PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's head coach of women's rowing, Wesley Ng, has announced the hiring of Helen Samaniego as an assistant coach on his staff.
 
Samaniego is already a Boathouse Row veteran, having coached at Lower Merion High School, Conshohocken Rowing Center, and the Vesper Masters Programs during the last few years. She joins Kumari Lewis as an assistant on Coach Ng's staff.
 
"I am really looking forward to working with Helen because of her experience and accomplishments as an NCAA champion, national team rower, world championship medalist, and inspiring coach," said Ng. "She knows what it takes for boats to row at championship speed, and how to identify and teach the skills and ethic required to reach those goals."
 
"It's a privilege to be a part of the Penn rowing family," said Samaniego. "I'm excited to build on Penn's rowing skills and competitive hard work."
 
Samaniego trained as an elite rower for 11 years, qualifying for two Senior and three U-23 national teams and retiring after the 2021 Olympic Trials where she competed in the lightweight women's double. Samaniego won a silver medal in the lightweight women's quad at the 2013 World Rowing Championships—a boat coached by Ng. At the 2012 Olympic Trials, she placed fourth in the single sculls.
 
A rower since age eight in Houston, Texas, the former Helen Tompkins graduated from the University of Virginia as a double major in Foreign Affairs (concentration in Latin America) and Studio Art (concentration in painting) with a minor in Architecture. As a senior in 2010, she helped the Cavaliers win their first NCAA Championship in women's rowing at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif., rowing in the 7 seat for UVA's Varsity Eight that season.