PRINCETON, N.J. - Close to 30,000 votes were cast, and when the polls closed Monday night, USRowing fans across the country had selected the seven winners of 2014 Fan’s Choice Awards.
Co-sponsored by USRowing and row2k Media, the seven award winners were nominated by and voted for based on their contributions and excellence in rowing in 2014. They will be honored at the Golden Oars Awards Dinner on Thursday, November 20, at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.
“Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to the fans that supported this year’s Fan’s Choice Awards through nominations and voting. The stories of all the nominees were inspiring and proved beyond a doubt that 2014 was a remarkable year for our sport,” said Beth Kohl, USRowing Chief Marketing Officer.
“Our vision for the Fan's Choice campaign was to share the amazing stories of accomplishment with the rowing community and to encourage our fans to participate in recognizing the year's top performances. We are excited to meet the winners at Golden Oars on November 20,” said Kohl.
“Rowing is full of exceptional people with inspiring stories, and it was great to be involved in recognizing this group of rowing people," said Ed Hewitt, chairman and founder of row2k Media. "Great people like these are what makes our sport special; thanks to all the nominees for giving their best to the sport, and tremendous congratulations to the winners."
The 2014 winners are:
Junior Athlete of the Year
Elizabeth Sharis - Y-Quad Cities
Elizabeth Sharis of the Y-Quad Cities rowing program won gold in the women’s single and women’s quadruple sculls events at the 2014 USRowing Youth National Championships. She also won gold in the women’s senior single and junior double at the 2014 Club National Championships. Elizabeth then went on to represent our country at the 2014 World Rowing Junior Championships in Hamburg, Germany, where she finished tenth in the women’s single sculls.
Collegiate Athlete of the Year
Kate Roach - Cornell University
Kate Roach went from walk-on at Cornell University to world champion in less than three years, as she won a gold medal representing the United States in the women’s eight at the 2014 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Varese, Italy. During the 2013-2014 collegiate season, Kate set new all-time erg records (5K and 2K) for Cornell and was named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Second Team Pocock All-American at the end of the season.
Masters Athlete of the Year
Barbara Hogan - Carnegie Lake Rowing Association
Barbara Hogan had a very successful 2014 season. At the 2014 C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints, she won a bronze medal in the Veteran Women’s category (65-69 years old), at the Schuylkill Navy Regatta she won gold in the women’s double sculls and silver in the mixed double sculls, and at the Independence Day Regatta she won silver in the women’s single sculls. Hogan capped off her terrific sprint season with three gold medals at the 2014 USRowing Masters National Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich., where she was victorious in the women’s G double sculls, women’s G eight and women’s H quadruple sculls categories.
National Team Athlete of the Year
Mike Gennaro - USRowing Training Center - Princeton
Mike Gennaro raced to a silver medal in the men’s four at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, defeating the gold and silver medalists from the 2013 World Rowing Championships. Earlier in the season, he won gold and bronze in the men’s four and men’s eight, respectively, at the 2014 World Roiwng Cup II in Aiguebelette, France. Mike is also a special mentor to youth rowers, working with both Philadelphia Youth Rowing and the U.S. Junior National Team.
Junior Coach of the Year
Mark Grinberg - Arlington Belmont Crew
Mark Grinberg guided Arlington Belmont Crew men to two consecutive Massachusetts state championships, becoming the first ever Massachusetts public school to qualify two eights for the 2014 USRowing Youth National Championships. His men’s varsity eight also won the Textile River Regatta and Massachusetts Public School Rowing Association Fall State Championship, just four years after the team had a mere six members.
Collegiate Coach of the Year
Wes Ng - Trinity College
Wes Ng coached the Trinity College women’s rowing team to its first ever NCAA Division III title, unseating eight-time consecutive champion Williams College. Trinity’s varsity eight won gold, while the second varsity eight won silver. The Trinity College women completed their 2014 dual season with a 12-0 record. Ng also coached the women’s quadruple sculls to a ninth-place finish at the 2014 World Under 23 Championships in Varese, Italy.
Masters Coach of the Year
Nancy Faigen - Potomac Boat Club
Nancy Faigen led Potomac Boat Club to a men’s and overall team championship at the 2014 USRowing Masters National Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich. Her crews won 21 national titles and medaled in 25 of 26 events entered at this year’s masters nationals. Of 45 total races entered by the team over the course of this year, Faigen’s crews were in the top three in 41 of them, tallying 33 gold, six silver and two bronze medals.
Click here for more information about the 2014 Golden Oars Awards Dinner. Click here to purchase a ticket or secure a table. You may also place a half page or full page tribute ad in the Golden Oars Awards program in honor of a Fan’s Choice Award winner. Information may be found in link above.
Click here for a link to past Fan's Choice Award Winners.
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