BERKELEY- The Pac-12 All-Century Men's Crew Team was revealed Monday night and features eight Golden Bears including legendary Cal and Olympic Coach Ky Ebright as Pac-12 Men's Crew Coach of the Century and Jake Wetzel as the Pac-12 Men's Rower of the Century. All-Century Golden Bear rowers include current Cal assistant coach Scott Frandsen, Sebastian Bea, Luke Walton, Mladen Stegic, Pete Donlon and coxswain Pete Cipollone.
The team, comprised of 22 rowers and 3 coxswains, were voted on by a panel consisting of coaches, players, administrators and members of the media. Each member of the team was chosen based on their collegiate careers in the Conference.
Cal's eight selections are tied for the most by a single program in the conference.
Pac-12 Men's Rowing Coach of the Century Ky Ebright is the most successful coach in collegiate and USA history with three Olympic Champion crews (1928, 1932, 1948). Ebright coached at Cal from 1924 to 1959, his career highlights include six IRA National Championships (1928, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1949). Ebright's incredible success over his 35-year tenure has been unmatched by any other coach to this day. 'Ky' is revered by the Cal community as the true founder of the rowing program and reason that it has enjoyed such national attention during the past century.
The Golden Bears also received the Pac-12 Men's Rower of the Century honors through Jake Wetzel. A three-time World Champion and five-time World Cup medalist, Wetzel was a four-time National Champion during his tenure at Cal, and only lost one dual race in his entire career. He was a key member of the record-setting 1999 varsity as well as the 2001 and 2002 varsities which all went on to win the IRA by comfortable margins. The consummate student-athlete, Jake went on to win the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race in 2006 while completing his MSc in Financial Economics at Oxford. He would also eventually complete a PhD in Finance at the University of British Columbia. While at Cal, Jake started his international rowing career which would become one of the most successful of all time. Beginning in 1998 and stretching through to 2008, Jake won the World Championships three times in three different boat classes (4+, 4-, and 8+) which shows his versatility as a rower. During that time he also added four World Cup Gold medals and one Bronze medal. His crowning performances have to be in his second and third Olympic Games where he won Silver and Gold, respectively. After an epic, side-by-side race with the British 4- in Athens, Jake's 8+ won in dominating fashion to take the Gold in Beijing.
Scott Frandsen was a driving member of the three-time Varsity National Champion going undefeated in 2000 and 2002. Known for his tenacity, Frandsen was the team Captain and named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team in 2002. Scott went on to win Gold and Silver medals at the U-23 World Championships, race at six World Championships from 2002-2011, and win six World Cup medals including four Gold medals. Frandsen raced at three Olympics Games - 2004 in the 8+ (5th), 2008 in the 2- winning a Silver medal, and 2012 in the 2- (6th). Frandsen has been an assistant coach on the California men's rowing staff since 2012. An accomplished rower with more than a decade of experience, Frandsen works with head coach Mike Teti in all aspects of the program.
Sebastian Bea was crucial to Cal's reemergence as a dominant force in US collegiate rowing. After his Sophomore year at Cal, Seb earned a seat in the US 8+ and won the World Championships in 1997. He went on to be undefeated Varsity National Champion in his Senior year which was the catalyst in the four straight National Championships. Seb's highest achievement is his Olympic Silver medal in the hotly contested Men's Pair in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Luke Walton remained undefeated in his four years at Cal. Walton was the first rower to complete his collegiate career without losing a race and career highlights include being a 4-time Pac-10 and 4-time National Champion. Internationally, Luke went on to race at multiple World Championships and the Athens Olympics placing 11th.
Mladen Stegic was known as the original 'Serbian Assassin', Stegic was an essential member of the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Varsity National Championships crews. Mladen was Junior (1998) and U-23 (2000) World Champion, raced in multiple World Championships, and was a World Cup medalist. Stegic raced in the Olympics twice: 2000 (8th) and 2004 (5th).
Pete Donlon was the stroke and leader of the 1928 Varsity National Champion and Olympic Champion 8+. The crew won the first Olympic Gold for Cal and, by all accounts, Pete was the driving force behind the win. Donlon won the Dean Witter award embodying the values of Cal Crew and went on to be the President of Cal's alumni association - the Big C Society.
After competing for the Golden Bears, coxswaim Pete Cipillone went on to be a 4-time World Champion plus World Silver and Bronze medalist. Pete raced at the Olympics twice 2000 (5th) and 2004 (Gold), becoming the most decorated coxswain in US history.
Cal Men's Crew now looks to compete at the Pac-12 Championships this weekend at Lake Natoma and then to close out the season at the IRA National Championships held in Mercer Lake, NJ from June 3-5.
Pac-12 Men's Rowing All-Century Team
ROWERS
Jake Wetzel - California, 1999-02
Conn Findlay - USC, 1949-52
Scott Frandsen - California, 2000-02
Sebastian Bea - California, 1996-99
Kevin Still - UCLA, 1980-83
Conlin McCabe - Washington, 2009-13
Duvall Hecht - Stanford, 1949-52
Michael Still - UCLA, 1985-87
David Calder - Washington, 1998-2001
Larry Hough - Stanford, 1963-66
Luke Walton - California, 2000-01
Joey Hansen - Oregon State, 1999-2001
Donald Hume - Washington, 1936-38
Dan Ayrault - Stanford, 1956-1959
Joseph Rantz - Washington, 1935-37
Josh Inman - Oregon State, 2000-02
Mladen Stegic - California, 2001-03
Will Crothers - Washington, 2006-09
Matt Deakin - Washington, 2000-02
Kerry Turner - UCLA, 1976-78
Rob Munn - Washington, 2009-12
Pete Donlon - California, 1925-28
COXSWAINS
Pete Cipollone – California, 1991-94
Robert Moch - Washington, 1935-36
Kent Mitchell - Stanford, 1958-61
COACH OF THE CENTURY
Ky Ebright - California, 1924-1959
ROWER OF THE CENTURY
Jake Wetzel - California, 1999-02
