Jana Vesela enters her third season at UCF as an assistant coach with the UCF women[apos]s rowing team. After two years working with the freshman/novice team, she will now be assisting Leeanne Crain in coaching the varsity crew and continue coordinating all team travel arrangements and helping manage the budget.
The Slovakian-born Vesela began rowing in her native country in 1983. She was the national singles champion from 1984-1996. Previous wins in the doubles earned her spots on the national junior rowing team, but a lightweight singles title in 1992 led to an invitation to the Czechoslovakian National Rowing Team. In the meantime, Vesela also found time to coach a pre-teen girls crew.
Four years after immigrating to the United States in 1996, Vesela joined the Orlando Rowing Club. As a member, she won a gold medal in the quad, a silver medal in the single and a bronze in the double at the 2001 USRowing Master[apos]s National Championship. She also captured a silver medal in the eight at the 2002 Master[apos]s National Championship.
A 1993 graduate of Economics University Bratislava, Vesela holds a master[apos]s degree in accounting and recently earned her USRowing Level III Coaching Certification.