PRINCETON, N.J. – Kate Bertko and Henrik Rummel have been named the 2013 USRowing Female and Male Athletes of the Year, the association announced Tuesday.
The athletes and coaches of the 2013 Senior National Team selected the pair. Bertko and Rummel will be honored on November 20 at the Golden Oars Awards Dinner in New York City.
Bertko, of Oakland, Calif., is a four-time national team athlete. This season, she switched from open weight rowing to lightweight competition, teamed up with London Olympian Kristin Hedstrom in the lightweight women’s double sculls, and won the silver medal at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea.
Bertko and Hedstrom won the 2013 National Selection Regatta #2 and then earned a spot on the U.S. National Team with a silver medal-performance at the third world cup in Lucerne, Switzerland.
“I am very honored to be recognized in this way by my teammates,” Bertko said. “This year, I was fortunate enough to row with the amazing Kristin Hedstrom in addition to receiving tremendous support from the California Rowing Club and Oklahoma City High Performance Center.”
Rummel was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and moved to Rochester, N.Y., with his family when he was 12. He began rowing with Pittsford Crew. He is a six-time national team athlete.
At the 2012 Olympic Games, Rummel won a bronze medal in the men’s four with teammates Glenn Ochal, Scott Gault and Charlie Cole. The medal was the first for the U.S. in the event at the Olympics since 1992.
This summer, Rummel rowed in the four with Michael Gennaro, Seth Weil and Grant James. They won gold at the third world cup in Lucerne and took the bronze medal at the 2013 World Rowing Championships.
“Being selected as Male Athlete of the Year is a big honor, especially because it's an award given by my teammates,” Rummel said. “I'm proud of the progress we made as a team this year, getting two camp boat medals for the men, and I'm very excited for the prospects in the coming years. This is a really fun and competitive group to train with.”
For a complete list of past USRowing Athletes of the Year, click here.
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