PRINCETON, N.J. - For the third time in as many Olympic cycles, the United States women's eight has been named the recipient of the USRowing Ernestine Bayer Award, the association announced Monday.
Formerly known as the "Women of the Year Award," the Bayer Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to women's rowing or to an outstanding woman in rowing and is selected by the female members of USRowing Board of Directors.
The 2012 award winners will be honored December 1 at a reception held in conjunction with the 2012 USRowing Annual Convention in Oklahoma City, Okla.
"It is with tremendous pride and happiness that I join with the USRowing community in celebrating the continued success of the 2012 Olympic women's eight as the Ernestine Bayer award recipient," said USRowing chief executive officer, Glenn Merry.
"Their dominance in the world of rowing is unparalleled with seven consecutive world and Olympic gold medal years and an undefeated season this year across all competitions."
The U.S. women's eight continued a string of seven consecutive world titles with a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London this summer. It is the third such honor. The first was in 2004 following the team's Olympic silver medal in Athens. The second followed the gold medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Known as the "Mother of Women's Rowing," Ernestine Bayer was a pioneer in the sport. She pushed to be allowed to row on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia and eventually was taught by her husband Ernie Bayer how to row. She established the first women's rowing club, the Philadelphia Girl's Rowing Club.
Bayer rowed and competed into her nineties. She died at the age of 97 in 2006. She was the first woman named to the National Rowing Foundation's Hall of Fame, the first woman to receive the USRowing Medal and the first woman to win USRowing's John J. Carlin Award for service to the sport. She was also nominated for the Sullivan Award, given annually to the top U.S. amateur athlete.
USRowing recognizes individuals and organizations for their contributions and achievements in the sport in 14 categories.
Seven of the awards will be presented November 14 at the Golden Oars Dinner including the USRowing Medal of Honor, awarded to Stan Pocock; Male Athlete of the Year, awarded to Glenn Ochal; Female Athlete of the Year, awarded to Oksana Masters; Jack Franklin Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded to Kate Godwin; Jack Kelly Award, awarded to Mike Knopp; Anita DeFrantz Award for Advancing Diversity in Rowing, awarded to RowLA; and the Isabel Bohn Award for Achievement in Adaptive Rowing, awarded to Oksana Masters and Rob Jones.
Seven additional USRowing Awards will be presented Saturday, December 1 at the 2012 USRowing Annual Convention in Oklahoma City, Okla., including the John J. Carlin Service Award, awarded to Dick Bell; Clayton W. Chapman Award, awarded to Tim Royalty; Joan Zandbergen "Mama Z" Award, awarded to Elaine Roden; Julian Wolf Award, awarded to Lloyd McDonald; Man of the Year Award, awarded to Rob Jones; Ernestine Bayer Award (formerly Woman of the Year), awarded to the 2012 United States women's eight; and the Club of the Year Award, awarded to Community Rowing, Inc.
Seven Fan's Choice Awards also will be presented at the Golden Oars Awards Dinner. They include the Junior Rower of the Year, Alia Shafi; Collegiate Rower of the Year, Kristine O'Brien; National Team Rower of the Year, Charlie Cole; Masters Rower of the Year, Paul Green; Junior Coach of the Year, Greg King; Collegiate Coach of the Year, Paul Cooke; and Masters Coach of the Year, Boris Kusturic.