In Memory: Carie Graves

Legendary rower, two-time Olympic medalist, mother, and friend Carie Graves passed away this past weekend. She was 68.

A University of Wisconsin undergraduate, Graves won a gold medal in the women's eight at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and a bronze medal in the eight at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She also was a member of the 1980 Olympic Team, which was unable to compete due to the boycott of the Olympics in Moscow. That crew won the 1980 Lucerne International Regatta over East Germany, the eventual Olympic champions.

Born in Madison, Wis., Graves began rowing as a walk-on as a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1973, and in the spring of 1975, the Badgers had won the women's national championship. Graves made her first U.S. team in 1975, as stroke of the silver-medal winning eight that would become known as the "Red Rose Crew." She would win two more world championship silver medals in the women's eight in 1981 and 1983. The United States Olympic Committee honored her as rowing's Female Athlete of the Year in both 1981 and 1984.

Graves was the head women's crew coach at Harvard/Radcliffe from 1977-83. She completed her master's degree at Harvard University in 1985, receiving a master's of education in administration, planning and social policy, and then spent 10 years as the head coach of women's rowing at Northeastern University from 1988-98. Graves led Northeastern's move from club status to varsity status in 1990 and guided the varsity eight to a berth at the first-ever NCAA Women's Rowing Championships in 1997. In 1998, Graves led her varsity eight to its second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance and a fourth-place finish.

In July of 1998, Graves was hired as the University of Texas women's rowing head coach. Graves built UT's rowing program from the ground up, leading the Longhorns to their first-ever NCAA Championship appearance during the 2002-03 season. She won four consecutive Big 12 Rowing Championships from 2009-2012, including the inaugural championship in 2009, and was selected by her peers as the 2012 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year. That first official title in 2009 came on the heels of winning seven straight Big 12 Invitational titles. Graves retired from coaching in 2014.

Graves is a two-time inductee into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame. In 1984, she was selected as a member of the 1984 Olympic gold-medal crew. Graves was honored by the Hall of Fame in 1991, when she was inducted as a member of the 1980 Olympic Team. Graves also was the first inductee into UW's Women's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.

USRowing is deeply saddened by her passing. She will be greatly missed.

We will post additional information as it becomes available.