Abby Knight returns for her seventh season as assistant coach of the women’s lightweight rowing team at Boston University in 2020-21.
During the 2018-19 season, Knight's fifth year coaching the BU lightweights, the Terriers' 2x won the IRA National Championship double scull title for the second time in program history. As a team at IRAs, the Terriers won gold in the double skull, silver in the varsity four and bronze in the varsity eight. BU was the only program to medal in all three events and finished as IRA National Runner-Up for the fourth-consecutive year.
Earlier in the 2018-19 season, helped BU win five gold medals at Eastern Sprints to finish with 45 team points and capture the Ulbrich Trophy as Eastern Sprints Champions for just the second time in program history.
In 2017-18, her fourth year at BU, she helped coach the Terriers’ varsity eight boat to the programs' first event No. 1 national ranking. During the spring of 2018, the V8 boat defeated defending IRA National Champion Stanford in a duel race on the Charles River and later won gold in the lightweight varsity eight grand final at Eastern Sprints. At the IRA National Championships, the Terriers won silver in the varsity eight race and finished as IRA National Runner-up for the third-consecutive year.
In 2016-17, her third year coaching at BU, Knight helped lead the Terriers’ varsity eight boat to a No. 2 national ranking. Competing at the Knecht Cup against openweight and lightweight crews, BU finished second overall, ahead of crews from Princeton, Harvard and Wisconsin. At the IRA National Championships, the Terriers advanced all three boats to the grand finals, won silver in the varsity eight race and finished as IRA National Runner-up for the second-consecutive year.
During the 2015-16 season, her second year coaching at BU, the lightweights won gold at the Dad Vail Regatta, defeating boats from Wisconsin and MIT. At the 42nd annual Eastern Sprints Championship, the Terriers’ V8 defeated crews from Harvard, Princeton, Wisconsin and Georgetown and won the Ulbrich Lightweight Points Trophy as overall 2016 Eastern Sprints Champion for the first time in program history. At the IRA National Championships, the Terriers advanced all three boats to the grand finals, won silver in the varsity eight race and finished as IRA National Runner-up, the highest finish in program history.
Knight was named assistant lightweight rowing coach in October 2014. Knight is a 2013 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she competed at the IRA National Championship Regatta from 2010 through 2013. Knight rowed in the Badgers varsity lightweight eight that finished second at the IRAs in 2010 and third in 2013. In 2011, Knight rowed in Wisconsin’s varsity lightweight four that finished first in the IRA Grand Final to win the IRA National Championship. Knight was a member of Wisconsin’s Konrad Ulbrich Team Points Championship at the Eastern Sprints from 2010 through 2012. In 2012, Knight stroked the varsity lightweight eight to a first place finish at the Eastern Sprints Conference Championship. Knight was also a member of Wisconsin's gold medal winning lightweight eights at the Head of the Charles Regatta in 2010 (setting a new course record of 16:06.1) and 2011. In 2012, Knight won the under 23 lightweight pair at the Canadian Henley as a member of the Wisconsin Summer Development Camp.
In 2012 and 2013, Knight won the Mandi Kowal (MVP) award at Wisconsin and was named to the CRCA Pocock Lightweight All-American Team. Knight was also named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team at Wisconsin in 2013.
Before Wisconsin, Knight rowed for Shenendehowa High School. In 2008, Knight stroked the youth four to a gold medal at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Knight finished second in the lightweight double at the USRowing Youth National Championships in 2008. Knight won the Stotesbury Cup Regatta and the SRAA National Championships as a member of the lightweight four in 2007 and the lightweight double in 2008. In 2009, Knight was selected to attend the Junior National Team Sculling Selection Camp and went on to make the USRowing Junior National Team in the double.
Knight joined the Terriers full-time staff after serving as a volunteer coach since April 2014. Prior to coming to BU, Knight served as manager of the women’s lightweight rowing team at Wisconsin during the fall 2013 season.
The Clifton Park, N.Y. native earned her B.A. in psychology and social welfare from Wisconsin in 2013.
