PRC's Rachel Ellenbogen Wins First "Pocock Oar" Award

The winner of the first annual “Pocock Oar” was Pocock Rowing Center junior rower Rachel Ellenbogen. The Pocock Oar, a new perpetual award named after Stan Pocock, was presented to Rachel by Stan during the PRC Juniors’ season-ending banquet on May 23 at the PRC.

Rachel rowed in the PRC girl’s varsity eight that won the 2006 junior national championship. She also rowed in the PRC girl’s varsity four that won the 2006 Head of the Charles. She will be rowing in the PRC girl’s varsity four at the 2007 junior national championships in early June.

Rachel is a senior at Seattle’s Roosevelt High School and will be attending Brown University next fall. She has rowed for the PRC junior team since the eight grade and her younger brother, Zach, also rows on the PRC junior team.

The Pocock Oar will be awarded annually to the PRC junior athlete who, in the opinion of their coaches, best represents the values of hard work and leadership so prized by Stan. He is one of the most successful rowing coaches in U.S. history, a boat builder, a teacher, a philanthropist, and a good friend to countless people. The Pocock Foundation and the Pocock Rowing Center wouldn't exist without him. We feel privileged to have been able to work with him for all these years, and want to make sure that his own legacy, in addition to George's, are honored in the Center and in Northwest rowing history.

The Pocock Oar is a restored, 1950s-vintage, Pocock sculling blade with a laminated Sitka spruce plaque reflective of the laminations in blade. It will be mounted permanently on the wall of the center. Recipients will receive a hand-made, miniature, wooden replica of the scull and a plaque in the form of a laminated block the oar can stand up in.

About the George Pocock Rowing Foundation
The George Pocock Rowing Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as a community resource for the support and advancement of the sport of rowing in the Northwest. The Foundation is active in helping develop new rowing programs, providing rowing opportunities for at-risk children and adults, and sponsoring men and women training for the U.S. National Rowing Team.