Cossill, Farooq Earn Top Postseason Pac-12 Honors
May 27, 2021 | Women's Rowing
Washington junior Ella Cossill has been named the 2021 Pac-12 Women's Rowing Athlete of the Year, while UW men's and women's head coaches Michael Callahan and Yasmin Farooq have each been named the conference's Coaches of the Year for the fourth season in a row, the conference office announced today.
Farooq shared her award with UCLA head coach Amy Fuller Kearney, who was a National Team boatmate of Farooq's at the 1996 Olympic Games, when they were both in United States' women's eight.
Additionally, four UW men and four women were named to the All-Pac-12 team: Cossill, Nina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio), Teal Cohen (Dallas, Texas) and Skylar Jacobson (Lakewood, Wash.) for the women; George Esau (Loon Lake, Minn.), Samuel Halbert (Redmond, Wash.), Peter Lancashire (Victoria, B.C.) and Gert-Jan van Doorn (Leiden, Netherlands) for the men.
Cossill, from Gold Coast, Australia, has served as the Huskies' varsity eight stroke since returning to the U.S. in March. She led Washington to an undefeated season so far, including a win over California at Windermere Cup and a Pac-12 Championship. She is the second Washington woman to be named Pac-12 Rowing Athlete of the Year, joining Brooke Mooney (2018).
Farooq won Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the fourth time as Husky head coach (every year it's been awarded, since no postseason awards were presented in 2020). She also won it twice as Stanford's head coach. In 2021, Farooq has led Washington to a fourth straight Pac-12 titles, something she's won in each of her seasons in Seattle, other than in 2020. The Huskies, who did not lose any varsity eight, second varsity eight or third varsity eight races all year, held the nation's No. 1 ranking in every poll this spring, except for one.
Callahan, in his 14th season as Washington head coach, was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the 11th time, including the last four in a row. Callahan's Washington's men have spent the entire 2021 season ranked No. 1 in the nation and won a fourth straight Pac-12 Championship earlier this month. The Huskies have won all but one race all season (the lone loss was a third varsity eight vs. Cal) and are seeded No. 1 in all four boat categories at this weekend's IRA Championships.
The four women named to the All-Pac-12 team are all expected to compete in the varsity eight at this weekend's NCAA Championships. Castagna, the varsity coxswain, Cohen and Jacobson have all rowed in the UW women's top shell in each event this season.
Similarly, the four UW men, two of which (Esau and Halbert) are fifth-year seniors who returned after the 2020 season was wiped out, have rowed in the varsity eight all year. They'll vie for a national championship this Friday and Saturday at IRA Championships.
Farooq shared her award with UCLA head coach Amy Fuller Kearney, who was a National Team boatmate of Farooq's at the 1996 Olympic Games, when they were both in United States' women's eight.
Additionally, four UW men and four women were named to the All-Pac-12 team: Cossill, Nina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio), Teal Cohen (Dallas, Texas) and Skylar Jacobson (Lakewood, Wash.) for the women; George Esau (Loon Lake, Minn.), Samuel Halbert (Redmond, Wash.), Peter Lancashire (Victoria, B.C.) and Gert-Jan van Doorn (Leiden, Netherlands) for the men.
Cossill, from Gold Coast, Australia, has served as the Huskies' varsity eight stroke since returning to the U.S. in March. She led Washington to an undefeated season so far, including a win over California at Windermere Cup and a Pac-12 Championship. She is the second Washington woman to be named Pac-12 Rowing Athlete of the Year, joining Brooke Mooney (2018).
Farooq won Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the fourth time as Husky head coach (every year it's been awarded, since no postseason awards were presented in 2020). She also won it twice as Stanford's head coach. In 2021, Farooq has led Washington to a fourth straight Pac-12 titles, something she's won in each of her seasons in Seattle, other than in 2020. The Huskies, who did not lose any varsity eight, second varsity eight or third varsity eight races all year, held the nation's No. 1 ranking in every poll this spring, except for one.
Callahan, in his 14th season as Washington head coach, was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the 11th time, including the last four in a row. Callahan's Washington's men have spent the entire 2021 season ranked No. 1 in the nation and won a fourth straight Pac-12 Championship earlier this month. The Huskies have won all but one race all season (the lone loss was a third varsity eight vs. Cal) and are seeded No. 1 in all four boat categories at this weekend's IRA Championships.
The four women named to the All-Pac-12 team are all expected to compete in the varsity eight at this weekend's NCAA Championships. Castagna, the varsity coxswain, Cohen and Jacobson have all rowed in the UW women's top shell in each event this season.
Similarly, the four UW men, two of which (Esau and Halbert) are fifth-year seniors who returned after the 2020 season was wiped out, have rowed in the varsity eight all year. They'll vie for a national championship this Friday and Saturday at IRA Championships.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
2025 Husky Hall of Fame | 1987 and 1988 Women's Varsity Eight Crews
Monday, October 13
Washington Women's Rowing: NCAA Championship 2025 | Huskies Highlights
Sunday, June 01
Washington Women's Rowing: Big Ten Championship Finals | Huskies Highlights
Monday, May 19
Washington Women's Rowing: Big Ten Championship Heats | Huskies Highlights
Sunday, May 18
