NORTH STONINGTON, Conn. – The National Rowing Foundation inducted seventeen of the most distinguished United States athletes and coaches into the National Rowing Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 31, 2014. The induction ceremony took place at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal in Princeton, N.J.
“The Class of 2014 being honored for induction into our Rowing Hall of Fame embodies the achievement in performance, dedication, persistence and contribution to rowing necessary to earn this recognition,” said Kent Mitchell, Chair of NRF Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
“In 96 appearances over multiple years in Olympic Games and World Championship competition, these men and women have won 71 medals, 64 of them gold, and rowed their way into the grand finals 94 percent of the time,” said Mitchell. “Hall of Fame induction standards are demanding; each of these honorees has met those standards by open water.”
Inducted for individual achievements:
- Porter Collins – Five-time senior national team member, two-time Olympian in the men’s eight, world champion in the 1995 men’s four and 1998 and 1999 men’s eight.
- Yasmin “Yaz” Farooq – Eight-time national team member and two-time Olympian, coxswain of the women’s eight for eight consecutive years, world champion in 1995, silver medalist in 1990, 1993 and 1994.
- Jamie Koven – Eight-time senior national team member and three-time Olympian, world champion in the 1997 men’s single sculls and 1994 men’s eight, bronze medalist at the 1993 and 1995 World Rowing Championships in the men’s eight.
- Garrett Miller – Four-time senior national team member, 2000 Olympian and world champion in the 1997, 1998 and 1999 men’s eight.
- Thomas Welsh – Three-time senior national team member, 2000 Olympian and world champion in the 1998 and 1999 men’s eight.
- Michael Wherley – Eight-time senior national team member and two-time Olympian in the men’s four, world champion in the 1997, 1998 and 1999 men’s eight, bronze medalist in the 2002 men’s eight and silver medalist in the 2003 men’s eight.
Inducted for achievement as a boat: The U.S. women’s eight and coach that won gold at the 2008 Olympic Games:Erin Cafaro, Lindsay Shoop, Anna Goodale, Eleanor Logan, Anna Cummins Mickelson, Susan Francia, Caroline Lind, Caryn Davies, Mary Whipple Murray, and Coach Tom Terhaar. Lindsay Shoop spoke on behalf of the members of the boat. In rowing Shoop commented, “there are not enough seats in a shell to hold all the people who make it go fast.”
Inducted posthumously as a Patron in the sport of rowing: John “Jack” Sulger, legendary rower and coach from the New York Athletic Club. Jack was a second-generation sculler in America, and a major force in rowing at the national and international level for over 35 years. Jack’s son, Francis X. Sulger, was present to accept the honor for his late father.
Click here to view a photo gallery of the Class of 2014 induction ceremony. Click here for a full list of National Rowing Hall of Fame members.
About the National Rowing Foundation
The National Rowing Foundation is dedicated to raising funds to support the U.S. National Rowing Teams. Founded in 1966, the NRF has been supporting Olympic athletes for more than four decades. The funds raised support year-round training, development, competition and preservation of rowing history through the Hall of Fame and Rowing Museum. More information can be found online at https://natrowing.org.
For additional information: Mara Keggi Ford, National Rowing Foundation, (203) 525-6566, mara@natrowing.org.