Conny Kirsch Named Big Ten Rowing Co-Athlete of the Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
May 8, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio– Ohio State’s Conny Kirsch (Sr., Potsdam, Germany/Helmholtz), is the 2002 Big Ten Rowing Co-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. Kirsch, a four-year member of the Buckeye first varsity 8, currently rows in the fourth seat of OSU’s top boat. She shares the award with Krista Buzzell of Michigan State.
The conference also named Andy Teitelbaum, Ohio State head coach, the 2002 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Teitelbaum, now serving in his seventh season leading the OSU rowing team, holds a career record of 179-96 and recently led the Buckeyes to the 2002 Big Ten title, their first in program history. Teitelbaum is a native of Plainview, N.Y. and graduated from Rutgers in 1987, where he coached women’s rowing for seven seasons before coming to Ohio State.
“You only get to be Coach of the Year when your boats go really fast,” Teitelbaum said. “And that has everything to do with your athletes, your assistants and your staff. So, its just as much of an honor for the whole program as it is for me, but its certainly wonderful to be acknowledged by my peers for having a great season so far.”
Kirsch’s award is one of the many accolades she has earned in her tenure as a Buckeye. Kirsch recently became the first rower in conference history to be named First Team All-Big Ten three times. She also is a two-time All-Central Region honoree, a second-team All-American and in 2001 was an All-Academic Big Ten selection and an OSU Scholar Athlete.
“(Conny) has been one of, if not our best athlete for all four years that she has been here,” Teitelbaum said. “She’s a big part of our program, always has been and is a big part of the reason why many other athletes have chosen Ohio State. (The award) is very deserving and fitting to a person who has done a lot to take this program to where it is.” Teitelbaum and the 2002 Big Ten Champion Buckeyes will travel to Oak Ridge, Tenn. May 18-19 for the central regional finals in hopes to secure a berth in the NCAA Championship, May 30-June 2 in Indianapolis, Ind.
