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.
Cass Bruins, Head Coach
Coach Cass Bruins brings a strong, competitive background and a comprehensive coaching skill set shaped by collegiate rowing, international racing, and youth athlete development. Cass rowed for Grand Valley State University under John Bancheri. A well-decorated athlete, she graduated with all-conference academic and athletic honors, competed at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2016 and 2018, and earned top-three finishes at Club Nationals in both 2017 and 2018.
She began coaching in 2018 with Mile High Rowing under Grace Malacrida, where she quickly established herself in youth development. From 2019–2021, Cass coached athletes to Youth National’s appearances. In 2022, she served as Assistant Head Coach at Connecticut Boat Club under Liz Trond, contributing to a Youth National Championship title in the 2-, along with additional national-level appearances in the V4x and U17 4+.
Cass brings extensive off-the-water expertise, including boat repair, equipment management, and trailer operations since 2018, with professional experience at Vespoli USA in the Repair Center. Her tenured experience in the fitness and nutrition industry including running her online coaching business, personal training, nutrition coaching, and strength & conditioning coaching allow her to lead with a solid foundation in physiology, injury prevention, and long-term athlete development. Cass is passionate about building confident and resilient athletes through technical excellence, education, and a balanced approach to performance—both on and off the water.
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.
Kristine Malcolm – 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.