Tennessee and Texas shared the Big 12 Rowing yearly awards for the 2024 season as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Anna Jensen (rower), Rhiannon Luke (newcomer) and Dave O’Neill (co-coach) all received recognition for the Longhorns while Tennessee’s Kim Cupini (co-coach) tallied the second Conference yearly accolade in program history for the Vols.
 
Jensen helped guide the Texas I Eight to four victories in all four of its races this season, including an open water win over then-No. 1 Stanford. The sport management major’s boat has been named Big 12 Boat of the Week twice during her senior season. The boat racked up victories at the Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational over Washington and California while also collecting a five-second victory over ninth-ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor. Jensen broke every erg record at Texas including the 1 x 2k erg in the final week of the regular season.

Luke is the fifth Longhorn in program history to be named the Newcomer of the Year after helping Texas’ II Eight to four victories this season. The freshman history major was part of the crew that earned Big 12 Boat of the Week after a win over then-No. 9 Michigan by open water. She also helped UT to the Jackie Ann Stitt Hungness Trophy against competition from California, Washington and Washington State.
 
O’Neill was named Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his 10 years in Austin. The Longhorns swept the Big 12 Rowing Championship races to secure the Conference title for the ninth consecutive year under O’Neill. Texas earned the top seed in the NCAA Championship for both the I Eights and II Eights and received the No. 2 seed in the Fours.
 
In her first year at Tennessee, Cupini received the accolade after leading the program to its second NCAA Championship appearance since 2010 and first since 2021. She is the first coach other than O’Neill to receive the recognition since Alabama’s Glenn Putyrae (2019). Under her tutelage, Tennessee earned three top-seven seeds in the NCAA Championship including the No. 2 seed for the II Eights.
 
Big 12 Rower of the Year: Anna Jensen, Sr., Texas
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year: Rhiannon Luke, Fr., Texas
Big 12 Co-Coaches of the Year: Dave O’Neill, Texas & Kim Cupini, Tennessee