Racing for the 2007 USA World Rowing Challenge kicked off Friday as the US National Team faced off against crews from all over the world on the Oklahoma River in 2000-meter and 500-meter night sprint events.
In the women's pair, Caryn Davies (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Caroline Lind (Greensboro, N.C.) won the second of two morning heats. The US duo finished ahead of Canada and Australia in a 7:43.40 to progress to the 500-meter night sprint event and tomorrow's 2000-meter final. Davies and Lind continued their winning streak into the evening, finishing ahead of Australian and Canadian crews to win the 500-meter night sprint. The pair of Anna Mickelson (Bellevue, Wash.) and Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.) finished fourth in the first heat of women's pair, behind Canada and Australia's A and C entries. Both pairs will make up the women's eight that will compete in Saturday afternoon's final.
"The competition in the pair was more than I anticipated; Canada and Australia slipped away from us before," said Francia. "One of the biggest things I said to Anna before our race was, 'today we are going to go out there and have fun.'"
In the men's double sculls, the US duo of Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) and J. Sloan DuRoss (South Portland, Maine) won the first of two heats in a 7:04.35, crossing the line 12.1 seconds ahead of Mexico. Mark Flickinger (Big Flats, N.Y.) and Deaglan McEachern (Portsmouth, N.H.) won the second heat in a 6:57.83, followed by Canada in a 7:02.43 and Mexico in a 7:05.96. The duo of John D'Alva and Cody Lowry finished fourth.
Flickinger, McEachern, Stitt, and DuRoss made up the men's quadruple sculls crew that raced again in the evening's 500-meter sprint event and won in a 1:23.22. Canada finished second in a 1:24.44, followed by Mexico. The US crew will face Canada, Mexico and Moldova in Saturday's 2000-meter final.
The women's double sculls crew of Liane Malcos (Carlisle, Mass.) and Stesha Carle (Long Beach, Calif.) won the 2000-meter exhibition event, crossing the line in a 7:42.97. Canada finished second in a 7:54.45, followed by Ellen Tomek (Flint, Mich.) and Christen Brown (Tecumseh, Mich.) in third. Tomek, Brown, Malcos and Carle won the women's quadruple sculls 500-meter sprint event in a 1:32.72, followed by Canada in a 1:35.28.
"We were excited to race Canada again," said Tomek. "They edged us out twice this summer in the heat and in the final by less than a second."
In the first heat of the women's single sculls, Brett Sickler (Los Gatos, Calif.) finished in an 8:20.10 for second place. Canada's Anna Marie Dezwager won the event in an 8:14.39, with Australia finishing third. Sickler also competed in the women's single sculls 500-meter sprint event, finishing fifth.
Jamie Schroeder (Wilmette, Ill.) finished third in the first heat of the men's single sculls, clocking a 7:27.69. New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale led the field, winning in a 7:21.05, followed by Mexico's Patrick Loliger. Schroeder finished third in the photo-finish of the 500-meter sprint final. Less than a second separated the top four boats, with Australia's Peter Hardcastle edging ahead for the win. Schroeder will have another shot at a win in Saturday's 2000-meter final event.
In the men's pair exhibition event, Chris Liwski (Sarasota, Fla.) and Sam Burns (Seattle, Wash.) finished third behind Canada and Georgia. The US duo placed fifth in the 500-meter sprint final, and will join the men's eight crew Saturday.
Racing continues Saturday with 2000-meter finals in the men's and women's single sculls, men's and women's pair, men's and women's double sculls, men's and women's quadruple sculls, and men's and women's eight events. The men's and women's eights will also have an opportunity at a moonlight victory in the 500-meter night sprints event.
Organizers of the 2007 Oklahoma Centennial Regatta Festival include USRowing, the Chesapeake Boathouse, and the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation. The University of Central Oklahoma, a US Olympic Committee Community Partner, is developing the Olympic Experience component of the event.