Tempe Junior Crew coaches are an elite group for an Arizona juniors rowing team. Our coaches have life-long passions for rowing and have competed and coached on multiple competitive levels.
Lesleh Anderson Wright- TJC Program Director
Coach Lesleh Anderson Wright has been working with Tempe Junior Crew since 2020. “I started as a junior athlete in St. Catharines Canada, and I was very fortunate to be able to compete in high school as a sweep rower, a sculler, and ultimately became a National Team coxswain while still in High School. I made the Senior National Team in 1977 when I was in the 10th grade and continued in the seat through 1986 World Championships.
I am the mother of five, grandmother of 7, and great grandmother of 2 – all amazing human beings as you can imagine. I returned to rowing in the early 2000’s and I have been working with, and building teams for the past 25 years. I co-founded Chinook Performance Racing in 2014, a unique composite group of athletes from across North America who shared a training plan, and competed together, but all lived in various cities throughout the US and Canada. In 2021, it was time to try something new, so I started Endeavor Racing Alliance, a team of mostly women who also live miles apart from one another and cannot train together daily, but we travel the world and compete together at races that seem fun and competitive. We also work with junior rowers in different capacities to support them as they endeavor to row in college and work toward the national team.
TJC is such a great organization. The families and the kids have been a pleasure to work with over the years, and seeing our kids make college rosters at Stanford, the Naval Academy, University of Virginia, University of Kansas, to name a few, is always a point of pride. We are here to teach young people what it means to be a teammate, to put others before themselves, to help them figure out how to push hard physically and reach a little deeper, and to help them figure out what it means to be a student athlete. We hope that they leave stronger and more focused than when they arrived, and thatthe friendships they establish here last a lifetime. I love this sport and I hope the kids fall in love with it as well!”
Kristine Malcolm – TJC Head Coach
Coach Malcolm began her serious pursuit of athletics in high school and college playing volleyball, basketball and track. After college she dabbled in 4-WO(man) beach volleyball in Southern California. Fast forward – she began rowing when her youngest son was 6 months old in 2002 – in the desert of Tempe, AZ – and hasn’t looked back. While always rowing with her small home club – early on she sought additional opportunities to improve her skills and race at larger national and international regattas. She has coached a masters program and was the head rowing coach of Arizona State University. ”I love the mental and physical aspects of rowing – working to find the rhythm with like-minded athletes is a gratifying challenge. I have come to appreciate that each chapter is a little different and, though it’s not a success-only journey, embracing the continuous learning is the reward.
Campbell Leid, Coach
Campbell Leid began rowing in the fall of 2018 with Mile High RowingClub in Denver, Colorado. With a background in competitive swimming, she had a natural feel for the water and loved rowing from day one. Following her family’s relocation to Phoenix, she finished her high school rowing career with Tempe Junior Crew, earning first-place finishes in the 1x and 2x at Central Youths in the spring of 2021. Campbell was invited to US Rowing High Performance Camp following graduation and was recruited to row collegiately at the Division I level at University of Virginia. Medical obstacles prevented Campbell from being able to physically participate, but she transitioned from a shell to a coaching launch in October of 2021 and uncovered a passion she didn’t even know she had: coaching!
She is a two-time intern at Craftsbury Outdoor Center and has had the opportunity to shadow many different coaches with various backgrounds. Campbell coached for two years before deciding to take a break to complete her studies at Arizona State University. She is a recent graduate, completing her degree with a B.A. in SportsBusiness, a minor in Film and Media Production, and a certificate in Sports, Cultures, and Ethics.
Campbell’s passion for rowing has never wavered, and she is excited to be back on the water, dedicated to playing a role in inspiring the next generation of talented rowers. In the fall, she will be continuing her education at Arizona State University in the Master’s of Sports Law and Business program on the Downtown Phoenix campus.
Evan Merkle, Coach
The first time I sat on my dad’s Concept 2 Model B erg in 2010 I had no idea what I was supposed to do with this dusty machine in our garage. In the15 years since then I have grown to love the sport of rowing as both a competitor and coach. I walked onto the team at Virginia Tech during the second week of my freshman year as soon as recruiting started and raced every season through the entirety of my time studying to earn my BFA and MFA from the university.
Foggy autumn mornings on Claytor lake made me fall in love with the sport and drove me to pursue coaching, ultimately earning my USRowing Level 2 certification in 2016. I led the Virginia Tech rowing team to back-to-back victories at SIRAs before moving to Arizona in 2018 and finding a new home with Rio Salado Rowing Club.
In the following years, I rowed under a variety of banners from coast to coast across the nation and beyond to international regattas. I am still finding new ways to challenge myself on the water, new boundaries to push on land, and new horizons to cross as I chase my dream to row the world.
Natalia Loram, Coach
Natalia began rowing in 8th grade, developing her sculling and sweep rowing skills across three high school programs: Long Beach Junior Crew, Newport Sea Base Rowing, and Marina Aquatic Center. She later raced with US Rowing’s Junior National Team High Performance squad in 2017, earning top finishes at the US Rowing Club National Championships. Her high school achievements include a 2019 USRowing National Championship title in the U19 2-.
Her collegiate career at Tennessee (2020–2024) showcased her dedication, culminating in a leadership role during her senior year, helping the Lady Vols secure a historic third-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Division I Rowing National Championships. Starting as a freshman in the 1V4 with an NCAA D Final win, she progressed to the 1V8 as a sophomore and junior, earning multiple Big 12 Boat of the Week honors, Big 12 medals, and strong invitational performances. In her senior year, rowing primarily in the 1V4+ with a 39-8 record, she contributed to Tennessee’s best-ever 1V4+ NCAA finish (5th) and excelled at the Big 12 Championships and major invitationals, driving team success. Academically, she shone as a CRCA National Scholar-Athlete (2022, 2023), CSC Academic All-District (2022-23), Big 12 Academic All-Conference First Team (2022–2024), and SEC Academic Honor Roll (2021–2024) honoree, while leading in the VOLeaders Academy (2022-23).
As a sports performance trainer for Athletic Republic, Reno, she has experience developing athletes across various sports. She is also passionate about fostering a love for rowing and the art of racing in younger athletes. Having aided Tennessee’s recruitment process, Natalia is committed to helping rowers of all experience levels achieve their goal of rowing in college. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration through Arizona State University’s Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Fellowship, working in the City of Maricopa’s City Manager’s Office alongside her studies.