SAN FRANCISCO – Stanford women's rowing swept the end-of-year awards from the Pac-12 Friday, led by Azja Czajkowski's Athlete of the Year honor. Iris Klok was named the Pac-12 Women's Rowing Newcomer of the Year, while head coach Derek Byrnes was selected as the conference's coach of the year. Czajkowski, Esther Briz Zamorano, Katelin Gildersleeve and Caroline Ricksen earned All-Pac-12 accolades for their strong performances this season.
Czajkowski is the Cardinal's first Athlete of the Year winner since 2017 and just the team's fifth recipient of the award. The senior joins the elite company of Ruth Narode (2017), Anna Dawson (2014), Elle Logan (2011), Erika Roddy (2009) and Jessi Reel (2008) who won the award during their time in a Stanford uniform. Czajkowski was a staple in the Cardinal's varsity eight boat in 2022, rowing in the varsity eight race at Pac-12's in the eight seat. Her efforts in that race led Stanford to break its seven-year streak of finishing in second place in the category.
Klok is Stanford's third straight Newcomer of the Year winner, and the program's fourth recipient all-time, joining Mathilda Kitzmann (2021), Kelsey McGinley (2019) and Abby Loughery (2003). She rowed in the team's varsity eight boat twice this season, including during the program's conference-title deciding race at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships.
Byrnes earns his first Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor and becomes just the fourth Stanford coach to be recognized as the conference's best. In his five full seasons on the Farm, he has led his team to five top-three finishes at the conference championship and four top-6 finishes at the NCAA Championships. With the program's victory at this year's conference title chase, Byrnes led the Cardinal its first Pac-12 title since 2014.
Stanford has had at least three all-conference selections in each season since 2014, with Briz Zamorano earning her second award from the Pac-12 after an all-conference nod in 2021. After rowing in the six seat at the Big Ten Invite, Briz Zamorano moved to the eight seat for the Pac-12 Championships. Katelin Gildersleeve spent time in the Second Varsity Eight boat during the team's trip to Sarasota, but moved to the one seat of the Varsity Eight for the conference title chase. Ricksen acted as the coxswain for the Cardinal's conference-championship winning varsity eight boat after coxing Stanford's varsity four boat in an extremely successful trip to the Big Ten Invite.
Czajkowski, Gildersleeve and Ricksen also earned calls to the USRowing Under-23 National Team Selection Camp, which was announced Wednesday.
The team concludes the season May 27-29 at the NCAA Championships in Sarasota, Florida. The Cardinal enter the national championship regatta as the No. 3 seed in the varsity eight race, the No. 4 seed in the second varsity eight race, and the No. 2 seed in the varsity four competition.
