame on the map as he led the lightweight eight vessel to a No. 12 national ranking.

Before his arrival at Notre Dame, Stone spent five years as the women's rowing coach at the United States Naval Academy, where he began his coaching career.

He started his coaching career as the women's rowing coach at the United States Naval Academy, serving for five years. In 1994, Stone coached the Mids to a varsity eight title at the Champion International Collegiate Rowing Championships. Navy not only earned the title, but also was awarded the prestigious Anita DeFrantz Trophy for overall performance by women's crews at the Champion International Regatta.

Two years prior in 1992, Stone directed the Mids' varsity eight to its first gold medal at the Dad Vail Regatta, the East Coast's largest crew regatta. The second varsity eight also won a gold medal at the Dad Vail with the team winning the Seitz Trophy for overall team performance by women's crews.

The next season, Navy swept all of the races at the Patriot League Championships. The first novice boat also achieved success for Stone in 1993, by placing first at the Champion International Collegiate Regatta.

Stone's fifth year and final year at the helm of the Navy crew program marked a new era for the program. The Midshipmen joined the prestigious Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges (EAWRC), which includes schools such as Brown, Princeton and Virginia. In the team's first season in the EAWRC, the first varsity placed third in the third-level finals, while the second varsity won the third-level finals at the EAWRC Championships.

Prior to taking over Navy's women's program, Stone served as the Mids plebe lightweight coach in 1991. He also was an assistant rowing coach at his alma mater, Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., in 1990, working with both the men's and women's programs and more specifically, with the varsity and novice women.

Stone began his rowing career at Saint Mary's College as an undergraduate. With the Gaels, he was named the most valuable oarsman three years and went on to earn three letters, two in the heavyweight boat and one in the lightweight boat.

Born March 25, 1966, Stone graduated from Saint Mary's with a Bachelor of Arts degree in an integral major. He and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two sons -- Jack and Noah.

The Stone File

• Hire Date: Oct. 29, 1997

• Birthdate: March 25, 1966

• Education: Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary's (Calif.) '89

• Marital Status: Married, wife Amy

• Children: Two sons - Jack (born March 1999) and Noah (born February 2005)

Coaching Highlights

1992 - Stone directed the Navy varsity eight to its first gold medal at the Dad Vail Regatta (largest crew regatta on the East Coast) ... The Mids captured the Seitz Trophy for overall team performance at the Dad Vail for the sixth consecutive year.

1993 - Stone's crews swept all varsity and novice races at the Patriot League championships ... Navy's first novice boat took first at the Champion International Collegiate Rowing Regatta.

1994 - Stone led Navy as the varsity eight won the title, as well as the first and second novice boats finishing first ... The Mids also captured the Anita DeFrantz Trophy for overall performance by a women's crew team at the Champion International Regatta.

1995 - The Navy varsity eight and second varsity eight were fifth and second, respectively, at the Champion International Collegiate Regatta.

1997 - Stone was named head rowing coach at the University of Notre Dame.

1999 - Notre Dame completed its first year of varsity competition as the lightweight eight boat finished the year ranked 12th in the nation.

2001 - Notre Dame achieved its first national ranking, closing out the season 16th, and just missed the 2001 NCAA Championships after a fifth-place finish at the Central Regions, its highest in history.

2002 - Notre Dame's varsity eight receives an invitation to the 2002 NCAA Rowing Championships in Indianapolis ... The Irish placed 16th at the NCAAs and finished the season ranked 13th as a team. Notre Dame also had its first All-American in Ashlee Warren, while four women earned CRCA All-Region honors and six women were named CRCA National Scholar-Athletes ... Stone also was named one of six finalists for CRCA National Coach of the Year.

2003 - Stone led Notre Dame to its first-ever gold medal at the Central Regions (second varsity four) and three gold medals at the 2003 BIG EAST Rowing Challenge (second varsity eight, varsity four, second varsity four) ... Notre Dame also competed at the Windermere Cup in Seattle in front of 100,000 people.

2004 - Notre Dame wins a record four race titles to capture its first-ever BIG EAST Rowing Challenge ... The Irish varsity eight crew earns an at-large berth into the NCAA Championships for the second time an finishes 11th overall ... Natalie Ladine earns CRCA first-team All-America honors and was an all-Central Region honoree along with teammate Alice Bartek.

2005 - Notre Dame wins its second consecutive BIG EAST title by winning four events ... The Irish finish seventh at the Central/South Region Championships ... Amanda Polk becomes the first Irish freshman to earn All-America honors as a second-team honoree and first-team all-Central Region selection.

2006 - Notre Dame finishes ninth at the NCAA Championships after earning its first-ever team berth ... The Irish varsity eight boat wins the Petite Final at the NCAA and finishes seventh overall, while the second varsity eight and varsity four are 12th and 11th, respectively ... The varsity eight finishes the year ranked fifth nationally (a program best) after winning gold medals at the BIG EAST and Central/South Region Championships ... Stone is named BIG EAST Coach of the Year after leading the Irish to their third consecutive crown and also is honored as the Central Region Coach of the Year ... A record three rowers -- Polk, Julie Sobolewski and Sarah Palandech -- receive All-America recognition with Polk earning first-team honors.

2007 - Notre Dame places 12th at the NCAA Championships after earning a team bid for the second consecutive year ... The Irish win an unprecedented fourth straight BIG EAST title as the varsity eight, varsity four and novice four crews all win gold medals ... For the second time in as many seasons, the varsity eight crew finishes in the top-10 of the national rankings and is sixth in the final poll and places third at the Central/South Region Championships ... Polk is tabbed a first-team All-American for the second straight year and becomes the program's first-ever three-time All-America honoree ... Allison Marsh garners All-America honors for the first time in her career as a second-team selection.