While many rowing coaches take time off in the summer, Sac State women?s rowing coach Bill Zack spent his off-season working with the U.S. National Team as an assistant coach.

Zack recently returned to the U.S. following the I-Lan International Collegiate Invitational Regatta, which was held in I-Lan Taiwan and featured 22 crews from 10 different countries.

“I?ve been working with the U.S. National Team since 1995,” said Zack, “and I?ve been working with the head coach all summer. He needed an assistant, and kind of as a way of saying ?thanks for all your help,? he made me an assistant for the regatta.”

U.S. took fist place in the event, followed by an all-star German crew that represented the University of Hamburg.

“The competition was very tough,” Zack said. “The German team has won the world championships the last couple of years.”

Although one might think that working with an unfamiliar crew would be difficult, that wasn?t the case for Zack.

“I?ve worked with most of the rowers in the past. This is really one of the nicest group of people to work with. It was a real pleasure,” Zack said.

Zack?s role on the team was based around practices, which included riding a bicycle up and down the Tungshan River in I-Lan, watching the team row the course, and occasionally giving instructions.

“The course itself was very nice,” Zack said. “They dredged the river, and made a great concrete walkway along the distance of it.”

While the race was Zack?s first priority, it also gave him a chance to get a first-class view of the city of I-Lan, and the Taiwanese culture.

“The city itself isn?t a whole lot to look at, but some of the countryside is very nice,” Zack said. “The experience over there went very well, they spent over $5 million on the regatta, and I?ve never received better treatment at an event.”

That treatment included interpreters, complimentary hotel and food accommodations, and awards ceremonies.

Zack will now turn his attention to his Sac State crew, where last season he was named the WIRA coach of the year. He received this award for leading the team that ended the season with a 8-1 record in dual meets and took their first ever Cal-Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic.