Princeton University Athletics
Marden '81, Ahrens '98 Inducted Into National Rowing Hall Of Fame
April 13, 2010 | Heavyweight Rowing, Women's Rowing - Open
Two of the top rowers in the proud tradition of Princeton crew will now be forever immortalized in the national rowing community. Former Olympic medalists Anne Marden '81 and Chris Ahrens '98 were inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame last month.
Both were part of an 18-member Hall of Fame class that was inducted March 20, 2010, in Mystic, Conn. Marden was a three-time letter winner at Princeton and helped the open crew to a 23-6 varsity record before going on to a highly successful international career. Ahrens helped the Princeton heavyweights to the 2006 and 2008 IRA national championships and was honored with the 1998 Roper Trophy, given to the top male senior student-athlete annually.
The following are their national racing bios, courtesy of the National Rowing Foundation web site:
Anne Marden was born June 12, 1958, in Boston, Mass. She began rowing while a student at the Philips Exeter Academy. Marden comes from a family of rowers. Her uncle, Charles Lund, was one of the first rowers to be inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame. He stroked the Harvard 1914 “jv” crew that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.
Marden has competed on 14 U.S. National Teams. She started her National Team career as the stroke of the women's eight at the 1978 World Championships in New Zealand, and then quickly switched to sculling. For the remaining thirteen years on the National Team Marden, a 1981 graduate of Princeton University, competed as a sculler. Her coaches throughout her career include: Kris Korzeniowski (1977-1981); Jean Pierre Leroux (1985-1988); and Hartmut Buscbacher (1991-1992). One of the hardest working and most driven athletes on the water and off the water, Marden was repeatedly recognized for her ability to juggle rowing with her career as a financial analyst.
Her accomplishments as a rower include: Pan American Champion in the women's double; two time bronze medalist at the World Championships, once in the single and once in the double; and two Olympic silver medals one from the quad in 1984 and one from the single in 1988. Marden has represented the United States as the Women's Single eight times. In addition to her international achievements, Marden has won the Women's Championship Single at the Head of the Charles more than any other sculler. Anne is married to Bruce Grainger, a successful rowing coach in the United Kingdom with a great track record at the junior world level. They reside in England with their daughter
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Chris Ahrens was born July 24, 1976, in Iowa City, Iowa. He began rowing in 1991 at the Milwaukee Rowing Club and continued successfully at Princeton University. Ahrens was named USRowing's 1999 Male Athlete of the Year. He was one of 10 finalists for the 1999 Sullivan Award, given to the nation's top amateur athlete. Ahrens stroked the U.S. eight to three consecutive world titles from 1997-99. Ahrens' career highlights include setting a world record in the eight in 2004 and winning gold in the eight at the 2004 Olympic Games.