October 21, 2026 | Women's Rowing, Lightweight Rowing
U.S. Rowing honors two Badgers at the Head of the Charles
CAMBRIDGE, Mass — Wisconsin alumna Kris Thorsness and former head coach Bebe Bryans received USRowing 2025 Board-Selected awards at the Head of the Charles Regatta for their tremendous contributions to the sport of rowing.
Thorsness earned the Jack Kelley Award for her representation of "superior achievements in rowing, service to amateur athletics, and success in their chosen profession, thereby serving as an inspiration to American rowers."
To begin her storied rowing career, Thorsness first started rowing in 1979 at the University of Wisconsin. That same year, she won gold with the Badgers at the 1979 National Championships in the novice eight event. Thorsness and her crewmates placed second at the Varsity Eight Collegiate National Championship in 1980 and 1982.
Following her collegiate career, Thorsness won gold with the women's eight in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. A part of the first U.S. Women's crew to win Olympic gold, Thorsness also made history as the first-ever Olympic medalist from Alaska.
Thorsness appeared on seven national rowing teams. She won silver at the World Championships in 1982, 1983 and 1987.
In 1984, Thorsness and her teammates were inducted into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame. Thorsness also received recognition as a member of the 2007 inaugural class in the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame and induction into the University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Beyond her time competing as an athlete, Thorsness has also created a lasting legacy in the rowing community through her work as an attorney and arbitrator. Currently, she specializes in Title IX and gender equity in collegiate athletics.
Thorsness is an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sports and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committees. She served as an arbitrator in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
She has also demonstrated her commitment to safety and sportsmanship in the sport as a USRowing referee.
"I gratefully accept this award, with heartfelt thanks to USRowing, my coaches Sue Ela and Bob Ernst, my amazing teammates at Wisco and on the U.S. Team, and my many mentors in the law," Thorsness said. "All of these people challenged me and guided my rowing and legal career, and I owe my successes to them."
For her leadership and "outstanding contributions to women's rowing," Bryans received the Ernestine Bayer Award.
Bryans achieved incredible feats in women's rowing across her career, both at the University of Wisconsin and several other institutions.
As the longest-tenured head women's rowing coach in program history, she led women's rowing as head coach for 19 years until her retirement in 2023. During that time, the program reached 15 NCAA championships, 13 of which were consecutive.
In 2010 the team earned their best finish to date, seventh place at the NCAA championships. That same year, Bryans won her third Big Ten Coach of the Year award, the first time a women's rowing head coach achieved that award at Wisconsin. 2010 continued to be a momentous year for the program, as the team won their first Big Ten title.
Overseeing both the openweight and lightweight programs, Bryans produced a number of exceptional athletes. Fifteen openweights appeared on national teams during her tenure including three Olympians. Twenty lightweights earned 24 All-America Honors, with eight international rowers and one Olympian. The lightweight program won four Intercollegiate Rowing Association lightweight eight national championships and 10 total IRA titles.
In addition to the Olympians that competed under her leadership, several rowers Bryans coached went on to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games following her retirement.
Predating her time at Wisconsin, Bryans founded the women's rowing program at Michigan State University in 1997 and served as head coach until 2003. As founding head coach, she was twice named Big Ten Coach of the Year with the Spartans.
She also led as head coach of the women's rowing programs at Georgetown (1992-97) and Mills College (1988-92).
In addition to her collegiate tenures, Bryans accomplished many feats on the national level. In 1992 she led the U.S. Junior Women's National Rowing Team as head coach, earning third place with the women's eight crew and the U.S. its first medal at a Junior World contest. Bryans returned in 1993 to coach the team again.
She coached the women's elite sculling crew at the 1995 World Championship and led the U.S. women's four and lightweight single boats at the 2000 World Rowing Championship.
In 1992, Bryans became a member of the Women's Olympic Rowing committee until 1994, also serving as the committee chair from 1993 to 1994.
She founded the Pacific Rowing Club in 1980, leading as founder, executive director and head coach until 1982.
Bryans graduated from San Francisco State University in 1986 as a collegiate swimmer. She earned ten titles as Division II All-American in swimming. In 1986 she was recognized as the SFSU Woman Athlete of the Year and as the Northern California Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. San Francisco State University inducted Bryans to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
Thorsness earned the Jack Kelley Award for her representation of "superior achievements in rowing, service to amateur athletics, and success in their chosen profession, thereby serving as an inspiration to American rowers."
To begin her storied rowing career, Thorsness first started rowing in 1979 at the University of Wisconsin. That same year, she won gold with the Badgers at the 1979 National Championships in the novice eight event. Thorsness and her crewmates placed second at the Varsity Eight Collegiate National Championship in 1980 and 1982.
Following her collegiate career, Thorsness won gold with the women's eight in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. A part of the first U.S. Women's crew to win Olympic gold, Thorsness also made history as the first-ever Olympic medalist from Alaska.
Thorsness appeared on seven national rowing teams. She won silver at the World Championships in 1982, 1983 and 1987.
In 1984, Thorsness and her teammates were inducted into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame. Thorsness also received recognition as a member of the 2007 inaugural class in the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame and induction into the University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Beyond her time competing as an athlete, Thorsness has also created a lasting legacy in the rowing community through her work as an attorney and arbitrator. Currently, she specializes in Title IX and gender equity in collegiate athletics.
Thorsness is an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sports and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committees. She served as an arbitrator in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
She has also demonstrated her commitment to safety and sportsmanship in the sport as a USRowing referee.
"I gratefully accept this award, with heartfelt thanks to USRowing, my coaches Sue Ela and Bob Ernst, my amazing teammates at Wisco and on the U.S. Team, and my many mentors in the law," Thorsness said. "All of these people challenged me and guided my rowing and legal career, and I owe my successes to them."
For her leadership and "outstanding contributions to women's rowing," Bryans received the Ernestine Bayer Award.
Bryans achieved incredible feats in women's rowing across her career, both at the University of Wisconsin and several other institutions.
As the longest-tenured head women's rowing coach in program history, she led women's rowing as head coach for 19 years until her retirement in 2023. During that time, the program reached 15 NCAA championships, 13 of which were consecutive.
In 2010 the team earned their best finish to date, seventh place at the NCAA championships. That same year, Bryans won her third Big Ten Coach of the Year award, the first time a women's rowing head coach achieved that award at Wisconsin. 2010 continued to be a momentous year for the program, as the team won their first Big Ten title.
Overseeing both the openweight and lightweight programs, Bryans produced a number of exceptional athletes. Fifteen openweights appeared on national teams during her tenure including three Olympians. Twenty lightweights earned 24 All-America Honors, with eight international rowers and one Olympian. The lightweight program won four Intercollegiate Rowing Association lightweight eight national championships and 10 total IRA titles.
In addition to the Olympians that competed under her leadership, several rowers Bryans coached went on to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games following her retirement.
Predating her time at Wisconsin, Bryans founded the women's rowing program at Michigan State University in 1997 and served as head coach until 2003. As founding head coach, she was twice named Big Ten Coach of the Year with the Spartans.
She also led as head coach of the women's rowing programs at Georgetown (1992-97) and Mills College (1988-92).
In addition to her collegiate tenures, Bryans accomplished many feats on the national level. In 1992 she led the U.S. Junior Women's National Rowing Team as head coach, earning third place with the women's eight crew and the U.S. its first medal at a Junior World contest. Bryans returned in 1993 to coach the team again.
She coached the women's elite sculling crew at the 1995 World Championship and led the U.S. women's four and lightweight single boats at the 2000 World Rowing Championship.
In 1992, Bryans became a member of the Women's Olympic Rowing committee until 1994, also serving as the committee chair from 1993 to 1994.
She founded the Pacific Rowing Club in 1980, leading as founder, executive director and head coach until 1982.
Bryans graduated from San Francisco State University in 1986 as a collegiate swimmer. She earned ten titles as Division II All-American in swimming. In 1986 she was recognized as the SFSU Woman Athlete of the Year and as the Northern California Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. San Francisco State University inducted Bryans to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
Saturday, October 25
Tuesday, May 14
Monday, May 06
Thursday, March 14
