PITTSBURGH – Duquesne University Women's Rowing Head Coach Matt Carlsen has added Lauren Preston to his staff as an assistant coach.
 
Preston joins the Dukes after completing a successful collegiate career at national-power the University of Washington, where she was a coxswain in each of her final three years with the Huskies. As a senior in 2022, she coxed the UW Third Varsity 8+ that finished second at Pac-12 Championships.
 
"I'm thrilled to announce that Lauren will be joining the rowing staff at Duquesne," Carlsen said. "Having coached her and followed along with her success at the University of Washington, I am confident that she will be a great addition. Her wealth of rowing knowledge will be a huge asset for our staff and team."
 
As a freshman rower, Preston was part of UW's 2019 NCAA National Championship team, which was the fifth NCAA rowing championship in UW history, and their 12th overall. She was also part of the Huskies team that finished third at the 2021 NCAA Championships and won the Pac-12 in both 2019 and 2021.
 
Preston served as an assistant coach with the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA) during the summers of her collegiate career. She assisted the coxswains in race plan development and helped them to develop and employ a range of voices for practice instructing middle school and high school rowers.
 
The Newtown, Pennsylvania native was a three-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll member and made the dean's list each year.
 
Prior to her time at UW, Preston also coxed at PNRA Mercer in New Jersey, where she competed twice in the Head of Charles, including a fifth place showing in the varsity 8+ in 2017. Preston also finished ninth in the V8+ at Youth Nationals in 2017 and 12th in the varsity 4+ in 2016.
 
Preston earned her Bachelor of Science from Washington in Speech & Hearing Sciences in 2022.