Australia Rowing

Rowing Australia website: http://www.rowingaustralia.com.au/

 

Men’s and Women’s Fours take top honours at 2017 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards

29/10/2017

Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sydney, 28 October 2017
 
Men’s and Women’s Fours take top honours at 2017 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards

The Honourable Paul M. Guest OAM QC made a Life Member of Rowing Australia
 
Lucy Stephan named winner of Gina Rinehart Rowing Leadership Award; 11 Awards presented at glittering ceremony in Sydney
 
Australia’s Men’s and Women’s Fours were tonight crowned the Male and Female Crews of the Year at the 2017 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards. The crews picked up the top honours at a glittering ceremony, held at Doltone House in Sydney that saw 11 awards presented.
 
The Women’s Four coach, Tom Westgarth, was named Coach of the Year, while Lucy Stephan was named the recipient of the Gina Rinehart Rowing Leadership Award. Lightweight men’s rower, Cameron Fowler, was voted the Rower’s Rower of the Year by his teammates from the Senior Australian Rowing Team.  
 
Member of the Women’s Four, Katrina Werry said: “Rowing this year with this fantastic crew has been wonderful. To have been named the Female Crew of the Year and then to see Lucy named the recipient of the Gina Rinehart Rowing Leadership Award is just awesome. We’re a great group of friends and to win tonight just caps off a great year for us.”
 
Stephan added, “It’s such an honour to have been a part of such an amazing team. Something that really stood out for me this year, is how supportive we are of one and other in everything we do. I am also really grateful to Mrs Rinehart for selecting to me to win the Rowing Leadership Award. She has done so much for us, and we certainly wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have done, and continue to hope to do, without her. “
 
Men’s Four stroke, Alexander Hill, commented upon his crew being named Male Crew of the Year, “It’s a real honour to have been named Male Crew of the Year. We’ve had a great year in Canberra at the National Training Centre and we couldn’t have done it without the support and guidance of our Head Coach, Ian Wright.”
 
The 2017 Rower’s Rower Cameron Fowler said: “It’s incredibly humbling to win this award, especially as it’s one voted for by my team-mates. I certainly wasn’t expecting it and it’s an incredible honour.”
 
Rowing Australia Patron and Chairman of the Hancock Prospecting Group, Mrs Gina Rinehart said, A heartfelt congratulations to all of this evening’s winners at tonight’s awards. It was wonderful to be a part of such a fabulous celebration of rowing and to be able to present so many awards this evening, including, of course, the Gina Rinehart Rowing Leadership Award to Lucy Stephan.”
 
In addition to the elite awards this evening, Tasmanian David Schier was named the 2017 Volunteer of the Year. This year also saw the introduction of a number of new awards, with South Australian, Ben Flannagan, named the inaugural winner of the Participation Ambassador Award.
 
In recognising the integral part the Pathways Program plays in developing the future talent of Australian rowing, this year saw the creation of two new awards. The Pathways Coach of the Year recognises a coach who has made a significant contribution to the Rowing Australia Pathway Program. The inaugural award was presented to Sydney University Boat Club Head Women’s Coach, Alfie Young.
 
The Pathways Athlete/Crew of the Year Award recognises a crew or athlete who has excelled on a national and international stage as well as embodied the core values of Rowing Australia, the nominees were also judged on how significantly they have contributed to their respective underage team’s culture. The winners of the inaugural Pathways Crew of the Year were the World U23 Championship-winning Men’s Four of Adam Bakker, Liam Donald, Harley Moore and Robert Black.
 
The 2017 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards also saw a special presentation to Kate Hornsey and to the family of the late Sarah Tait in recognition of the London 2012 Olympic silver medallists’ contribution to the sport. 
 
The Honourable Paul Guest OAM QC received Life Membership of Rowing Australia in recognition of his outstanding contribution and service to the sport of rowing in Australia at local, State and National level. Life Membership is the highest Australian honour that can be bestowed upon an individual in rowing and is reserved for those members of the rowing community that have made an exceptional and outstanding contribution to Australian rowing. 
 
Winners at the 2017 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards 
(SIS/SAS, Clubs and States in brackets where appropriate)
 
2017 Female Crew of the Year: Women’s Four
Molly Goodman (HPWNTC/Adelaide RC/SA), Sarah Hawe (TIS/Huon RC/TAS), Katrina Werry (VIS/Mercantile RC/VIC) and Lucy Stephan (HPWNTC/Melbourne University BC/VIC)
 
2017 Male Crew of the Year: Men’s Four
Alexander Hill (RBNTC/Adelaide RC/SA), Jack Hargreaves (RBNTC/Sydney University BC/NSW), Spencer Turrin (RBNTC/Sydney RC/NSW) and Joshua Hicks (RBNTC/Sydney RC/WA)
 
 2017 Coach of the Year: Tom Westgarth (Senior Women’s Coach, HPWNTC Women’s Four)

2017 Rower’s Rower of the Year: Cameron Fowler (Swan River RC/WA)

2017 Gina Rinehart Rowing Leadership Award: Lucy Stephan (HPWNTC/MUBC/VIC)

2017 Pathways Coach of the Year: Alfie Young (Sydney University BC/NSW)

2017 Pathways Crew of the Year: U23 Men’s Four
Adam Bakker (QAS/University of Queensland BC/QLD), Liam Donald (VIS/Mercantile RC/VIC), Harley Moore (QAS/University of Queensland BC/QLD) and Robert Black (NSWIS/Mercantile RC/NSW)
 
2017 Volunteer of the Year: David Schier (Shepparton RC/Tasmania)

2017 Participation Ambassador Award: Ben Flannagan (Torrens RC & St Peters College/ South Australia)

Retirees Recognition: Sarah Tait (VIC) and Kate Hornsey (TAS)

Life Membership: The Honourable Paul Guest OAM QC (Banks RC/VIC)

Share this article

Comments:
Be the first to comment!
Login to post comments.