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Sep 25, 2023

General

Annual Award Winners


Each year, USRowing honors outstanding athletes, coaches, and volunteers who have made a great impact on our sport and recognizes their contributions through our Annual Awards program.

USRowing is now accepting nominations for our Board-selected awards. Please complete the Google nomination form. Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, October 13, 2023. Winners will be announced later this year.

Questions: Contact Brett Johnson, USRowing Senior Director of Programs & Communications, at brett.johnson@usrowing.org.

Below is a list of awards and the criteria for consideration.

Man of the Year

Criteria: Awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to men's rowing and/or to an outstanding man in rowing.

Selectors: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Dave O'Neill

2021 – Arshay Cooper

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Charlie Hamlin

2018 – Steve Hargis

2017 – Randy Benderson

2016 – Gavin White

2015 – Gregg Hartsuff

2014 – H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest

2013 – Michael Callahan

2012 – Rob Jones

2011 – Andrew Campbell

2010 – Bill Engman

2009 – Not Awarded

2008 – Tom Terhaar

2007 – Conn Findlay

2006 – Not awarded

2005 – Ted Nash

2004 – Men's Olympic Gold Medal 8+

2003 – Not awarded

2002 – Not awarded

2001 – Jason Read

1998-2000 – Not awarded

1997 – Curtis Jordan

Ernestine Bayer Award (Formerly Woman of the Year)

Criteria: Awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to women's rowing and/or to an outstanding woman in rowing.

Selectors: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Carol Schoenecker

2021 – Olympic Lightweight Women's Double Sculls (Michelle Sechser and Molly Reckford)

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Chris Ernst

2018 – Nicole Marek

2017 – Yaz Farooq

2016 – Tessa Spillane

2015 – Megan Kalmoe

2014 – Joan (Lind) Van Blom

2013 – Sandy Armstrong

2012 – 2012 U.S. Olympic Women's Eight

2011 – Mayrene Earle

2010 – Joanne Wright

2009 – Not Awarded

2008 – 1984 U.S. Olympic Women's Eight

2007 – John and Phoebe Murphy

2006 – Lori Dauphiny

2005 – Jan Harville

2004 – Women's Olympic Silver Medal 8+

2003 – Not Awarded

2002 – Nancy Den Besten

2001 – Not Awarded

2000 – Martha's Moms

1999 – Holly Metcalf

1997 – Dee Ashbaugh

1996 – Not Awarded

1995 – Paula Oyer

1994 – The Women of Washington (Carol Brown, Jan Harville, Jean Laframboise, Eleanor McElvaine)

1993 – The City of Chattanooga

1992 – ZLAC Rowing Club

1991 – Hope Barnes

1990 – Holly Hatton

1989 – Sue Ela

1988 – Not Awarded

1987 – Margie McHugh

1986 – Anita L. DeFrantz

1985 – Elizabeth Hills O'Leary

1984 – Patricia Pinkerton

1983 – Debbie Ayars

1982 – Elizabeth O'Leary

The Clayton W. Chapman Award

Criteria: Awarded to an outstanding individual who emulates Clayton Chapman's 30-year stewardship of the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championships. This person will have consistently served behind the scenes in unrecognized, but important roles, in staging a regatta. The individual may be an athlete, coach, referee, administrator, volunteer or regatta organizer.

Selector: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Leslie Pfeil

2021 – Brice Crossley

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Schuylkill Navy River Restoration Committee

2018 – Mitch Budman

2017 – Jim Buckalew

2016 – Polly Whiteside

2015 – Harry Nyce

2014 – Bob Whitford

2013 – Kathy Frederick

2012 – Tim Royalty

2011 – Not Awarded

2010 – Jack St. Clair

2009 – Not Awarded

2008 – Not Awarded

2007 – Allen Eubanks

2006 – Eric and Deborah Stoll

2005 – Jon Smart

2004 – Edward "Ted" Phoenix

2003 – Lee West

2002 – Al Wachlin

2001 – William Leavitt

John J. Carlin Service Award

Criteria: Awarded to honor an individual who has made significant and outstanding commitments in support of rowing.

Selector: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Margot Zalkind Mayor

2021 – Katalin Kariko

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Chuck Pieper

2018 – Beth Sala Covin

2017 – T. Gary Rogers

2016 – Peter Wilhelm

2015 – Jack Galloway

2014 – Ted Kakas

2013 – Martha Schumaker

2012 – Dick Bell

2011 – Yan and Olga Vengerovskiy

2010 – Albin Moser

2009 – Not Awarded

2008 – Amanda Kraus

2007 – Marc Nowak

2006 – Chip Davis

2005 – Gary Caldwell

2004 – Ed Hewitt

2003 – Lynn Shannon

2002 – William Fritz

2001 – Clete Graham

2000 – John Garnjost

1990 – Charles Colgan

1989 – Peter Gardner

1985 – William M. Hollenback, Jr.

1982 – Jack H. Frailey

1981 – Charles S. Butt

1980 – Ernestine L. Bayer

1978 – W. Hart Perry, Jr.

1977 – Julian Wolf

1976 – Fred L. Emerson, Jr.

1975 – George Y. Pocock

1974 – Horace E. Davenport

1973 – William J. Knecht

1972 – Jack T. Franklin

1971 – Ernest H. Bayer

1970 – John J. Sulger

Jack Kelly Award

Criteria: Awarded to an outstanding individual who represents the ideals that Jack Kelly exemplified: superior achievements in rowing, service to amateur athletics, and success in their chosen profession, thereby serving as an inspiration to American rowers.

Selectors: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Bruce Beall

2021 – Kate Johnson

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Judy Geer

2018 – Mitch Tamkin

2017 – John Chatzky

2016 – Bill Jurgens

2015 – Ginny Gilder

2014 – Todd Jesdale

2013 – Fritz Hagerman

2012 – Mike Knopp

2011 – Bill Stowe

2010 – Not Awarded

2009 – Vincent J. Ventura

2008 – Finn Wentworth

2007 – Finn Caspersen

2006 – Andrew Sudduth

2005 – Anne Martin

2004 – Dr. Jo Hannafin

2003 – Not Awarded

2002 – Julian Wolf

2001 – John P. Cooke

2000 – Jack Franklin

1999 – Clayton Chapman

1998 – Kent Mitchell

1997 – Dr. Tim Hosea

1996 – Martha S. Ferguson

1995 – Richard Cashin

1994 – Peter and Dick Dreissigacker

1993 – Charles P. Colgan

1992 – Jack Frailey

1991 – Anita DeFrantz

1990 – William M. Hollenback, Jr.

1989 – Hart Perry

1988 – Charles S. Butt

1987 – Horace E. Davenport

1986 – Thomas Keller

USRowing Medal of Honor

Criteria: Awarded to a member of the rowing community in the U.S. who has rendered conspicuous service to, or accomplished extraordinary feats in, rowing. It is the highest honor USRowing can bestow.

Selectors: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Matt Smith

2021 – Larry Gluckman

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Christopher I. Blackwall

2018 – David A. Grant

2017 – Jim Joy

2016 – Kris Korzeniowski

2015 – Steve Gladstone

2014 – Tony Johnson

2013 – Ted Nash

2012 – Stan Pocock

2011 – Harry Parker

2010 – Frank Cunningham

2009 – Hart and Gillian Perry

2008 – Mike Teti

2007 – Not Awarded

2006 – Not Awarded

2005 – Not Awarded

2004 – Clayton Chapman

2003 – Not Awarded

2002 – Jack Frailey

1995-2001 – Not Awarded

1994 – Anita DeFrantz

1993 – George Pocock

1992 – Ernestine Bayer

Anita DeFrantz Award for Advancing Diversity in Rowing

Criteria: Awarded to an individual or organization achieving measurable success in expanding diversity opportunities in rowing.

Selectors: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Richard Butler

2021 – St. Benedict's Prep

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Philadelphia City Rowing

2018 – Jenn Gibbons

2017 – Arshay Cooper

2016 – Juliana LoBiondo

2015 – Judd Anderson

2014 – Oakland Strokes

2013 – Chicago Training Center

2012 – RowLA

2011 – Row New York

Isabel Bohn Award for Achievement in Adaptive Rowing

Criteria: Awarded to an individual or organization achieving measurable success in expanding rowing opportunities for those with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Selectors: USRowing Board of Directors

Past Winners

2022 – Angela Madsen

2021 – Paralympic Games PR3 Mixed 4+ (Karen Petrik, John Tanguay, Charley Nordin, Dani Hansen, and Allie Reilly)

2020 – Award not given due to COVID-19

2019 – Patrick Johnson

2018 – Pat Tirone

2017 – Jeff McGinnis

2016 – Mark McAndrew

2015 – Ellen Minzner

2014 – Judy Morrison

2013 – Mark Baiada

2012 – Oksana Masters and Rob Jones

2011 – Isabel Bohn

USRowing's Additional Award Opportunities

Referee Awards – Nominations for Referee Awards should be submitted as instructed in the USRowing Referee Internal Operating Procedures. For more information and past award winners, click here.

USRowing Athletes of the Year – Voted on by members of the U.S. national teams each year. Click here for a list of past award winners.

Club of the Year Award – USRowing is in the process of evaluating our Club of the Year Award program and launching a more inclusive recognition that can be awarded to multiple clubs. More information on the new program will be announced at a later date. Therefore, there will be no nominations for Club of the Year. Please stay tuned! Click here for previous winners.

Previous Awards Programs

Fan's Choice Awards – USRowing's Fan's Choice Awards were given to an "Athlete of the Year" in the junior, collegiate, masters and national team categories and a "Coach of the Year" in the junior, collegiate and masters categories from 2011-2018. This program has been discontinued.