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| Purdue Crew Newsletter |
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| Summer 2024 |
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We've got some BIG summer updates in this month's newsletter, so take the time to read all the way through to stay up-to-date on all things Purdue Crew.
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First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to this year's Hovde Award Winner (and Team President) Kara Benbow '24! Kara continued Purdue Crew's long tradition with the President's office when President Mung Chiang presented Kara the Hovde award during their meeting the day before the team left for ACRAs.
Also, tremendous congratulations to the Kenneth M Butler Most Valuable Oarsman Ian Jenkins '24 and Most Valuable Oarswoman Brie Ruggiero '24!
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In a historic performance at this year's ACRA National Championships, Purdue Crew delivered an unprecedented triumph, marking a new high in the team's storied history. The Novice Men's Eight, Novice Women's Eight, and Novice Men's Lightweight Four each captured gold, and many of our other shells medaled, contributing to a record-breaking team accomplishment. For the first time ever, Purdue won the ACRA Men's Team Points Championship, and for only the second time, the ACRA Women's Team Points Championship. Most notably, Purdue clinched the ACRA Overall Team Points Championship, scoring the highest number of points ever recorded by any team at the ACRA Championships!! This year's ACRA was also the largest to date, both in terms of entries and athletes, making it the biggest collegiate regatta in the nation. This remarkable achievement highlights the strength and spirit of Purdue Crew, setting a new standard of excellence for our program. BOILER UP, HAMMER DOWN, and the work starts to repeat next year today!!!
ACRA Friday Racing Video Livestream
ACRA Saturday Racing Video Livestream
ACRA Sunday Racing Video Livestream
ACRA Results
ACRA Website
ACRA Academic All-Americans
ACRA All-Region Teams and Regional Coaches of the Year
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| Purdue Crew Alumni Magazine Article |
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MANY many thanks to Larry Long '64 for his initiative and hard work in brainstorming, arranging for, and then putting together many of the pieces behind the upcoming FEATURE LENGTH ARTICLE in the Purdue University Alumni Magazine's Summer 2024 Issue!
Larry brainstormed the inception of the article a year ago to explain the history and importance of Purdue Crew to the wider Purdue University Alumni audience, both for general exposure and for helps in fundraising, and has been the force behind connecting with the magazine's editors and arranging for all of the interviews and much of the story. Also many thanks to David Kucik and Ellen Shew Holland '83 for their tireless efforts on this article as well. Be on the lookout as it should come out in the next two months here!: https://www.purduealumnus.org/
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| 75th Alumni Reunion Updates |
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We’re looking forward to seeing you at the 75th
Reunion! It is going to be held with varying activities from October 11-13.
A full registration and payment process will be provided in July
noting there will be a charge for:
- Friday evening to be held at Ripple in downtown Lafayette
- The Saturday main to be held at Shively room in the Purdue Stadium where you’ll choose your entrée
- The team has secured a discounted room block at nearby Hilton Garden Inn West Lafayette - Purdue Rowing Anniversary Block
The reunion itinerary will continue to be updated on https://www.purduecrew.com/pra
We look forward to sharing further details with you as we proceed and look forward to the sign-up shortly.
Thank you for your interest and we are excited to see you then!
Best,
The Purdue Rowing Association
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| Kevin Sauer '75, Coaching Legend Retires |
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Virginia rowing head coach Kevin Sauer announced his retirement, effective at the end of the current season, concluding a 29-year career at UVA that saw the Cavaliers win numerous national and ACC championships. Sauer, who began coaching at Virginia in 1988, previously served as head coach at his alma mater, Purdue, from 1979 to 1982 and again from 1986 to 1987. A Purdue graduate, Sauer was a member of the U.S. National Rowing Team and competed in the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1977 World Rowing Championships. Under his leadership, Virginia became an elite rowing program, winning two NCAA Championships and multiple ACC titles. Sauer, who has been honored as the CRCA National Coach of the Year twice, plans to dedicate his retirement to helping the less fortunate, spending more time with his family, and supporting UVA Athletics.
Enjoy retirement Coach, you're one of the best to ever hold a megaphone!
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| Purdue Day of Giving Update |
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On April 24, 2024 Purdue hosted its annual Day of Giving, which is Purdue Crew's largest fundraising push for the year. Through the INCREDIBLY generous support of our many dedicated alumni and friends of the program we were able to set a single day fundraising record with $552,595 fundraised for the team's endowments!!!! AMAZING!!!
Purdue Crew placed 20th overall among all Purdue Departments and campuses, just ahead of The College of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts!
Words fail to show the deepseated appreciation I and the whole team have for such a display of generosity. Your support, whether it was $10 or $100,000, have helped to further build the financial base of support for the team, getting us one step closer to ensuring cost isn't a reason someone can't join the team and be a part one of the most impactful experiences of their lives.
Boiler Up!
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| Alumni Chat - Paul 'Rusty' Thomas '91 |
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This month's alumni chat is with Purdue Crew royalty, Paul 'Rusty' Thomas '91. While Rusty was immersed in Purdue Crew at an early age, due to his father Jerry Thomas having been a standout oarsman who later coached the team a bit, and his uncle Kevin Thomas having been and done the same, his intial plan wasn't to row but to play football for the Purdue Boilermakers. But as things do and much to his father's surprise and thrill, Rusty soon found himself at the boathouse where he fell in love with the team and sport. Almost as if it were fate!
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Listen to that story and more here as Coach Walker chats with Rusty, including how he's since become a distinguished leader in the aerospace industry with extensive experience in both commercial and defense sectors. He currently serves as the SVP/GM Space Applications Sector and Chief Technology Officer at Sierra Space, and has also served as Director at Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions, Program Manager at DARPA, and Sr. Director of Dragon Production at SpaceX, and more. Rusty boasts over two decades of service in the U.S. Navy Reserve, currently serving as a Commander and Information Warfare Officer with SEAL Team 18!
In an incredible and notable first, Rusty and his family have also made Purdue Crew's first commitment to a Forever Endowed Rowing Shell in honor of his late father Jerry Thomas. This gift creates an endowment whose income will ensure that a new, competitive rowing shell named the Jerry Thomas will forever be rowed and coxed by the Purdue Crew team, as explained by the Purdue Crew Foever Initative Here. Celebrate Jerry Thomas' life and memory when we dedicate the shell in his honor at our 75th reunion this fall.
Many thanks to the Thomas family for their decades of support for the Purdue Crew team. You've been one of the cores of support that have kept us driving forward- and you've done it from behind an oar, while driving a coaching launch, while cheering from the shoreline, and by ensuring the continued financial health of the team thourgh your generosity. We wouldn't be what we are today without all that your family has done and meant to the team for many, many years. From all of us on the team and from our decades of alumni- Thank You.
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One of the great honors of my life has been leading the program I learned to row at and helped mold me into the man I've become these last few years. It's with a sweet sadness that I'm announcing that later this summer I will be leaving Purdue and stepping into another chapter of my life.
I feel immense gratitude for the journey we've shared and progress we've made together in my short time at the helm. I want to extend my heartfelt thank you to our dedicated coaches, helpful Purdue coworkers, loyal alumni, supportive friends, loving families, and of course- our exceptionally dedicated rowers and coxswains. Your unwavering commitment has helped us build upon the solid foundations laid by Coach Kucik and so many others over our first 75 years, and together we've achieved some pretty remarkable milestones in a short time. Highlights include:
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- Winning Purdue Crew's first two ACRA Team National Championships, including this year's sweep of the Men's, Women's, and Overall Points Trophies with the highest points total in ACRA history!
- Fundraising for 50 new spin bikes, 40 new ergs, 14 brand new boats, 8 more new (to us) boats, and a new Purdue Crew truck- ensuring the team has everything it needs to be nationally competitive
- Grants to (re)build two new rowing docks
- Fundraising of over $1.35 million for our team's endowments, raising their total to over $2.5 million (our longterm goal is $15 million)
- Creation of Fundraising Learn-to-Row Leadership Development Sessions in partnership with Purdue's Center for Food and Agricultural Business, its Daniel's School of Business, and ADVISA
- Creation of a Purdue Crew Mentorship Program
- Redesigned Racing Gear and Exclusive Revenue Sharing Partership with JL Athletics
- Creation of a Purdue Crew High School Summer Rowing Camp to help fundraise for the team and recruit high school rowers
- Special recognition and coverage from Purdue's Student Life for our integration of their Steps to Leaps Experiential Learning Framwork into the Purdue Crew Experience
and more. SO much more. As I prepare to pass the torch these next few months, I am filled with excitement for the future of Purdue Crew. While we all look forward to celebrating the team's 75th anniversary this fall, know that we're still very much in the beginning of our story together. So let's be sure to continue to do all we can to ensure that the next 75 years are even more impressive than the first 75.
Forever a Boilermaker,
Nate Walker
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- Purdue Crew's 75th Anniversary Celebration / Alumni Reunion
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