PRINCETON, N.J. - USRowing is pleased to announce the winners of its 2008 Annual Awards, the organization announced on Friday.
This year's recipients of the Jack Franklin Service Award, Ernestine Bayer Award, Man of the Year Award, John Carlin Service Award, Jack Kelly Award and USRowing Medal will be honored, along with the previously announced USRowing Athletes of the Year, on December 5 at the USRowing Annual Awards Reception in Atlantic City, N.J. USRowing would like to congratulate all of the award winners and thank them for their contributions to the sport.
The Jack Franklin Service Award is given to a referee for his or her lifetime contributions to the sport. This year's recipient is John Garnjost. The South Carolina resident was born and raised in New York and earned both his bachelor's and MBA from Columbia University. He has served as a licensed referee since 1964 and was a FISA umpire from 1970-1999. In 2000, Garnjost received the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Order for his contribution to the development of the sport of rowing. Generally recognized as the father of Taiwanese rowing, Garnjost first went to Taiwan in 1958 while serving in the U.S. Air Force before returning in the 1980s, where he actively worked on site development and personnel training for rowing in the country. He won USRowing's John J. Carlin Award in 2000 and the Eastern College Athletic Conference's George L. Shiebler Award, presented annually to an ECAC official, in 2003.
Formerly called the Woman of the Year Award, the Ernestine Bayer Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to women's rowing. This year's recipients are the gold medalists from the 1984 U.S. Olympic Women's Eight: Jeanne Flannagan, Holly Metcalf, Carol Bower, Carie Graves, Shyril O'Steen, Kristine Norelius, Kris Thorsness, Kathy Keeler and Betsy Beard. Prior to this year, the 1984 eight was the last women's eight to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
The John J. Carlin Award is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution and outstanding commitments in the sport of rowing. This year's winner is Amanda Kraus. Kraus is the executive director and founder of Row New York. Founded in the spring of 2003, the goal of Row New York is to build young people's academic and athletic strengths through the sport of rowing. Kraus has extensive experience working with diverse groups of young people both through sports and academics in schools and educational non-profits. While working with G-ROW BOSTON, she was inspired by the program and the girls to begin Row New York. Kraus received a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she was also captain of the women's crew team. She went on to receive a master's degree in education from Harvard University.
The USRowing Man of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to men's rowing or to an outstanding man in rowing. This year's recipient is Tom Terhaar. USRowing's women's head coach since 2001, Terhaar led his women's eight to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In addition to winning gold in China, Terhaar has coached the women's eight to three world championship titles (2002, 2006 and 2007) and an Olympic silver medal (2004) during his tenure. In 2007, he won the United States Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year Award for Rowing and was one of five finalists for the USOC's National Coach of the Year Award. Prior to being named head coach, Terhaar served as a national team assistant coach from 1994-2000. As a collegiate coach, he spent five years at the helm of the Columbia men's lightweight program, leading the varsity lightweight eight to a silver medal at the 1998 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship and a gold medal at the 2000 Eastern Sprints.
The Jack Kelly Award is given to outstanding individuals who represent the ideals that Jack Kelly exemplified including superior achievement in rowing, service to amateur athletics and success in their chose profession, thereby serving as an inspiration to American rowers. This year's recipient is Finn Wentworth. Wentworth is a Managing Principal and founder of Normandy Real Estate Partners and has been a tremendous supporter of USRowing and the Princeton National Rowing Association. Prior to forming Normandy, Wentworth was president, chief operating officer and board member of Yankee, Nets, the holding company of the New York Yankees, New Jersey Nets and New Jersey Devils, where he also helped form the organization's media company - The Yankee Entertainment Sports (YES) Network. He has more than 25 years of real estate experience, including co-founding Gale & Wentworth, a nationally recognized investment and development firm that assembled a multi-billion dollar property portfolio. Wentworth is an alumnus and member of the Lehigh University board of trustees. He remains active in community and philanthropic endeavors and has been honored by several hospitals and charitable organizations. He chairs the United Way of Morris County's Public Officials Forum.
Given to a member of the rowing community in the U.S. who has rendered conspicuous service to or accomplished extraordinary feats in rowing, the highest honor USRowing can bestow is the USRowing Medal. This year's recipient is Mike Teti. Teti, who took over the University of California's men's rowing program following the 2008 Olympic Games, served as USRowing's men's sweep head coach from the fall of 1996 through August of 2008. During his tenure, Teti led the U.S. men's eight to Olympic gold in 2004 and Olympic bronze in 2008. The victory in 2004 marked the first time the U.S. had won the Olympic title since 1964. Teti also coached the men's eight to seven world championship medals during that time period including four gold medals in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2005. Prior to becoming the national team head coach, he served as Princeton University's men's freshman coach, winning five Intercollegiate Rowing Association titles. He began his coaching career at Temple University in 1982. As an athlete, Teti was a 12-time national team member and three-time Olympian. He won a bronze medal in the men's eight at the 1988 Olympic Games. Teti was named USRowing's Male Athlete of the Year in 1987 after rowing bow in the first U.S. world champion men's eight in 13 years.