Mosaic congratulates Associate John Onderdonk on his October 17th induction into the Skidmore College Athletics Hall of Fame, where he was honored for his many accomplishments in Men’s Crew, along with his teammate Chris Grosso. Among their many noteworthy victories, the Skidmore pair twice captured the Bob Negaard Cup at the Dad Vail Championship Regatta in Philadelphia, posting the fastest time in the event’s 50-year history. Victorious in every pair race in which they competed over a two-year period, John and Chris were selected co-winners of the 1989 Skidmore Senior Athlete of the Year Award. Competing at the 1989 IRA Championship, John and Chris won the bronze medal competing against 26 of the nation’s best Ivy League college heavyweight crews, making headlines in a 1989 New York Times article entitled, “Big Success for a Pair from a Tiny Program.” Chris and John competed again as a pair in 2001 in the International Federation of Rowing Associations World Masters Regatta in Montreal, Canada, where they finished second to Germany.
The Skidmore College Athletics Hall of Fame is located in the lobby of the campus’ Sports and Recreation Center, where John’s many successes are now featured. Congratulations, John, on a very prestigious honor!