Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame
Den Besten Collins, Sara S.
Sara S. Den Besten Collins
- Induction:
- 2009
- Class:
- 1996
Sara Den Besten Collins is widely regarded as the finest women's rower ever to compete at Bucknell, and by rowing competitively year-round, she is credited with helping to raise the commitment level of the program. As a senior, Den Besten became the first member of the rowing program to earn the Christy Mathewson Award as the top senior athlete in her class. That year, she was a member of the lightweight four that won at the U.S. Nationals, and the following two years she stroked the lightweight eight and quad to gold at the Nationals. She also qualified for the World Indoor Rowing Championships, an erg event, and helped the Bison varsity four to a bronze medal at the Champion International Collegiate Regatta. The summer prior to her senior year, Den Besten won the senior lightweight double sculls at the Canadian Royal Henley Regatta.
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Den Besten's success at Bucknell was only the beginning, however. The Bettendorf, Iowa native was selected to train with the U.S. National Team and went on to win a gold medal in the lightweight four at U.S. Nationals. After qualifying for the World Indoor Rowing Championships, an erg event, she earned residency at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in California, where she was afforded the opportunity to train with the best rowers in the country. In 1997 she stroked the women’s lightweight eight and lightweight quad to gold medals at the U.S. Championships. A year later she won another national title in the quadruple sculls, and this time she was picked for the boat that would compete at the World Championships in Cologne, Germany.
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In September of 1998, wearing red, white and blue while rowing in the bow seat of the lightweight quadruple sculls, Den Besten won a silver medal at the World Championships. She became only the second Bucknell alumnus to medal in a world championship-level competition. One year later, back in the same boat, her crew won the gold medal at the World Championships in Canada, and in 2009 she became the first Bison rower to be inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame.
(Bucknell Hall of Fame Class of 2009)
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Den Besten's success at Bucknell was only the beginning, however. The Bettendorf, Iowa native was selected to train with the U.S. National Team and went on to win a gold medal in the lightweight four at U.S. Nationals. After qualifying for the World Indoor Rowing Championships, an erg event, she earned residency at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in California, where she was afforded the opportunity to train with the best rowers in the country. In 1997 she stroked the women’s lightweight eight and lightweight quad to gold medals at the U.S. Championships. A year later she won another national title in the quadruple sculls, and this time she was picked for the boat that would compete at the World Championships in Cologne, Germany.
Â
In September of 1998, wearing red, white and blue while rowing in the bow seat of the lightweight quadruple sculls, Den Besten won a silver medal at the World Championships. She became only the second Bucknell alumnus to medal in a world championship-level competition. One year later, back in the same boat, her crew won the gold medal at the World Championships in Canada, and in 2009 she became the first Bison rower to be inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame.
(Bucknell Hall of Fame Class of 2009)
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