Hall of Fame
Steven Coppola '02 is the most accomplished rower in Canisius High School history. His rowing career began as an 8th grader at a "Learn-to-Row" camp at Buffalo's West Side Rowing Club, and his championship form began to take shape while rowing for Canisius High School, where he won multiple Scholastic State and National Championships. A highly decorated career in the Blue and Gold earned Steven admission to Princeton and a seat on the rowing team. As a Tiger, Steven was part of an undefeated freshman crew that won every event it entered, by open water, including the Royal Henley Regatta in England. Steven won back-to-back Championship Men's 8 titles at the Canadian Henley in 2002-03 with Philadelphia's Vesper Rowing Club. From 2004-2006 Steven spent summers as the only undergraduate member of the US Men's National team, medaling in various national and international events including a bronze medal in 2004 World Championships in Banyoles, Spain (M4+) and bronze in the Men's Eight at the 2006 Worlds in London, England. In 2005, Steven won gold at the FISA World Championships in Japan (M8). Steven won a Bronze Medal in the Men's Eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He remains the only Canisius High School Athlete to earn an Olympic Medal and the only Western New York oarsman to do so. At the age of 24, he was the the youngest athlete ever to row for a US Olympic Men's Eight. Steven's athletic success has been complimented by awards he has received from Canisius High School, the Midshipman Jeffrey Korn Award and from Princeton, the W. Lyman Biddle Medal. The Korn Award which is presented to a graduating senior for outstanding moral character, leadership and sportsmanship and the Biddle Medal, awarded to an oarsman who has shown the best sportsmanship and contributed most to rowing at Princeton celebrates Steven's commitment to excellence. Steven graduated in 2006 with a degree in Psychology.
