ITHACA, N.Y. -- Ben Olsen, who captained Brown's heavyweight rowing team to its best finish in nearly a decade, has been named assistant coach of the heavyweight rowing team at Cornell University it was announced today.
 
Olsen has served as an assistant coach at the Dayton Boat Club this summer, coaching high school crews while facilitating practices and organizing race day and making lineups. He also coordinated the "STEM to Stern" program that allowed novice athletes from low-income backgrounds to gain experience on the water, while also working on STEM-related projects in classroom settings.
 
He graduated from Brown this past spring with a degree in History and Political Science after a four-year career as part of the crew in Providence. Olsen helped the Bears to a fourth-place finish at nationals, tied for the program's top mark in 10 years. He was part of a crew that reached the quarterfinals of the Henley Royal Regatta in the Temple Challenge Cup and others that earned medals in regional and national competitions.
 
Olsen served as the team's representative to the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and earned the Brown University Award for team leadership after garnering the Most Improved Freshman team award his rookie year.