Rudy Ryback begins his first season as the head men's and women's crew coach at Washington University in St. Louis.

In his previous capacity, Ryback was responsible for teaching, training and racing novice crews as well as assisting in the instruction of the varsity crews. During his tenure with the program, the Bears won the point’s trophy in the University Rowing Association Championships three out of the last four years.

In addition to his experience at Washington University, Ryback served as the varsity assistant and novice juniors coach for the St. Louis Rowing Club the past three years.

Additionally, he served as coach of the St. Louis Rowing Club’s adult recreational rowing program (2008-09) and adult sculling program (summer 2010). Ryback also spent time as the head coach of the Kenai Crewsers Rowing Club in Seward, Alaska, during summer 2008, and the G-Row middle school assistant coach for Community Rowing Incorporated in spring 2006.

A native of St. Louis, Ryback’s rowing experience includes four years as a collegiate oarsman at the University of Colorado at Boulder (2001-05) and three years as a junior rower and sculler with the St. Louis Rowing Club (1998-2000) in addition to having attended several U.S. Rowing camps at the Riverside Boat Club.

Ryback received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and psychology from Colorado in 2005, and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management at Missouri Baptist University.

Meg began rowing in the late spring of 1996 with the St. Louis Rowing Club. She entered high school that fall and continued rowing through all four academic years and three summers. She raced in the Scholastic 8+ at Head of the Schuylkill and twice won first place. She and her crew also won first place in the Featherweight 4+ at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catherine's, Ontario.

Meg joined the Northwestern University Crew program for her freshman year of college, but found the Rugby Club to be a better fit for her remaining three years in Evanston.

Two years after graduation, Meg returned to St. Louis for law school, and also returned to rowing. She joined the Wash U morning practices until early 2010, when the St. Louis Rowing Club began a competitive sculling program. That program took her to regattas in Oak Ridge, Columbus, and Chicago.

Meg has helped the St. Louis Rowing Club as a coach and coxswain for numerous Learn To Row classes and Raw Nucks Regattas over the years, but is looking forward to the opportunity to coach a dedicated squad of rowers through an entire racing season.

Meg received her B.A. from Northwestern in 2004, and her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2009. She is a practicing attorney working in Ballwin.

Rui began coxing in the fall of 2007 with the Washington University in St. Louis crew team as a novice/freshman. While on the team, he also became proficient at sculling and sweep rowing. Senior year, having switched from coxing men to coxing women, his women's varsity 4 won SIRA, Dad Vail, and ACRA Club Nationals.

Rui received his B.A. in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology with a minor in Biology from WashU May 2011. He is now working as a Research Technician at a neuroeconomics laboratory at the WashU Medical Campus, and will hopefully go to graduate school at some point.