1978 B
1978 crew: Trafton is back row, second from left.
Barbara Trafton
arbara Trafton was the first female to win Andover’s Yale Bowl, awarded to the member of the senior class who has attained the highest proficiency in academics and athletics. Trafton entered Andover as a lower, joined varsity crew, and rowed in the four and eight first boats. Upper and senior year, she led the team to first and second place, respectively, in Interschols. After graduation, Trafton competed for Andover crew at the National Women’s Rowing Association National Championships, earning a gold medal in the pair event. Trafton later 12
raced for the United States in the eight at the Junior World Championships in Yugoslavia. In addition, Trafton was a three-year varsity swimmer, setting records in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and captaining the team her senior year. At Princeton, Trafton rowed for four years in the first varsity boat, winning the Eastern Sprints her senior year. She was selected to the U.S. Under-23 Team in 1983 and went on to win a silver medal at the FISA World Championships in 1984 as the lightweight single sculler. In 1985,
she finished fourth at the World Championships with the USA double. Trafton served on the U.S. Rowing National Lightweight Committee for many years, pushing to get lightweight women’s rowing into the Olympics— which finally occurred in 1992. Trafton currently teaches rowing to high school and masters athletes on Bainbridge Island in Washington, where she is also executive director of the Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation. She enjoys open-water rowing on Puget Sound and backpacking with her family. 13