Ken Shuster

Varsity Girls Head Coach

Girls - Crew

Ken has been coaching Yorktown rowers since 2009 when he joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach.  In 2015 he became head coach of the  varsity women's crew.

During his high school years, Ken was active in athletics, lettering in cross country, wrestling, and track, earning the Best Athlete Scholar award his senior year. As a high schooler, he also earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Ken began rowing as a freshman at Rutgers University. Highlights included finishing fifth at the IRAs and receiving the Best Rower Award his junior year. He holds a degree in industrial engineering from Rutgers and an MBA from Xavier University.  After college, he took up distance running, competing in numerous events from 10Ks to marathons. His best marathon finishing time was just under 3 hours, with an average pace per mile of 6:52.

In 1988, Ken returned to rowing in 1988 both as a competitor, coach, and boat club member. West Springfield High School hired him to lead the rowing program. He has served on the Occoquan Boat Club Board of Directors and has been an associate member of the Potomac Boat Club.

Ken continues to compete on the water, often with his three brothers. The two sets of Shuster twins - Ken and George, Chris and Neal - have medaled in a number of national and international events, including Canadian Henley, Head of the Charles, Head of the Schuylkill, and the World Rowing Masters Regatta. In 2014, the four Shusters rowed to gold at the USRowing Masters National Head Race Championship on the Savannah River.

Ken works for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the solid and hazardous waste programs, focusing on conventional and chemical munitions. He lives in Arlington with his wife Julie Wanslow. The family rowing tradition has continued with Ken’s step-daughter, Nicole Dobson, rowing for Yorktown. David Shuster, Ken’s son, rowed in high school and college and coached both the varsity men and women at Virginia Tech.