Rowing postseason honors announced
By the Pac-12 Conference
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — USC senior Melanie Grindle was named the Pac-12 Women's Rowing Athlete of the Year, Washington State freshman Ieva Adomaviciute was tabbed Women's Newcomer of the Year and USC head coach Zenon Babraj earned Women's Coach of the Year honors. On the men's side, Stanford junior Austin Hack garnered Men's Athlete of the Year laurels, Washington sophomore Alex Perkins received Men's Newcomer of the Year honors and Washington head coach Michael Callahan was named Men's Coach of the Year. The Conference office also announced the Men's and Women's Rowing All-Conference teams.
The Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards are given to the top vote-getters based on coaches' nominations. Candidates for Athlete of the Year must have participated in the varsity eight race at the Pac-12 Championships.
USC's Melanie Grindle, a native of Hanalei, Hawaii, is a co-captain for the second-ranked Trojans, who occupied the top spot in the CRCA Coaches Poll for much of the season. A four-year contributor, she has spent the last two seasons in the varsity eight after rowing in the bow seat of the varsity four as a sophomore and filling the same role in the novice eight as a freshman. Grindle helped USC to its third consecutive Jessop-Whittier Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic in April and a victory in the varsity eight at the 2013 Pac-12 Championships in May.
Women's Newcomer of the Ieva Adomaviciute is in her first full year of competition for Washington State. Adomaviciute, who hails from Kaunas, Lithuania, helped the Cougars to sweeps of Gonzaga and Oregon State in dual meets this season. She also factored in WSU's sixth place finish in the varsity eight at the Conference regatta. Prior to Washington State, Adomaviciute was a two-time European and World Junior champion in double skulls.
USC's Zenon Babraj earned his second Pac-12 Women's Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Trojans to a second-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships and the Conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Championships. In April, USC enjoyed a record-setting day at the San Diego Crew Classic and won three trophies at the regatta for the second time in program history. The varsity eight, which remains unbeaten this season, posted a four second victory at the Conference Championships. The veteran head coach was recently named the West Region Coach of the Year Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA).
Stanford's Austin Hack, the Newcomer of the Year in 2012, was a member of the U.S. men's eight that captured gold at the 2011 Under-23 World Championships. He is the only American collegiate or national team member to win back-to-back World Championships in a U.S. eight as he was also in the winning boat at the 2010 Junior World Championships. A native of Old Lyme, Conn., Hack rowed in the Cardinal's varsity eight that placed third at the Pac-12 Championships. The junior is in his second year in the varsity eight shell and, this season, helped Stanford's top boat to its first victory over California at the Big Row since 2008.
Alex Perkins of Washington helped the Huskies capture their fourth consecutive Pac-12 title as a member of their unbeaten varsity eight crew. He was instrumental in claiming dual race victories over ranked opponents Stanford (No. 4), California (No. 6) and Oregon State (No. 20). In the fall, the Westport, Conn., product sat bow seat in the championship eight that won a gold medal at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. Perkins, who was a member of the Huskies' novice eight boat as a freshman last season, rowed for the 2011 U.S. Junior National Team.
Washington's Michael Callahan earns top coaching honors for the fourth year in the row as the Huskies were crowned Pac-12 Champions for the fourth straight season. Overall, Washington has won 36 Conference titles. Callahan, in his sixth year at the helm of UW's program, led the team to victories in three of the men's races at the league regatta. The Husky program is undefeated on the season heading to IRAs, punctuated by its performances at the Pac-12 Championships and in the storied Windermere Cup in May.
MEN'S ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Alex Bunkers, Washington*
Eric DeMaris, Washington State
Austin Hack, Stanford*
Jovan Jovanovic, California
Oivind Lorentzen, Stanford
Conlin McCabe, Washington
Cole Reiser, California
Mijo Rudelj, Washington*
Ryan Schroeder, Washington
Kaess Smit, Stanford
Chad Swenson, Oregon State
Sam Tobey, Colorado
WOMEN'S ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Madison Culp, Washington
Ivana Filipovic, USC*
Melanie Grindle, USC
Krisztina Gyimes, USC
Kara Kohler, California
Lindsay Meyer, Stanford
Vineta Moca, USC
Victoria Nenchev, Washington
Aggie Nowinski, California*
Agne Pack, Oregon State
Allie Reilly, Washington State
Marie Strohmayer, Washington
Britta Syverson, UCLA**
* Second career All-Conference selection
** Third career All-Conference selection