Did your crew or a crew you know of have a year of unprecedented success in 2012? Nominate them for row2k's "2012 Crew of the Year" poll. Nominations must be submitted by 5pm EST on Monday, December 17th. row2k will then select the ten (or so) most exceptional crews for poll voting starting on Tuesday the 18th. The crew with the most votes will be recognized as row2k's "2012 Crew of the Year".
Nomination criteria in 100 words or less:
Convince row2k that the crew being nominated had an exceptional year or overcame difficult circumstances to come out on top.
A crew's performance during the 2011 calendar year will be the primary criterion, though previous history will be taken into account.
As with the Crew of the Week poll, finalists are based wholly on nominations and the "backstory" is often just as important as the actual race result.
Winner - Oakland Strokes Women's Varsity 8+. View voting results here!
FINALISTS:
GBR W2x - Won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. The gold for Katherine Grainger was the first gold after winning silver at the previous three Olympic Games
Gonzaga College HS Men's Varsity 8+ - Unbeaten regular season with wins at Stotesbury and SRA Nationals. Made the quarterfinals at the Henley Royal Regatta
Harvard Men's Varsity Lightweight 8+ - Unbeaten regular season with wins at Sprints and IRAs. Also set the course record for their event during IRAs on the Cooper River. Raced to the semifinals of the Temple Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta
Humboldt State Women - Ended Western Washington's seven year reign as NCAA DII Champions by winning both events at the 2012 NCAA Championships
Michigan Women's 2nd Varsity Eight - Won the Big Ten and NCAA Championships in their event having never trailed at any point during any race all season
NZL M2- - Won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games to cap an unbeaten quadrennial in their event. Also set the world's best time in London at 6:08
Oakland Strokes Women's Varsity 8+ - Won the 2011 HOCR, 2012 SDCC, Youth Nationals (by 8 seconds), and the U-19 Women's Eight at Canadian Henley
USA M4- - Won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, the only medal for the USA heavyweight men for the London quadrennial
USA W4x - Won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, the first Olympic medal for an American crew in the women's quad since the event moved to 2000 meters
USA W8+ - Won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games to cap an unbeaten quadrennial and seventh consecutive World or Olympic championship
Virginia Women - Won the 2012 NCAA DI Team championship after winning the Varsity Eight race, finishing fifth in the 2V, and second in the V4. Was the 2nd team title in three years for Virginia
Washington Men - Unbeaten in all events (V8, 2V8, F8, V4, O4) for the entire spring 2012, capturing the Ten Eyck Trophy at the IRA. Freshmen won the Temple Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta and Varsity 8 won the Champ Eight at the Head Of The Charles
Williams Women - Won their seventh straight NCAA DIII National Championship.
Also Nominated - USA W2-, USA M8+, Oakland Strokes Women's Lightweight Varsity 8+, Marin Men's Varsity 8+, St. Joseph's Prep Men's Lightweight Varsity 8+, Mercyhurst Men's Lightweight Varsity 8+, Narragansett Juniors, Drake Women, USA JW2-, Conestoga HS M4x, Ignatius Chicago Crew, Marin Men's Novice 8+, Cornell Women's Varsity 8+, Sammamish Rowing Association, Northeastern Men's Freshmen 8+