Jake Cornelius wraps up his third season as an assistant coach for the Stanford men’s rowing team. He returned to The Farm in 2012-13 as an assistant coach after rowing at Stanford from 2003-06.
This past season Cornelius helped the varsity four to a bronze medal at the IRA National Championships and the varsity eight to an 18th place finish. Seniors Scott Roycroft and Kaess Smit were named to the All-Pac-12 team while Smit was also the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2013-14, Cornelius coached the second varsity eight to a 16th place finish at the IRA National Championships, while also coaching the Frosh/3V8 throughout the year. He helped with the overall development of the student-athletes. Senior Austin Hack was named both the Pac-12 Athlete and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while junior Kaess Smit was also on the All-Pac-12 team.
In his first season, Cornelius helped lead the Cardinal to an eighth place finish at the IRA National Championships, third place finish at the Pac-12 Championships and a victory over Cal in The Big row.
Prior to working at Stanford, Cornelius rowed for the United States National Team. He rowed the U.S. squad to a fourth place finish at the 2012 Olympics in London after his eight won the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. He began training with the U.S. team in 2007, competing in 2009 and 2010 before suffering an injury that required spinal surgery in 2011. In 2010, he finished sixth in the eight at the World Rowing Championships.
Other career highlights include winning the 2007 Cambridge Oxford Boat Race, winning the pair at the 2010 USRowing National Championships and winning gold in the four at the 2009 USRowing National Championships.
While training with the national team in Princeton, N.J., he worked for the New Jersey Solar Consulting doing economic and technical analysis for industrial and commercial solar projects. He also started an educational services business called Milestone Academic Counseling.
Cornelius graduated from Stanford in 2006 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a four-year letterwinner and two-time All-Pac-10 selection in 2005 and 2006. He was part of the first Stanford Varsity Eight to beat Washington and Cal in recent memory. He went on to gain his master’s degree in engineering for sustainable development at Cambridge University.
Jake and his wife Lisa were married in 2011 and reside in Portola Valley, Calif.