SEATTLE, Feb. 25, 2006 The Everett Rowing Association junior women's eight-oared crew, which won the silver medal at the 2005 U.S. junior national championships and includes four Everett area high school rowers that represented the U.S. in international competition last summer, was named "Northwest Crew of the Year", Saturday evening at the annual Northwest Rowing Awards Dinner at the Seattle Yacht Club.
The Everett crew of coxswain, Kendra Vandree, Everett High School, Stroke Adrienne Mecham, Lake Stevens High School, 7. Erin Knox, Snohomish High School, 6. Sarah Gribler, Marysville-Pillchuck High School, 5. Ashley Kroll, Kamiak High School, 4. Kendra Short, Cascade High School, 3. Jessica Asbridge, Snohomish High School, 2. Katherine Robinson, Archbishop Murphy High School, Bow Kelli Schmitz, Kamiak High School and their coach Padraic McGovern, who was named NW Coach of the Year, were presented with their awards by U.S. National Rowing Team coach Mike Teti.
"The Northwest has always been rich in rowing talent," said Teti who is in Seattle this month with the U.S. National Rowing Team for a pre-season training camp. "There is always a contingent of athletes that represent the United States on the junior and senior national teams that win and learn to row in Northwest high school programs like the Everett Rowing Association."
Teti coached the U.S. men's eight-oared crew to a world championship in 2005, defeating crews from Italy and Germany to successfully defend their world title. In 2004, Teti coached the United States to its first men's eight-oared Olympic gold medal in 40 years with a win at the Athens Games.
Rounding out the region's winners are NW Contributors of the Year Jana Lauderbaugh of the Lake Washington Rowing Club and Mike McQuaid of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation. The annual awards dinner and celebration of the sport of rowing in the Northwest annually recognizes the achievements of members of the Northwest rowing community from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and is sponsored by the George Pocock Rowing Foundation and the Northwest Rowing Council.
Crew of the Year
With wins at Seattle's Husky Invitational, Canada's Brentwood Regatta, the Opening Day Regatta and the NW Junior Regional Championships, where the crew set a 2,000 meter Vancouver Lake (Wash.) course record of 6:42.0, The Everett junior women's eight went on to earn a silver medal at the USRowing Youth Invitation (U.S. Junior National Championship) on Cincinnati's Harsha Lake. Following their silver medal performance, Knox, a senior at Snohomish High School, Mecham, a senior at Lake Stevens High School and Gribler, a senior at Marysville-Pilchuck High School were selected to the U.S. junior team that competed at Junior World Rowing Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. Kroll, a senior at Kamiak High School, was selected to the American team that competed at the annual CanAmMex Regatta in Oak Ridge, Tenn. All four high school rowers won gold medals at the 2005 USRowing National Championships.
Coach of the Year
As Coach of the Year in the Pacific Northwest, Coach Padraic McGovern of the Everett Rowing Association capped a four-win junior rowing season by guiding the Everett junior women's varsity eight-oared crew to a silver medal performance at the USRowing Youth Invitational (U.S. National Championships) on Cincinnati's Harsha Lake. Following the silver medal performance, four of McGovern's Everett-area high school athletes were selected by USRowing to represent the United States at the World Rowing Championships in Brandenburg, Germany and the CanAmMex Regatta in OakRidge, Tenn.
Contributors of the Year
Jana Lauderbaugh of the Lake Washington Rowing Club and Mike McQuaid of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation were named Contributors of the Year by the Northwest rowing community for their extraordinary contributions to the sport of rowing in the Northwest. As USRowing Northwest Programs Coordinator, Lauderbaugh successfully directed two regional regattas to profitability in 2005 and grew participation in the NW Junior (High School) Regional Regatta by 15 percent. In addition, her work on behalf of USRowing, initiating communication programs among the region's clubs and high school coaches, helped unite the Northwest rowing community.
As sports information director for the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, McQuaid was instrumental in raising the profile of the successes of rowing clubs and their rowers throughout the region. His work on behalf of the Northwest rowing community, promoting such events as Ergomania, Row for the Cure, community outreach programs and local athletes competing in the Junior and Senior World Championships and Olympic Games, has helped inspire rowers and future rowers throughout the region.