Mike Porterfield has been elected to the Northeastern Hall of Fame for excellence in the sport of crew.
Porterfield, Class of '89, rowed in some of the Huskies' most successful boats and went on to a successful six years with the United States Rowing Team. He entered NU in 1985 out of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. where he was voted the Male Athlete of the Year as a senior. More importantly, T.C. Williams was a rowing hotbed and Porterfield had captained the crew as a senior. When he arrived on Huntington Avenue, he found a rowing program that was in a slump. Porterfield's freshman and sophomore years were frustrating even though he made the varsity eight in just his second year. His freshman boat of '86 finished 12th at the Sprints and the varsity boat was eighth in '87.
Porterfield helped lead a total turnaround in his junior season of 1988. In the regular rowing schedule, they posted a 7-1 record with the only loss at the hands of Harvard, the defending national champion. At the Sprints, the Huskies finished third to win the bronze. However, at the 86th rowing of the IRA Regatta, they did what no other Husky boat had ever accomplished and won the IRA gold. It was also the most poignant moment in Northeastern crew history as popular boatman Charlie Smith had died in a van accident on the way to the regatta and the crew dedicated the victory to his memory. A week later at the national championship, the Huskies won silver.
As a senior, Porterfield was elected captain and led his crew to a 6-2 record. The Huskies finished fifth at the Sprints, third at the IRA, and third at the national championship. However, one victory still stands out: they beat Harvard on the Charles River for the first time in NU history. Porterfield was the recipient of the Boathouse Award for Outstanding Contribution to NU Rowing.
After leaving the NU program, Porterfield was a member of the U.S. National Team for the next six years. He competed in five World Championships, winning a silver medal in the four-without in 1991, which led to U.S. Rowing Male Athlete of the Year honors. At the 2000 Olympiad, he coached the women's pair to a bronze medal.
