Hello, my name is Carter Bendig and I’m a senior at Broad Run High School. I've been rowing with the team since my freshman year following in the footsteps of my older brother. I'm excited to be a captain this season, leading the team as a strong role model and motivating my fellow teammates to be the best they can. I believe that we have a very strong group this season and with a
competitive spirit, I know we can bring home some medals.
Hi! I’m Chetana Gunawardhana, a junior at Broad Run High School. I am so excited to lead the team as captain this year. I started rowing in middle school and fell in love with the sport not long after. Through crew, I have gained some of my closest friends and fondest memories. Rowing is the ultimate team sport, and the friendships you gain on and off the water are so special. I look forward to seeing what we accomplish in the spring!
Hello! I’m Preston Cheng, a junior at Broad Run High School. I started crew during eighth grade fall season and have had great experiences since then! My favorite crew experience was getting to go to Philadelphia and rowing in the Stotesbury regatta! In my years of rowing, I’ve grown so much as a rower and a person. I’m hoping to spread my knowledge and experience to the new
generation of rowers. I can’t wait to create new memories during this next spring season! I’m happy to be presented as this year’s captain and I’m hoping to lead the team to victory, bring fun to the team, and bring hard work this spring season.
Coach Love started his rowing career with St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, PA. At the time, he rowed out of the Penn AC boathouse on historic Boathouse Row along the Schuylkill River. He competed in the varsity eight his sophomore through senior seasons with his crews having much success. He earned two gold medals in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta along with a bronze, silver, and eventual gold medal in the National Championship Regatta. As a result of winning gold in the Nationals his senior season, his crew earned the opportunity to compete internationally at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames River in England. He spent much of his time at the river over the course of his high school years learning from some of the best coaches in the country while rowing for St. Joseph’s Prep as well as Pennsylvania Athletic Club (Penn AC).
Michael went on to row for Syracuse University under a full athletic scholarship and competed as a member of the varsity eight his sophomore through senior seasons. His collegiate highlight came during his sophomore season when his varsity eight crew fought their way to an undefeated regular season. That same season they went on to place third in the Grand Final at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship (IRA Regatta). This result earned his Syracuse crew an invitation to the National Collegiate Rowing Championship. His crew fell just short of a medal in this event finishing fourth behind the University of Wisconsin, Harvard, and UCLA. At the close of his senior season while at Syracuse University, he once again had the opportunity to head back overseas and compete in the Henley Royal Regatta in England.
Coach Love is married with 3 children. He enjoys volunteering his time by staying actively involved in coaching his children’s sporting activities. He has coached youth baseball, basketball, football, soccer and crew. Michael really enjoys watching those he works with develop confidence in their athletic endeavors.
Michael is a US Rowing Level 2 Certified Coach
Adam is originally from Spokane, WA and moved to Arlington, VA for work in 2013. He attended college for two years in Madrid, Spain before completing a Semester at Sea program and graduating from Eastern Washington University in 2012. He did not have the opportunity to row in high school nor college but found the sport as an adult with the DC Strokes 2015 novice class. He rowed with the competitive program the following years, and volunteered to help cox learn-to-row and novice classes.
In 2019 Adam started coaching for high school novice programs and coached for DC Strokes post COVID. He loves introducing the sport to novices and seeing the ah-ha moments when concepts click.
Now Adam both lives and works in Loudoun County (as a data analyst for the Loudoun County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Developmental Services department), he is excited to start coaching high school again. In his spare time he enjoys taking his dogs for hikes with his husband and getting out on the water to scull or sweep when possible.
Sathy Gunawardhana rowed competitively in Sri Lanka at Royal College, an all-boys school, from 1988 to 93. During that time, he competed in the Hong Kong Amateur Rowing Championships in 1991 and obtained his high school colors by winning in the Senior Sculls category in 1992. He also rowed in the Sri Lanka Nationals, winning in the Intermediate Sculls category in 1992 and was runner up in the Senior Sculls category in 1993. He became a US Rowing Level 2 Certified Coach in 2019.
An avid athlete, Sathy has pursued scuba diving and long-distance running for many years. He has completed ten Marine Corps Marathons, and is a member of the Marine Corps Marathon Runners Club. Additionally, Sathy has run many other races and distances in the region, including half- marathons, marathons, ultra-marathons, and relays. He has captained four teams for the overnight races in the Ragnar Relay series, winning first place in their category in 2017 in Washington, DC. Sathy branched into long-distance walking in 2019, completing the Kennedy 50-Mile Walk with his girlfriend, Vicki.
Sathy received his President’s Scout award, equivalent to an Eagle Scout award, in 1992 from the Sri Lanka Scout Association. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master of Business Administration in 2005 from Rochester Institute of Technology. He has been living in Loudoun County since 2006 and is the father of one daughter, who attends Broad Run High School and training to become an oarsman herself.
Sathy is a US Rowing Level 2 Certified Coach.
Matthew started rowing with Broad Run Crew as a sophomore in the team's first season, the spring of 2017, finishing fourth in the Novice 8 at States. The next two years he rowed in the 2nd and 1st four. In his senior year, the 1st four medaled at several VASRA Regattas, and qualified for the semi-finals for the first time in BRC's history at the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia.
Matthew is currently a junior at George Mason University (GMU), where he is the vice president of the Crew Club. His freshman year he rowed in the second 4+ and first 8+ and medaled in two head races on the Occoquan as well as at the Richmond Chase. During COVID, Matthew learned to scull (rowing with two oars) and pursued his interest in cycling.
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