Sean Thomas
Head coach

Head Coach Sean Thomas began supporting the Stone Bridge Rowing Club as a safety launch driver while his daughter and son were on the team. The club asked Sean to assist as a Novice coach for the 2018 season, taking over as the head coach from 2019 to 2021. After a brief hiatus, Coach Thomas has agreed to lead the coaching staff and athletes once again in 2025.

Coach Thomas has a genuine love for the sport of Rowing and supporting the students and families of the Stone Bridge High School community. It is important to Sean that he not only helps shape the rowers into the best athletes that they can be, but that he also helps them become the best students and people that they can be through the experiences of individual responsibility, teamwork, leadership, and the pursuit of excellence.

James Zeller
Assistant Head Coach

James Zeller grew up on Long Island where, during his high school years in the late 1970s to early 1980s, rowing generally did not exist. So he was introduced to the sport relatively late.

He played football in high school, and continued with it for his freshman year at Marietta College in southeast Ohio. After the season was finished, one of his football teammates suggested crew as a means to keep fit and try something new. With only a vague impression of long, skinny rowboats, he agreed.

First there was the terror of being placed in a four-man shell in a swift-flowing river on a cold, windy day in mid-November after about fifteen minutes on the rowing machine. Then there was the intimidation with the growing realization that rowing is one of the most physically demanding sports there is. These were gradually replaced with a growing respect for the sport, then pride in overcoming one after another physical or technical challenge. There also developed pride in taking on, and beating, teams from colleges and universities much larger than Marietta College.

But most important were two things: First was the intense satisfaction and joy that was experienced when the crew truly "swung," where the crew was completely synchronized, the rowing became almost effortless, and the boat would literally lift higher in the water. Second was the degree of camaraderie developed among a crew that is above and beyond what is developed by any other team sport.

Coach Zeller medaled in several regattas during his college career, including the West Virginia Governor's Cup, the Head of the Muskingum, the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships (SIRA), the Mid American Collegiate Rowing Association Championships (MACRA), and the Philadelphia Frostbite Regatta. However, his most memorable race was missing the medals stand by less than a half second at the Dad Vail regatta in a "Cinderella Story" JV8. He was co-captain of the Marietta College men's crew and winner of the "Hammer Award" for best erg score in his senior year of 1986.

Other than a brief period in the early 1990s, when he rowed recreationally with some co-workers, crew fell out of his life. Then, one day in 2006, he was cold-called by Kevin Suter, former classmate and teammate, informed that he and his family were relocating to Ashburn, and demanded to know where there was a place to row. This led to a rekindling of rowing, first for fitness, then for competition at the Master's level; racing in singles, pairs, doubles and fours. As a Master, he has medaled at the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints, the Occoquan Masters Sprints and the Capital Sprints. He worked with Kevin to help get the rowing program for Briar Woods HS off the ground in 2011, and again with Stone Bridge HS since 2012. He is also serving as Secretary for the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA).

Coach Zeller has lived in Ashburn Farm since 1990 with his wife Sharon, fellow college classmate and coxswain for the Marietta College women's crew, and their children Richard and Margaret. When he isn't doing something rowing related, he develops highway improvement projects for the Virginia Department of Transportation. Sharon teaches 2nd grade at Cedar Lane Elementary School in Ashburn.

John Hillmann
Assistant Coach

After a successful 2024 season coaching the Varsity and JV boys' boats, John Hillmann is back as a second-year assistant coach for SBRC. Having rowed competitively at Fordham University, being the father of SBRC alumni, and a 2025 novice, John has a deep understanding of the sport and the invaluable life skills it offers.

John and the entire Stone Bridge Rowing Club coaching staff are excited to share their knowledge and inspire the next generation of rowers. Their commitment to fostering teamwork, discipline, and a love for the sport is evident in every session on the water.

As an assistant coach, John looks forward to collaborating with Head Coach Sean Thomas to provide personalized guidance to each athlete, helping them reach their full potential on the water. Their coaching philosophy emphasizes physical prowess, mental resilience, and sportsmanship, ensuring every student-athlete gains valuable lessons on and off the water.

Linh Tran
Assistant Coach

Linh Tran, and her port-side rower daughter, enter their second season with SBRC. As Assistant Coach, Linh is not only committed to teaching physical and technical rowing skills but also deeply believes in nurturing the mental and social-emotional aspects of each athlete while pushing their competitive edges. 

Having been a rower and coxswain at George Mason University, Linh learned that success in this sport is not just about winning races, but developing valuable life skills, such as teamwork, communication, grit, and agility, that can be applied long after rowing careers are over.

Her ultimate goal is for every rower and coxswain to discover the thrill of their own growth within a supportive community, and experience how their individual efforts contribute to collective success.

Justin Rowan
Assistant Coach

Justin Rowan joins Stone Bridge Rowing Club as a first-year assistant coach. A former varsity swimmer and rower at Connecticut College, Justin also coached at Nike Rowing Camps. Beyond his collegiate athletic experience, he has attended multiple athletic and performance conditioning programs. He is eager to apply his knowledge and passion to help SBRC athletes reach their full potential and achieve success on the water.