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May 2, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. – Two members of the University of Oklahoma rowing program and Head Coach Leeanne Crain received end of year awards from the Big 12. Rebecca Staff was named Co-Big 12 Rower of the Year, Kellie O'Reilly was named the Big 12 Rowing Newcomer of the Year and OU Head Coach Leeanne Crain was selected as Co-Big 12 Rowing Coach of the Year the conference announced Wednesday.   


Staff is a junior who has been a member of the varsity eight since her freshman year. She rowed six seat in the boat that closed out Big 12 competition undefeated at last week's Big 12 Rowing Championship in Oklahoma City. Staff had previously been named First Team All-Big 12, Academic All-Big 12 and to the Conference USA Academic Honor roll this season.   


O'Reilly is a freshman rowing in two seat of the varsity eight.  She has been a member of the top lineup for the entire 2011-12 season. She was also named a member of the Conference USA Academic Honor roll earlier this season.   



Staff and O'Reilly helped the varsity eight win the OU Invitational in March, beat Texas at the Longhorn Invitational, and earned the No. 1 seed at the San Diego Crew Classic in April. Both Staff and O’Reilly are members of the first varsity eight that was named Big 12 Boat of the Month in March. The OU varsity eight went on to win the event at the first fully sponsored Big 12 Rowing Championship last weekend in Oklahoma City.

Crain was awarded Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year along with Texas Head Coach Carie Graves. Crain, who has headed OU's rowing program in all four years of its existence, led the program to a win at the OU Invitational in March as well as earning second-place honors at the Big 12 Rowing Championship for the third year in a row, narrowly falling to Texas by just one point. Oklahoma also placed five athletes on All-Big 12 teams, including three first-team honorees and two second-team selections.   


As head coach, Crain has had three CRCA Division I All-Region Selections, a 2011 No. 19 USRA/CRCA National Ranking, five conference USA All-Conference Selections, five Conference USA All-Academic Team Selections, 22 CRCA National Scholar Athletes, two Capital One All-District Team Athletes and three CRCA All-Region Selections.