St Catherine's College Rowing Society
President: Colin Smith
Vice Presidents: Don Barton, Neil Chugani, Richard Peters, Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE, Ben Sylvester, Zoe de Toledo, Andrew Triggs Hodge OBE.

The Benjamin F. Sylvester Jr Award

The winner of the 2019 award is Jakob Kaeppler

Proxime Accessit: Rachel Craig-McFeely

Jakob Kaeppler (right) and Rachel Craig-McFeely with RS President Kevin Skinner at the presentation of the Ben Sylvester award at the Boat Club Dinner

[BFS Award]

Jakob has been a 2nd VIII oarsman, a 1st VIII cox and the Boat Club Secretary. Those who nominated him said

Anytime you need someone to jump in on short notice, whether it be bankriding, driving a rental car, taking over the secretary role, coxing or rowing, Jakob will say yes.

He has also coxed so many woman's and mixed boat outings in the cold winter mornings. He has been helping as much as he can whenever there is a short of cox, despite being a keen rower himself

Whether it be rowing, coxing or behind-the-scenes organisational work, we can always rely on him to step up and fill do what needs to be done.

Finally, Jakob's genuine love of rowing always shines through — he can often be found taking out a single or double in the mornings, even after consecutive days of practice.

Also nominated were: Oliver Berry, Meirian Evans, Kit George, Rachel Ibbetson, Ilayda Karadag, Carina Rampelt and Bryce Starr.

Background of the Award

At the North American alumni reunion on March 16, 2002, Sir Peter Williams announced the establishment of an award to commemorate the splendid and varied contributions made by Benjamin F. Sylvester, Jr to the College. The award has been funded by the St Catherine's College (Oxford) Foundation.
A Benjamin F. Sylvester, Jr medal will be given annually to the member of the Boat Club who has most significantly contributed to enhancing the rowing life of St Catherine's College, Oxford.
Names of winners will also be displayed on a plaque to be mounted in the boathouse club room. Nominations will be solicited from members of the Boat Club and will be judged by a committee of former College oarsmen. The medal, designed by Dana Edmondson, depicts a Catherine wheel comprised of oars on a background of water. At the ends of the oars are flames symbolizing warmth and illumination. At the center of the medal is the crest of St Catherine's College, Oxford.

Design for the Benjamin F. Sylvester, Jr medal
[BFS Medal]

Previous Winners

2018 Holly Smith
2017 Georgios Ntentas
2016 James Wills (Alice Pickthall proxime accessit)
2015 Miriam Mahmoud
2014 Ben Baron
2013 Joshua Morgan
2012 Joanna Harrall
2011 Theresa Kevorkian (Phillip McCullough proxime accessit)
2010 Jack Plummer
2009 Anu Dudhia (Special Award)
2009 Malcolm Spencer
2008 James Dunbar (Dane van den Akker proxime accessit)
2007 Michael Tran (Katharine Pierce proxime accessit)
2006 Darren Chadwick (Michael Tran proxime accessit)
2005 Steve Wicks
2004 Dan Robson
2003 Mike Bull
2002 Emily Woodeson