INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Bryan Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Stacey Borgman (Homer, Alaska) have been named USRowing's 2004 Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, the organization announced Wednesday.
Volpenhein, a graduate of The Ohio State University, capped off an outstanding year by stroking the men's eight to a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. In Athens, the seven-time national team member led the men's eight to a world-record row in the heat and then to a gold medal in the final. For the United States, the performance marked the first Olympic medal in the event since 1988 and the first Olympic gold medal in the event since 1964. In addition to that victory, Volpenhein stroked the men's four to a gold medal at the 2004 BearingPoint World Cup stop in Lucerne, Switzerland. The U.S. win came at the expense of the defending world champions from Canada and Great Britain. This marks the second time that Volpenhein has won this award, also taking home the honor in 2002.
Borgman, a graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University, completed her season by winning the B final of the lightweight women's double sculls at the Olympic Games, finishing 7th overall. The five-time national team member and her partner, Lisa Schlenker, narrowly missed making the final, finishing fourth in their semifinal to the three eventual medalists. Borgman made the Olympic team by winning the lightweight women's double sculls with Schlenker at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Rowing. Borgman also won the lightweight women's double sculls at the 2004 National Selection Regatta #2 with Sarah Hirst and finished second to Schlenker in the lightweight women's single sculls at the 2004 National Selection Regatta #1. Borgman is a first-time winner of the award.
The athletes and coaches of the 2004 Olympic Team selected this year's USRowing Male and Female Athletes of the Year. Volpenhein and Borgman will be honored on December 4 at the USRowing Annual Banquet in Miami Beach, Fla.