Karl Huhta enters his second year as the graduate assistant for UCF rowing in 2011.
In the summer of 2011, Huhta was an assistant coach at the U.S. Rowing National Men[apos]s Pre-Elite Camp held at the OKC National High Performance Center on the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City, Okla. The camp develops athletes for the under-23 and senior national teams, with the goals of this camp to teach skills necessary to compete at the elite level by focusing on small boats, introducing and developing sculling, gaining fitness and increasing strength to weight ratio.
Prior to enrolling at UCF, Huhta spent the last two years as an intern coach with the women[apos]s rowing program at his alma mater Washington State University.
Huhta was a four-year letterwinner for the Washington State men[apos]s rowing program from 2004-08. In his senior year, he was elected team Commodore, was named to the 2008 All-Pacific 10 Conference Team and rowed in the Varsity 4+ that won the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Conference Championships, took silver at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships (PCRCs) and competed in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships.
In 2006, Huhta received the WSU Coaches Award for hard work and dedication and, in recognition of his contributions to the WSU men[apos]s program, was honored with the Daniel K. Brevick Visionary Award in 2011. The award recognizes those who show outstanding commitment to the facilitation of change and advancement of WSU men[apos]s crew. Also in 2006, Huhta rowed in the Varsity 8+ that won bronze at the WIRA Championships, the Varsity 4+ that defeated Cal at the PCRC Regatta and took 5th overall at the IRA National Championships.
Huhta earned his bachelor[apos]s degree in sport management with minors in business administration and history from Washington State in 2009, before earning his USRowing Level III Coaching Certification in December of 2010. He has been a member of USRowing since 2006.
Huhta is currently pursuing his master[apos]s degree in sport leadership and coaching from UCF. He is First Aid and CPR/AED certified.