Photo by: Ohio State Athletics
Fritz Added to Rowing Staff as Assistant Coach
8/17/2026 12:06:00 PM | Rowing
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Emily Gackowski, who completed her second season as head coach of the Ohio State rowing team in 2026, announced changes to the program's coaching staff Monday.
Ben Davison, an assistant coach with the Buckeyes the last two seasons, left the program to focus on training for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"The staff and the team are really sad Ben is taking a step away from coaching for the moment but we are all so incredibly excited to track his progress," Gackowski said. "His goal is to get back into rowing at the senior level. We could not be more proud of him and look forward to supporting him. We really do think of him as a Buckeye now and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him the past two years."
Recent graduate Emilia Fritz has been added to the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
"Emilia's knowledge and understanding of the sport is absolutely unbeatable and her drive to get things done and win is exactly what we were looking for to fill the position," Gackowski said. "Her rowing prowess and background in engineering is a huge part of why we wanted to hire her. She is one of the few people out there who understands how rowing feels and can simultaneously articulate the science of that feeling. She will be a fantastic addition to the staff and a huge asset for everyone."
Fritz, a native of Passau, Germany, lettered with the Buckeyes three times (2023-25-26) and was a four-time Ohio State scholar athlete (2023-26).
Following the 2026 season, Fritz was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team while majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
In addition to experience with the Ohio State rowing program, Fritz, who rowed with Ohio State's 1v8 last season, was a member of the German national team with an extensive background in international competition.
The 2026 Buckeyes made their 25th all-time appearance in the NCAA Championships, finishing 14th nationally. Ohio State rowed to a third-place finish in the 2026 Big Ten Championships.
Ben Davison, an assistant coach with the Buckeyes the last two seasons, left the program to focus on training for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"The staff and the team are really sad Ben is taking a step away from coaching for the moment but we are all so incredibly excited to track his progress," Gackowski said. "His goal is to get back into rowing at the senior level. We could not be more proud of him and look forward to supporting him. We really do think of him as a Buckeye now and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him the past two years."
Recent graduate Emilia Fritz has been added to the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
"Emilia's knowledge and understanding of the sport is absolutely unbeatable and her drive to get things done and win is exactly what we were looking for to fill the position," Gackowski said. "Her rowing prowess and background in engineering is a huge part of why we wanted to hire her. She is one of the few people out there who understands how rowing feels and can simultaneously articulate the science of that feeling. She will be a fantastic addition to the staff and a huge asset for everyone."
Fritz, a native of Passau, Germany, lettered with the Buckeyes three times (2023-25-26) and was a four-time Ohio State scholar athlete (2023-26).
Following the 2026 season, Fritz was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team while majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
In addition to experience with the Ohio State rowing program, Fritz, who rowed with Ohio State's 1v8 last season, was a member of the German national team with an extensive background in international competition.
The 2026 Buckeyes made their 25th all-time appearance in the NCAA Championships, finishing 14th nationally. Ohio State rowed to a third-place finish in the 2026 Big Ten Championships.
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