HWS News
16 October 2024 • Alums • Athletics HWS Honors Rowing Legacy By Andrew Wickenden '09
In September, HWS dedicated two new rowing shells, celebrating Angela Desino P’94 and former Head Rowing Coach Jim Joy.
At the Miltenberger and Bennett-Hooper Rowing Center, alumni, family, friends, coaches, staff and rowers gathered by the Cayuga-Seneca Canal to honor two members of the Statesmen and Herons rowing community, Angela Desino P’94 and former Head Rowing Coach Jim Joy.
Desino, the late beloved mother of Chris Desino ’94 and Rob Desino ’94, was a dedicated supporter of their rowing careers at Hobart and beyond. Joy, who passed away earlier in 2024, spent more than a decade leading the HWS rowing teams, empowering student-athletes through his passion and deep knowledge of the sport.
During the commemoration ceremony, the Desino and Joy families were joined by President Mark D. Gearan; Paul Bugenhagen, director of HWS rowing and head coach of Herons rowing; Chris Kerber, head coach of Statesmen rowing; and other members of the HWS athletics community, all speaking to the history of Statesmen and Herons rowing and the legacy of encouragement, enthusiasm and persistence that Desino and Joy fostered.
Alongside Rob Desino and Dilan Bower-Desino ’18, Chris Desino reflected on the impact his mother left on him and his brother as young rowers for the Hobart team.
“There wasn’t anything…we wanted to do that she wouldn’t encourage,” he said. Noting her strength and tenacity, he advised current rowers that those qualities are self-reinforcing. “When you drive my mom’s boat and you put hands on, you’re going to dig deep — and when you dig deep, you dig deeper.”
For Alicia Joy, who was joined by her sister Kathleen, their father’s influence was equally resonant. “Growing up, it made a huge impression on me how much my dad’s athletes adored him,” she said. “He turned challenges into growth and successes into lifelong achievements. Many of the best coaches don't simply teach their sport, but they teach life skills.”
Remembered best for his “visionary approach and technical expertise,” Joy guided rowers, including Chris and Rob Desino, to their two national championships.
Elizabeth Corman ’99, another of Joy’s athletes, recalled her experience with “Jimmy” during the late 1990s, when the Herons claimed “119 out of 128 races,” including three New York State championships.
“Jimmy’s passion for rowing and our team was palpable,” Corman said. “It shone through everything he did.”
Top: Dilan Bower-Desino ’18, Rob Desino ’94, Chris Desino ’94, and the Joy family, including Alicia and Kathleen, join President Mark D. Gearan and the Hobart and William Smith rowing teams at the shell dedication ceremony at the Miltenberger and Bennett-Hooper Rowing Center for the naming of the first endowed racing shells, the James C. Joy and the Angela Desino P’94.
