The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association announced its All-American awards, presented by Pocock, and its regional coach and staff of the year awards today. For the first time since 2002, William Smith produced two first team All-Americans and the Herons swept the regional coaching honors.
 
After helping power the William Smith varsity eight to a podium finish at the NCAA Championships, seniors Kate Abdalla and Linnea Darius were named first team All-Americans. Head Coach Paul Bugenhagen was named the Regional Coach of the Year, while Bugenhagen and Assistant Coach Callista Crisonino earned the Regional Staff of the Year award.
 
Abdalla and Darius were key contributors to the success of the Heron varsity eight this season. Ranked sixth in the nation going into the NCAA Championships, they helped propel William Smith's top boat to a third-place finish in the grand final. That effort, coupled with a fourth-place finish by the Heron second varsity eight, drove the Herons to a third-place finish in the national championship standings, matching the program's highest finish at nationals (2002).
 
Abdalla and Darius also led the Herons to a gold medal performance in the Liberty League Championship regatta and a bronze medal at the New York State Championships, trailing only Division I crews from Colgate and Marist.
 
During the fall racing season, Abdalla and Darius won silver medals in the Women's Varsity Four event at the Head of the Charles Regatta.
 
In addition to All-American recognition, they were both named first team All-Liberty League while the Heron 1V was voted the Liberty League Crew of the Year.
 
Including Abdalla and Darius, William Smith rowing has earned 32 All-America awards, including 18 first team selections, since Derith Hart '01 became the program's first All-American in 2000.
 
Bugenhagen and Crisonino directed the Herons to the program's 10th Liberty League Championship and first since 2016, earning the Herons' 14th NCAA Championship appearance. Their crews won three gold medals and a silver medal at the league championships adding two silvers and a bronze at states. William Smith began the spring racing season ranked 10th in the CRCA poll and remained in the top 10 throughout the campaign, achieving its highest ranking in the final poll, landing at No. 3.
 
Bugenhagen and Crisonino were also voted the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year. Bugenhagen joined the HWS coaching staff as Hobart rowing's head coach in 2011. He coached both Hobart and William Smith from 2020-23. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, he has coached the Herons exclusively, while serving as HWS' director of rowing. Crisonino has been with the Herons since the start of the 2024-25 season.