Kara McPhillips grew up in Philadelphia surrounded by rowing. She attended the University of Virginia where she was a coxswain on the men’s team, and co-captain of the men’s team in her 4th year. At the end of the men’s season that year, Kara joined UVA’s women’s team for NCAA Championships, where she coxed the 2V8 in a 1st place finish. Kara competed on the women’s team the following year while earning her master’s degree. That year, Kara coxed the 1V8 in 2nd place finish at NCAA Championships. After college, Kara participated in the US National Team selection camp.

Kara returned to UVA in 2000 as an assistant coach. Kara coached the novice women’s, assisted with the varsity boats, and organized recruiting efforts. During Kara’s tenure, the women’s team won 6 ACC championships and placed in the top 10 at NCAA’s each year, including a 2nd place team finish in 2005. Kara was voted Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003 by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association.

While all of the races and wins were great, Kara values her relationships with her teammates and former athletes above all. She aims to foster the same spirit of teamwork and camaraderie with W-L athletes.

Off the water, Kara is a reading teacher at Jefferson Middle School and a mom to two amazing kids.

Wilson DeSousa has been coaching at W-L since 1998 on both the men’s and women’s side, including a year as the Women’s Head Coach in 2001. His rowing career began at W-L where he was a member of the varsity eight under Coaches Tom Chisnell and Derek Parsons. As a coach, Wilson has led his crews to national success at both the varsity and freshman levels at W-L, Bethesda Chevy-Chase HS, and Yorktown HS. In 2007 and 2008, while coaching the freshman women at Yorktown, he led the Patriots to consecutive medals at the Ted Phoenix Regatta. Wilson works in the medical information field, as well as massage therapy and physical training fields. He’s an avid car buff, especially VW’s, and follows professional soccer with a passion. Wilson is a graduate of Marymount University.

Dane Underwood has been rowing and coaching in the northern Virginia area since 1998. He started his coaching career at Oakton High School in 2004, joining in the second year of the program. There, he worked to build the program from a small start-up team of just 35 members to a competitive and respected team of 110+ athletes. Serving as the head and varsity women’s coach for the last 8 years, he led the women’s team to great success, including 8 medal finishes at the VA State championships in varsity events. His athletes have also found individual success, with two All-Met awards, and many girls going on to collegiate rowing at Stanford, UVA, Clemson, Princeton among many others. His top athlete even went on to row for the US Women’s U23 national team, and in the Oxford-Cambridge boat race (go light blues!).

As a rower, Dane first rowed for West Potomac HS but didn’t really fall in love with the sport until rowing at George Mason University under the tutelage of local rowing legend Bob Spousta. Dane continues to row competitively with friends as GMU Alumni, and for various local programs, including the Occoquan and Potomac boat clubs.

Off the water, Dane is a Systems Engineer for the MITRE Corporation in McLean and enjoys tinkering with technology, writing code, and cycling.

Taylor Dough graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 where he rowed for the men’s lightweight team. Through his four years there he earned two silvers and one gold medal at Dad Vails and one bronze at ACRA. Taylor also rowed for Gloucester High School and Mobjack Rowing Association where he earned a silver medal at VASRA state championships.

Taylor is a Mechanical Engineer and a DoD Civilian where he serves as a product lead for the US Army.

James Herring graduated from Yorktown in ‘09 with varsity letters in both rowing and football.  James was a member of Yorktown’s varsity eight that won States his senior year and placed 12th at Nationals. A 2013 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army Virginia National Guard and served until 2021. James also served as a member of the MPDC (DC Police) for four years before joining the Arlington County Police Department in 2019. He joined W-L Crew as a coach in 2021 and loves every minute of it!

Bob Sheppard graduated from W-L in 1973 where he lettered in wrestling and rowing, and rowed under Charlie Butt as a member of the heavyweight crew. He is a Naval Academy graduate and was a member of the Naval Academy crew for four years where he competed as both a heavyweight and lightweight oarsman, capable of rowing both sides with equal skill. Bob retired as a Captain in the Navy (6 years active, 20 years reserves) in 2003 and from his civilian IT career in 2016. Today, when he’s not doing whatever is needed for W-L Crew, you’ll find him performing (guitar and vocals) at local venues.