PRINCETON, N.J. - USRowing referee John Cavanaugh has been awarded the 2011 USRowing Julian Wolf Award, the association announced on Wednesday.
Chosen by five past Julian Wolf winners, the award honors one rowing official in the United States that stood apart in making contributions to the sport in the past year. Selection is based upon one, several, or all of the following - outstanding performance, dedication, heroic acts or outstanding contributions to officiating.
Cavanaugh will be honored at the USRowing Annual Convention in Hartford, Conn.
"I am quite humbled by the honor," said Cavanaugh. "I am still trying to figure out how my love of the sport has transcended to the point that someone other than the rowing organizations and referees in the upper Midwest that I routinely work with brought enough notice to the committee that made my selection possible.
"My respect of the many Julian Wolf awardees prior to 2011 leaves me in awe of what they have done for the sport of rowing through their many dedicated years to the sport and I will continue to strive to keep the bar high."
Cavanaugh began his rowing career 1967 during his freshman year at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minn. His sister, then a Navy nurse serving in Vietnam, mentioned that several officers in her unit were former collegiate oarsmen.
Following the conversation Cavanaugh joined the university's club crew team and, apart from a tour of service in the Navy from 1970 to 1976, he has been a member of the Minnesota Boat Club for 35 years.
He competed and coached for 25 years, and 17 years ago, he became a fully licensed referee. In addition to refereeing, Cavanaugh has severed over the past 10 years as the USRowing Liaison to the Referee Committee of the Northwestern International Rowing Association, an organization comprised of seven Canadian and three Minnesota rowing clubs.
More recently he was selected to be a referee clinician in the upper Midwest region, working with the late Phil Mork and current Midwest regional representative, Roger Frederick, as well as other Midwest officials recruiting, training and mentoring new referees.
"John Cavanaugh has served the referee corps and USRowing for many years. John's selfless dedication makes refereeing easier for everyone in the upper Midwest and Canada," said Joe Carlson, chairman of the USRowing Referee Committee.
"John's overriding goal is to give back to rowing. He is tireless, puts endless energy into helping the other referees and serves the referee corps selflessly. He does everything he can to make it a positive experience for everyone. There is nothing John Cavanaugh will not do to make sure that someday, when he can no longer do as much as he currently does, the referee corps will survive and thrive," said Carlson.