Head Coach
Coach Calvin Cupp is in his twenty-fifth year heading up Shocker Rowing. His tenure at the helm of
Shocker Rowing is the longest of any coach in the history of the program.
Since the inception of the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) national
championship in 2008, he has coached twenty-eight All-American, sixty-seven All-Regional,
and eighty-five All-Academic selected athletes.
Despite all of the medals, Coach Cupp teaches that the true success of each season is the growth of the individual student-athlete. “Being a student-athlete at the intercollegiate level is tough,” Coach Cupp says, “I work hard each year to be sure that each student athlete has a great environment in which to develop.”
“Rowing is a great platform for our student-athletes to learn much about themselves. In the shell on race day they have to rely on not just themselves but on their teammates. I cannot be there on the race course to motivate and direct them. It really does provide a great opportunity for them to develop life skills which they will use after college,” says Coach Cupp.
Before coming to WSU, Coach Cupp was at Northwestern State University (NSU) in Natchitoches, LA where he served as the head coach from 1993 to 1999. While there, he was director of the Marathon Rowing Championships and oversaw all spring training teams for the city of Natchitoches. In 1993 he received the Mayor’s award for his work in developing rowing for the city.
In Louisiana, he coached numerous Louisiana State Rowing Championship crews. In 1994 he coached NSU to a gold medal at the SIRA regatta in the WN4+.
He and his wife of thirty years, Christi, live in Wichita, Kansas. They have two adult children, Ellen and Nolan who also live in Wichita. The family is also a member of Emanuel Baptist Church of Wichita.
Our 2023 season we saw the continued growth back in squad size as well as more focus on the big boats in the spring.
The team even took a small group out to the Music City Head Race for the first time. For the first time since 2017, the Shockers were back in both the men's and women's varsity 8+ events at nationals.
At the Music City Head Race, our Women's 2- finished in silver.
Then traveling to the Head of OKC Race, the Men's Novice 4+ and Men's Novice 8+ finished in silver while the Women's 4x finished in bronze.
Then staying in Wichita for the Frostbite Regatta, our Men's 2x, Men's Novice 8+, Women's Novice 8+, and Women's 2- finished in silver. Finishing in bronze was the Men's Varsity 8+.
Finally, at the Plains Regional Regatta Women's 1x, and Women's Novice 8+ finished in gold. The silver finishers were the Men's Novice 8+, Men's 1x, and Women's Varisty 8+. Our bronze finisher was the Men's Varisty 8+.
In 2022, the further from Covid we went, the closer to the old normal we returned. A full race schedule was available to us. The Head of OKC was back on the schedule as well as Frostbite and ACRA Championships.
As hosts of the ACRA Plains Regional Championship, we saw growth with increased attendance and competition.
Some highlights of race results:
Competing at the Head of OKC our Men's Novice 4+ left with a gold. Our silver finishers were the Women's Novice 8+, Women's Novice 4+, Men's Varsity 8+, and Men's Novice 8+. Ending in bronze was the Men's 2x and Men's Varsity 4+.
Next was the Frostbite Regatta were Men's Novice 4+, Men's 2x, Men's 1x, and Women's Novice 8+ all finished in Gold. Finishing the regatta in silver were Men's 2-, Women's Varsity 4+, Women's 2x, Men's 1x, Women's Varsity 8+, Men's Varsity 8+. and Men's x 8+. The bronze finishers were Women's 2 Novice *=, Men's Novice 8+, Men's 2 Novice 8+, Women's 2x, Women"s Novice 4+.
Then competing in the Plains Regional, the gold finishers were Men's 2x, Women's 2x and Men's 1x. Finishing in silver was the Women's 1x, Men's Novice 8+, Men's Novice 4+, and Men's 2-.
Finally, traveling to the ACRA Championships, our Men's 1x finished in silver and our Women's 2x finished in bronze.
2021 saw the restriction on fall racing still in effect. Shocker Sprints was held with a virtual component and was a great success. Racing was put off until May with us hosting IUPUI and having our very first live streaming of a regatta. Shockers won all races and the event was a great success thanks to all involved.
Next up was a trip to the Dad Vails for some of our crews. We ended the regatta with gold in the Men’s 4x and bronze in the Women’s Novice 4+.
After that we hit the road as a whole team. First stop was OKC where our women took down UCO in the Women’s Novice 4+ and our men once again won in the Men’s 4x over OCU. Our second stop was in Natchitoches, LA for some racing and acclimation in preparation for the Oak Ridge Invitational. Our host NSU lined up with us for racing. Our Men’s Varsity 4+ A & B and Women’s Novice 8+ all won.
Final stop was Oak Ridge, TN for the final regatta of the season. All crews raced well and made improvements from heats to finals over the two days of racing. Our Men’s 4x once again led the way with a win to complete an undefeated season. Following them with gold were our Women’s Novice 8+ and 4+. Finishing with silver were our Women’s 2x, Men’s 2x and Women’s Varsity 8+ entries. Our Men’s 1x qualified for the grand finals finishing 5th.
Like all programs, our 2020 season was cut short, but the fall and our lone spring regatta were successful. Our Men's Varsity 8+ medaled in every regatta. Additionally, we collected numerous medals in a variety of events from sculling, sweep, open and novice. Another important first was the establishment of a recreational rowing program which is available to the entire university community. Now anyone can come out and experience rowing as a fun lifetime fitness activity.
During the 2019 season, the Men's 4x brought home the silver from the ACRA national championship. That fall saw the opening of the long-awaited new Shocker Rowing River Vista Boathouse on the Big River. This was the culmination of years of work with the support and partnership of many individuals and agencies. Summertime saw the opening of Boats and Bikes, our retail/rental venture. Managed by Shocker Rowing and employing ten students to handle operations. Activating our downtown river, enriching our community and being a revenue generator all are attributes of this unique venture.
The 2018 season saw the Women's Varsity 8+ again finish in the top 10 nationally, along with the Men's 2x and Womens 2x at ACRA's.
2017 was another strong year for the women throughout the season, capped with a top 10 national finish at ACRA's. Our men's 1x highlighted the men with a silver at ACRA's.
At SIRA's in 2016 he decided to enter the Women's Varsity 8+ in to the open event where they raced head on with DI and DII NCAA programs, taking 2nd in the B final and saw his women's 2x take bronze in their event. At ACRA's he saw four of his seven crews make the grand finals- Women 2x silver, Men 1x, Women Novice 8+ and Women Varsity 8+. Two other crews advanced to the B finals and one to the D final.
Then in 2015 not only did the Women's Varsity 8+ win their event at SIRA'S to retain their crown but the women's novice 4+ took 4th in the grand finals. At ACRA's the men's varsity 4+ took 8th and the women's varsity 8+ took 7th in their grand finals.
During the 2013-2014 year the Shockers competed at the San Diego Crew Classic after over a 13-year hiatus. Calvin led his team to take 4th in the women's varsity grand final and 7th in the men's varsity 8+ grand final. At SIRA's the women's varsity 8+ held onto their crown with another open water victory while the men moved into the B final. At ACRA's the men's novice 4+ took 6th while the women's varsity 8+ took 5th in their grand finals.
2012-13 saw a repeat at SIRA for Gold in the Women's 8+, as well as another top 10 finish at ACRA. The women 1x also rowed into the grands at ACRA.
2012 marked the first year in almost twenty that the Shockers traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to compete at SIRA's with the men's varsity 8+. Then at the 2012 ACRA National Championships a silver medal was achieved by the women's 1x.
During the 2010-11 season, Shocker Varsity won seven of eight events entered and this included a sweep of both the men and women’s varsity 8’s & 4’s at the Wichita Frostbite. 2011 saw a repeat gold medal at the ACRA National Championships in the Men’s 2x.
In 2010, he directed crews from both varsity squads to the medal platform at the ACRA National Championships.
The 2008-09 season saw Shocker crews make four grand finals at the ACRA National Championships and the 2007-08 ACRA National Championships saw the Varsity Women’s 8+ win the petite finals and the Women’s Novice 4+ finish 4th.
Under Coach Cupp’s leadership, statewide competitions have seen the Shockers take home the last nine Sunflower State Team Championships. Regionally, they won both Team Points' Trophies at the Upper Mid-West Championships in 2011, while the men also won in 2010, 2009 and 2007. Other regional medals of note include a 2008 Men’s Varsity 4+ gold and Men’s Varsity 8+ bronze at the John Hunter Regatta. Also, the team was the back to back team points winner in 2005 & 2006 at the Great Plains Rowing Championships.
Coach Cupp has traveled near and far with the team. The team traveled to the Knecht Cup in New Jersey 2003-2005. The crews did well at this East Coast regatta with top finishes each year, including second in the Women’s Novice 4+ in 2003, third in the Men’s Novice 4+ in 2004 & 2005 and second in the Men’s D1C 8+ in 2005.
The success of the program at these high levels under Coach Cupp goes back to the team’s first trip with him to the Dad Vail Championship in 2001 which saw the Shockers finish 4th in the grand finals of the Women’s Varsity Lightweight 4+.