(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
Through the speaker of a megaphone from the coaching launch of Notre Dame Head Coach, Martin Stone, the Fighting Irish make the push to climb up the leaderboard annually in hopes of tackling both their inner-conference and out-of-conference competition year-round. Stone’s principled standards do not just impact the talented women dressed in Metallic Gold combined with Notre Dame Blue, and the iconic, Irish Green, from time to time, but through “Playing Like A Champion” every single day, the squad has its eyes on representing the echoes and putting pedal to metal in South Bend.
It is safe to say that the rowing world knows that the athletes who carry the weight both figuratively and verbatim within the rowing shell tend to get overlooked by most observers solely due to their ratio of 8:1 or 4:1 depending on which boat class is in the topic of discussion.
When you look at the BIG THREE — Baseball, Basketball, and Football, the following terms remain an icebreaker hooking the conversationalists to immediate dialogue and an array of highly-passionate perspectives and utter takes on if teams across the nation are putting out their very best and elite gamechangers to seal the deal come gameday.
FSN’s recent installment, coined as “First String” is set in stone for what we as a Staff believe is one of the most critical positions in College Rowing combining an array of leadership impacts and value far beyond the waterway. We give this series to the “9th Seats” of the sport that drastically make or break the results on race day, to not only set the tone of the crew’s mentality and work-ethic stemmed in practice, but the forward-thinking, strategic, and highly-disciplined individual behind piecing the puzzle together for max-efficiency backed by a proficiency for accuracy, utmost teamwork, and support — the Coxswain.
In August of 2025, the FSN Staff circled the roundtable to spark the conversation amongst the College Rowing landscape and the tiers of elite drivers who in all reality earned a spotlight and their fair share of publicity backed by College Rowing’s leading analysts, For Stars Network’s Founder/CEO, Hudson Forster. Sharing his Top-10 Coxswains in both Men’s and Women’s Rowing, respectively, the crew received his highly-researched and data-driven list of Drivers who have big shoes to fill in 2026, and a team that will be corralled by their innate leadership stills and overall influence.
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
With the next dynamic athlete “on deck” being a treasured selection for FSN’s “First String” Coxswain Series, we bring you Montgomery County’s very own, University of Notre Dame Senior, Annmarie Wallis, who got her start coxing for Mount St. Joseph Academy, located in one of the premier regions for youth rowing in the United States [Mid-Atlantic] in “The City of Brotherly Love,” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, home to a plethora of Division 1 Collegiate Rowing phenoms and up-and-coming student-athletes.
Ranked as the No. 9 Coxswain in Women’s Rowing during the Pre-Season by FSN, Wallis, the daughter of Michael Wallis, a Former Coxswain for the US Naval Academy, has been climbing up the ranks within her squad since she stepped foot onto campus.
Wallis was listed as one of five coxswains hailing from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), being the sixth-ranked out of seven at her position in the Class of 2026 as Senior nominees within the first-ever installment of Top-10 Coxswain Rankings at the collegiate level in history.
We had an opportunity to sit down with the linchpin from Notre Dame Women’s Rowing earlier this Spring, and at the time, a three-time ACC Rowing Championships competitor, [now four-time] during two out of her three seasons driving the Fighting Irish Varsity Eight, answering to inspire the next generation of elite masterminds on the strings in the United States and beyond. Ready to launch, and mustering the tenacious effort of her squad’s voyage to locate their lucky “Pot of Gold” in 2026, let’s get dialed with Annmarie Wallis:
FSN: What is one token of advice for Coxswains embarking on their Freshmen Year in College?
Annmarie Wallis: If I can go back to my freshman year, I would tell myself to hold onto my coxing style and be more confident with upperclassmen. I think when you're new to a collegiate team, you feel the need to blend in so you don't step out of line or create any waves. But, it's important to be confident in your abilities and be true to your style, even when you're boated with the older girls. That being said, have an open mind to their feedback and let them make you better!
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
FSN: How do you work on your craft outside of the Coxswain Seat rather than just listening to Coxswain Recordings?
Annmarie Wallis: I think the biggest help for me when we're off the water is watching film. After practice, being able to get an outside look at the boat I was in for the day and seeing the correlation between blade-work and body movement is really helpful. Then, I am much better equipped to help rowers in the boat when I can only see the blade-work from the front or feel it (in a 4).
FSN: What are your top three songs to listen to before Practice and then for Race Day? Are they the same or do they vary?
Annmarie Wallis: Before practice, I can basically listen to any music. If it is a piece day on the water then it'll definitely be on the more upbeat side. But on race day, my top three are ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ by Guns N' Roses, ‘Let It Rock’ by Kevin Rudolf and Lil Wayne, and ‘Baba O'Riley’ by The Who.
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
FSN: Throughout your career, have you noticed certain elements that high school or college coxswains lack in terms of skill level or situational awareness on land or water? What exactly are those elements?
Annmarie Wallis: I think an area that some coxswains lack, especially in the beginning, is urgency. A big part of our job is managing practice or race day efficiently. Efficiency doesn’t exist without urgency, and coxswains are the ones who set that tone with their crew. If the coxswain doesn’t act with urgency, her boat won’t either. I think this looks like being calmly assertive and firm, not panicked, and setting consistent standards for your boats. For example, every boat that I’m with is reminded that they have 90 seconds or less to get the boat off the dock, and I’m calling hands on whether you’re ready or not.
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
FSN: What is one call or move that you made in a Race that you’ll never forget?
Annmarie Wallis: My sophomore year, when my boat medaled at ACC’s, I remember making the call that we were on the bow ball of Duke and had one minute to secure the podium, so let's go lights out. It was such a rewarding call to make, and I remember feeling an incredible amount of emotion in that moment, even though it wasn't over yet.
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
FSN: How important to you is 1:1 Coxswain Coaching during high school and what was the best tip you received from a Coach, Mentor or even Teammate?
Annmarie Wallis: I think coxswain coaching in high school is pretty important because it can feel like you’re in the middle of the ocean with the uniqueness of the role and all the new responsibility you have. We did a “coxswain college” session once a week and that was really helpful to get help from not only our coaches but also the older coxswains. I would still argue that experience is the best teacher by far though. You don’t know how to handle each situation until you’re in it.
FSN: Where does Motivation rank out of the most important characteristics about being an Elite Coxswain for you on a scale of 1-10, ten being the least important?
Annmarie Wallis: Annoyingly, I’m going to answer that this is very situational. If you ask me in the second half of a race it’s going to be a 1. But, if it’s the beginning of a practice swing row, it’d be more like an 8. That being said, motivation and creative calls are some of my favorite aspects of being a coxswain. Also, tech and motivation mutually exist. You can make a motivating call with technical moves attached to it. So, it’s tough to really rank it out.
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
FSN: How often are you coaching your rowers while on land? Did anyone teach you when to back off giving Critiques or Extrinsic Motivation and when to step in while the athletes are on the ergs or did it just come naturally?
Annmarie Wallis: If it is a steady state day, I usually walk around and workshop some tech with people on the ergs, if we’re not meeting with the coxswains. I think knowing when to get after it and then back off with erg coxing is something that comes naturally. It’s really a vibe check with each individual athlete, and that’s why it’s important to know your rowers/teammates personally and what they need.
FSN: What are three words that you believe best illustrate your character as a leader within your program?
Annmarie Wallis: Honest, Competitive, and Bold.
(Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)
FSN: What do you want to be remembered for during your time in the saddle as a Fighting Irish?
Annmarie Wallis: I hope to be remembered for my fun-loving, but tenacious spirit, and as a fierce competitor that my teammates could count on no matter what.