Completed Event: Men's Lightweight Rowing at Head of the Charles on October 18, 2025 ,
Final
Men's Lightweight Rowing
at Head of the Charles
Photo by: Justin Lafleur
Tuckerman Hopes Dartmouth Success Leads to Olympic Dreams
6/1/2023 4:50:00 PM | Men's Lightweight Rowing, Peak Performance
Tuckerman and the Men's Lightweight Rowing team are set for the IRA National Championship this weekend
Cooper Tuckerman didn't anticipate himself playing a sport in college… until rowing came along.
He has excelled at Dartmouth and now, he has aspirations for the Olympics.
"Racing in the summer, I lined up against some of the best guys in the U.S. and found myself competitive," said Tuckerman. "You ask yourself how much closer you can get."
Like for so many, Tuckerman began rowing relatively late.
"I started rowing my sophomore fall of high school just because I went to boarding school in Western Massachusetts (at The Berkshire School) where we were required to do an afternoon activity in each of the seasons," he said. "I had been a hockey and lacrosse player, so had my winter and spring sports, and needed something to do in the fall. My dad had coxed in high school for a year or two and on a whim said he thought I should give rowing a try.
"The rest is history."
Tuckerman's dad was right.
"I absolutely loved it," said Cooper. "I had an absolute blast… I wasn't a good hockey or lacrosse player, but absolutely loved playing JV lacrosse in the spring. I remember sitting there with my roommate at the time and asking if I should row in the spring or keep playing JV lacrosse (while continuing to row in the fall)."
Tuckerman opted for rowing.
Born in Montana, the reason Tuckerman was in Massachusetts rowing in the first place was due in large part to his parents, who grew up in New England.
"Going to school in New England was something my mom brought up in seventh or eighth grade," said Tuckerman. "This is a world that exists. We went out and looked at a couple schools. I liked being able to do things on my own, so that seemed like an opportunity for me to go out and be a strong, independent 14-year old.
"I ended up going with what felt right in my gut and absolutely loved it at Berkshire for four years."
A big part of Tuckerman's experience at Berkshire School was rowing. Before rowing, the thought of playing varsity athletics in college had not previously crossed his mind.
"My mom played hockey in college, so we were a big hockey family growing up," said Tuckerman. "I was on skates basically before I could walk.
"I've really come to realize that rowing is such a late onset sport," he continued. "It's one of the few outdoor sports left that you have the opportunity to pick up an oar in high school, or even in college, and compete at a varsity level."
It happened for Tuckerman in high school, setting the stage for his arrival at Dartmouth.
"It was the campus, the facilities and the coaching," he said. "Obviously, strong academics number one then after that, it was a place where you could be outside. Growing up in Montana, I wanted somewhere where you ski on the weekends. I've absolutely loved and done a bunch of Nordic skiing in the winters as cross training, and do a ton of road riding on the bikes as cross training in the summer and spring."
When Tuckerman came to Dartmouth and saw what the college and area offered, his mind was made up.
"I came up here and didn't need to see any other schools," he said.
Tuckerman's college career, like so many, was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why he returned for a fifth year in 2022-23.
"During that first summer [after the pandemic hit], it was clear the next year wasn't going to be normal by any means," he said. "I realized I could get a lot more out of being in the classroom than taking classes online."
Around that time, it was announced that the lightweight rowing team was among some Dartmouth programs cut, so it looked like Tuckerman didn't have a team to go back to (furthering his decision to take a gap year and let things play out).
"First call I got was from my mom," said Tuckerman. "We were both in tears on the phone. She asked if I wanted to transfer. Is that something I would think about?"
For as upset as Tuckerman was, it wasn't something he wanted to do because of his entire Dartmouth experience.
"I absolutely love the people, love the place, and couldn't imagine going to school anywhere else," he said. "[Dartmouth heavyweight head coach] Wyatt Allen was super helpful through the whole process and saw it as an opportunity that if some of the guys could put on a few pounds and come in really fired up, we could have added some fire to that squad and helped them out."
Thankfully for Tuckerman, that wasn't needed as the lightweight program was reinstated. He took off two terms and trained for the Olympic trials with a high-performance group in Philadelphia.
"I then started taking classes again in the spring of 2021," said Tuckerman. "I am a biology major, so ended up taking those two [extra] terms this fall and winter to do full-time research for a thesis, which I'm just wrapping up now."
In the end, Tuckerman made the most of a tough situation.
"I couldn't have asked for it to have worked out any better," he said. "To have this opportunity, especially to work with Trevor (interim head coach Trevor Michelson) for a full year all while doing the research, was valuable. Outside of classes and labs and training, I always really wanted to do research in the lab, but hadn't been able to find the time.
"I had this extra year of eligibility in rowing, and it let me reach my academic goals."
As Michelson said, "Cooper has been a force his entire career at Dartmouth. His work ethic and persistence in the pursuit of excellence is nothing short of inspiring and has pushed me to be a better coach. He will be truly missed, but his impact on this program will be everlasting. I am excited to watch as he pursues his dream of representing the United States at the Olympics."
Tuckerman's academic interest in biology began from growing up in Montana.
"Before I could go out and hunt with my dad, my favorite part of the year always was when he'd bring home deer, elk, and I'd help him process them," said Tuckerman. "I was always really fascinated by it. I remember with pheasant, he would show me how the tendons would move the toes. That interest progressed into the classroom."
"I always had this passion and curiosity for biology, then when you add the rowing aspect, it really took my interest and shaped it into the human performance and athletic performance side of things."
How much can Tuckerman push his body while also helping it recover?
"How to refuel best after weigh-in is something we're always thinking about," he said. "Best practices for injury and prehab prevention. It makes you more cognizant of things going on outside of practice.
"You always find yourself asking how this contributes to what I'm doing at the boathouse."
What Tuckerman is doing at the Dartmouth boathouse is pretty special. He has extensive experience at the Under-23 World Championships, while making his mark in the Big Green's Varsity Eight, which won the petite final at Eastern Sprints to qualify the entire Dartmouth team for the IRA National Championship Regatta for the first time in nearly a decade.
For all his success, Tuckerman hopes to take it to another level after graduation, as he will spend the next year training with hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.
"I was offered a spot at a really awesome high performance rowing year-round training program," he said. "I'll be training for the year and throwing my name in the ring for next spring."
There is currently a lightweight double in the Olympics, which is the only lightweight boat remaining in the games.
"Tokyo was actually supposed to be the last Olympiad of it," said Tuckerman. "It was going to get pulled from the program, but because of COVID, it has one more cycle. Lightweights will be in Paris, but it's understood that that will be the last cycle of lightweights.
"That was definitely part of my motivation to train in the middle of COVID for trials and why I'm going to be training for the next year, since it's the last shot I'll have."
Tuckerman's love for the sport, developed almost immediately as a high school student, has only continued to grow.
"You have to be a little crazy and absolutely love the training, love the grind of going down there every day, looking at the workout and asking how I can get the most out of this," he said.
"Trevor [Michelson] always says to go fast is simple, but to refine it, you're always getting better," Tuckerman continued. "From the first stroke you take to crews warming up before the Olympic final, you're always making changes and always trying to just get a little bit slicker, a little bit better."
Getting better has been a theme of Tuckerman's time at Dartmouth in all aspects of his life, but it almost always ties back to rowing.
"I've had so many highs and so many deep lows throughout my time rowing at Dartmouth," said Tuckerman. "One phrase that Trevor [Michelson] always says that really sticks with me is going through this, you can't let the highs be too high and you can't let the lows be too low. You just have to stay persistent and really consistent on a path in the middle.
"You'll always have these natural ups and downs in life, but how do you let them affect you? You have to stay the course and be really persistent through the middle."
Tuckerman hopes that mentality takes him all the way to Paris, France to represent the Red, White and Blue in the summer of 2024.
He has excelled at Dartmouth and now, he has aspirations for the Olympics.
"Racing in the summer, I lined up against some of the best guys in the U.S. and found myself competitive," said Tuckerman. "You ask yourself how much closer you can get."
Like for so many, Tuckerman began rowing relatively late.
"I started rowing my sophomore fall of high school just because I went to boarding school in Western Massachusetts (at The Berkshire School) where we were required to do an afternoon activity in each of the seasons," he said. "I had been a hockey and lacrosse player, so had my winter and spring sports, and needed something to do in the fall. My dad had coxed in high school for a year or two and on a whim said he thought I should give rowing a try.
"The rest is history."
Tuckerman's dad was right.
"I absolutely loved it," said Cooper. "I had an absolute blast… I wasn't a good hockey or lacrosse player, but absolutely loved playing JV lacrosse in the spring. I remember sitting there with my roommate at the time and asking if I should row in the spring or keep playing JV lacrosse (while continuing to row in the fall)."
Tuckerman opted for rowing.
Born in Montana, the reason Tuckerman was in Massachusetts rowing in the first place was due in large part to his parents, who grew up in New England.
"Going to school in New England was something my mom brought up in seventh or eighth grade," said Tuckerman. "This is a world that exists. We went out and looked at a couple schools. I liked being able to do things on my own, so that seemed like an opportunity for me to go out and be a strong, independent 14-year old.
"I ended up going with what felt right in my gut and absolutely loved it at Berkshire for four years."
A big part of Tuckerman's experience at Berkshire School was rowing. Before rowing, the thought of playing varsity athletics in college had not previously crossed his mind.
"My mom played hockey in college, so we were a big hockey family growing up," said Tuckerman. "I was on skates basically before I could walk.
"I've really come to realize that rowing is such a late onset sport," he continued. "It's one of the few outdoor sports left that you have the opportunity to pick up an oar in high school, or even in college, and compete at a varsity level."
It happened for Tuckerman in high school, setting the stage for his arrival at Dartmouth.
"It was the campus, the facilities and the coaching," he said. "Obviously, strong academics number one then after that, it was a place where you could be outside. Growing up in Montana, I wanted somewhere where you ski on the weekends. I've absolutely loved and done a bunch of Nordic skiing in the winters as cross training, and do a ton of road riding on the bikes as cross training in the summer and spring."
When Tuckerman came to Dartmouth and saw what the college and area offered, his mind was made up.
"I came up here and didn't need to see any other schools," he said.
Tuckerman's college career, like so many, was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why he returned for a fifth year in 2022-23.
"During that first summer [after the pandemic hit], it was clear the next year wasn't going to be normal by any means," he said. "I realized I could get a lot more out of being in the classroom than taking classes online."
Around that time, it was announced that the lightweight rowing team was among some Dartmouth programs cut, so it looked like Tuckerman didn't have a team to go back to (furthering his decision to take a gap year and let things play out).
"First call I got was from my mom," said Tuckerman. "We were both in tears on the phone. She asked if I wanted to transfer. Is that something I would think about?"
For as upset as Tuckerman was, it wasn't something he wanted to do because of his entire Dartmouth experience.
"I absolutely love the people, love the place, and couldn't imagine going to school anywhere else," he said. "[Dartmouth heavyweight head coach] Wyatt Allen was super helpful through the whole process and saw it as an opportunity that if some of the guys could put on a few pounds and come in really fired up, we could have added some fire to that squad and helped them out."
Thankfully for Tuckerman, that wasn't needed as the lightweight program was reinstated. He took off two terms and trained for the Olympic trials with a high-performance group in Philadelphia.
"I then started taking classes again in the spring of 2021," said Tuckerman. "I am a biology major, so ended up taking those two [extra] terms this fall and winter to do full-time research for a thesis, which I'm just wrapping up now."
In the end, Tuckerman made the most of a tough situation.
"I couldn't have asked for it to have worked out any better," he said. "To have this opportunity, especially to work with Trevor (interim head coach Trevor Michelson) for a full year all while doing the research, was valuable. Outside of classes and labs and training, I always really wanted to do research in the lab, but hadn't been able to find the time.
"I had this extra year of eligibility in rowing, and it let me reach my academic goals."
As Michelson said, "Cooper has been a force his entire career at Dartmouth. His work ethic and persistence in the pursuit of excellence is nothing short of inspiring and has pushed me to be a better coach. He will be truly missed, but his impact on this program will be everlasting. I am excited to watch as he pursues his dream of representing the United States at the Olympics."
Tuckerman's academic interest in biology began from growing up in Montana.
"Before I could go out and hunt with my dad, my favorite part of the year always was when he'd bring home deer, elk, and I'd help him process them," said Tuckerman. "I was always really fascinated by it. I remember with pheasant, he would show me how the tendons would move the toes. That interest progressed into the classroom."
"I always had this passion and curiosity for biology, then when you add the rowing aspect, it really took my interest and shaped it into the human performance and athletic performance side of things."
How much can Tuckerman push his body while also helping it recover?
"How to refuel best after weigh-in is something we're always thinking about," he said. "Best practices for injury and prehab prevention. It makes you more cognizant of things going on outside of practice.
"You always find yourself asking how this contributes to what I'm doing at the boathouse."
What Tuckerman is doing at the Dartmouth boathouse is pretty special. He has extensive experience at the Under-23 World Championships, while making his mark in the Big Green's Varsity Eight, which won the petite final at Eastern Sprints to qualify the entire Dartmouth team for the IRA National Championship Regatta for the first time in nearly a decade.
Tuckerman was also named Academic All-Ivy for his stellar performance on and off the water.📢 The Richards Group - Athletes of the Week
— Dartmouth Athletics (@dartmouthsports) May 16, 2023
The Big Green lightweight men qualified for the IRA Nationals by winning the petite finale while the women's second varsity eight defeated Columbia in the morning heat to advance to the grand final!
🔗: https://t.co/Zlu3e0wr9s pic.twitter.com/QnNJoLvQ1g
For all his success, Tuckerman hopes to take it to another level after graduation, as he will spend the next year training with hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.
"I was offered a spot at a really awesome high performance rowing year-round training program," he said. "I'll be training for the year and throwing my name in the ring for next spring."
There is currently a lightweight double in the Olympics, which is the only lightweight boat remaining in the games.
"Tokyo was actually supposed to be the last Olympiad of it," said Tuckerman. "It was going to get pulled from the program, but because of COVID, it has one more cycle. Lightweights will be in Paris, but it's understood that that will be the last cycle of lightweights.
"That was definitely part of my motivation to train in the middle of COVID for trials and why I'm going to be training for the next year, since it's the last shot I'll have."
Tuckerman's love for the sport, developed almost immediately as a high school student, has only continued to grow.
"You have to be a little crazy and absolutely love the training, love the grind of going down there every day, looking at the workout and asking how I can get the most out of this," he said.
"Trevor [Michelson] always says to go fast is simple, but to refine it, you're always getting better," Tuckerman continued. "From the first stroke you take to crews warming up before the Olympic final, you're always making changes and always trying to just get a little bit slicker, a little bit better."
Getting better has been a theme of Tuckerman's time at Dartmouth in all aspects of his life, but it almost always ties back to rowing.
"I've had so many highs and so many deep lows throughout my time rowing at Dartmouth," said Tuckerman. "One phrase that Trevor [Michelson] always says that really sticks with me is going through this, you can't let the highs be too high and you can't let the lows be too low. You just have to stay persistent and really consistent on a path in the middle.
"You'll always have these natural ups and downs in life, but how do you let them affect you? You have to stay the course and be really persistent through the middle."
Tuckerman hopes that mentality takes him all the way to Paris, France to represent the Red, White and Blue in the summer of 2024.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Lightweight Rowing
Dartmouth Men's Lightweight Rowing: Head Coach Trevor Michelson Mic'd Up
Wednesday, June 11
Dartmouth Men's Lightweight Rowing: Max Konzerowsky Mic'd Up
Wednesday, June 04
Men's Lightweight Rowing at Eastern Sprints Post Race 5-18-25
Wednesday, May 21
Men's Lightweight Rowing vs. Harvard Post Race 4-12-25
Saturday, April 12
