Rowing Honors Student-Athletes at Awards Banquet – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
June 8, 2003
Columbus, OH – The Ohio State rowing team celebrated a successful season with its annual awards banquet Friday (June 6). The team, which placed eighth as a team at the 2003 NCAA Championships, May 30-June 1, honored its seven seniors and presented awards to members of the squad for their efforts during the 2002-03 campaign.
Senior Maxi Meissner (Schoenow, Germany/Sportschule Potsdam) earned several awards on the night, including the team’s Most Valuable Rower Award. She also was presented with the varsity squad’s Buckeye Club Award for dedication to strength and conditioning. The team’s Most Improved Rower Award was given to sophomore Mimi Webb (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay), while Megan Gordon (So., Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s) earned the Golden Buckeye Award for most inspirational team member.
On the novice level, Sarah Obee (Fr., Toledo, Ohio) was named Novice Buckeye of the Year, while fellow freshman Michelle Miller was given the novice Buckeye Club Award.
The team also honored seven seniors, sporting at least one member from each Buckeye varsity boat. Meissner led this list as the program’s first two-time first team All-American and the only Ohio State rower in school history to be named first team all-conference, all-region and All-America during two seasons. A four-year member of the Buckeye first 8, Meissner also is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.
Karla Fiserova (Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic/Business Academy TGM) was the second senior All-American honored. Fiserova also was a 2003 first team all-conference, all-region and All-America member. She rowed just three seasons with the team, but spent all three in the first 8. Fiserova also excelled academically, where she is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Heather Feldmann (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota West) is one of the few Buckeyes in program history to begin as a novice and row multiple seasons in the team’s first varsity 8. For her continued contributions to the squad, Feldmann was named to the 2003 Second Team All-Big Ten.
Meghan McCartney (Swanton, Ohio/Notre Dame), a former team captain, spent her junior and senior seasons as part of the second varsity 8. McCartney earned three varsity letters, spending her sophomore campaign in the first 4 after a season with the novice program. McCartney also was a leader in the classroom, where she is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar Athlete honoree.
Heather Arndts (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) also came out of the OSU novice program, spending the past two seasons rowing in the second varsity 8. Arndts is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Two final seniors, Jessica Dolle (Cincinnati, Ohio/Finneytown) and Jessica Gittings (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) rowed just one season for the varsity squad after respective seasons with the novice program, but made their presence felt in their limited time as Buckeyes. Dolle spent 2003 in the first varsity 4, which finished fourth as a boat nationally, while Gittings rowed in the second 4 and served as a spare for the 2003 NCAA Championships. Both Dolle and Gittings are 2003 Academic All-Big Ten honorees and two-time OSU Scholar-Athletes.
2003 Team Awards Most Valuable Rower: Maxi Meissner Golden Buckeye Award: Megan Gordon Most Improved Rower: Mimi Webb Novice Buckeye of the Year: Sarah Obee
Buckeye Club Awards Varsity: Maxi Meissner Novice: Michelle Miller
