Four US crews won gold on Saturday at the 2007 USA World Rowing Challenge on the Oklahoma River. Despite challenging crosswinds, the women's eight, men's double sculls, men's quadruple sculls and women's double sculls crews won the 2000-meter finals.
The women's eight of coxswain Mary Whipple (Sacramento, Calif.), Caryn Davies (Ithaca, N.Y.), Caroline Lind (Greensboro, N.C.), Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.), Anna Mickelson (Bellevue, Wash.), Sam Magee (Simsbury, Conn.), Anna Goodale (Camden, Maine), Lindsay Shoop (Charlottesville, Va.) and Brett Sickler (Los Gatos, Calif.) won in a 6:43.68. The US boat that won gold at the 2007 FISA World Championships in Munich, finished more than 5 seconds ahead of Canada. Australia crossed the line third in a 6:49.62. In the 500-meter night sprints, the US women's eight won in a 1:27.35, followed by Australia in a 1:29.46 and Canada in a 1:29.80.
"We don't get a lot of chances to face good international teams. Even with the conditions, it was great competition," said Mickelson. "Conditions weren't ideal, but racing is always ideal."
"The conditions really challenged us to work together," said Whipple. "The wind wants to make you row short, but this was a good chance to practice pushing through outside elements."
Davies and Lind also raced in the final of the women's pair, finishing second in a 7:37.01 behind Canada's Jane Rumball and Darcy Markquardt. The Canadian duo won in a 7:35.66, with Australia in third.
The men's eight crew of coxswain Marcus McElhenney (Lansdowne, Pa.), Jason Read (Ringoes, N.J.), Bryan Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio), Beau Hoopman (Plymouth, Wis.), Chris Liwski (Sarasota, Fla.), Sam Burns (Seattle, Wash.), Dan Beery (Oaktown, Ind.), Matt Deakin (San Francisco, Calif.) and Wyatt Allen (Portland, Maine) finished second in the final, with a time of 5:57.91. Canada won the event, clocking a 5:54.92, with Mexico in third and the Czech Republic in fourth. The US won the 500-meter night sprints event in a 1:18.30, just 0.5 seconds ahead of Canada. The Czech Republic finished third in a 1:19.47, with Mexico in fourth. The US lineup includes four members of the men's four with coxswain that won gold at the 2007 World Championships. The crew will compete in the Head of the Oklahoma regatta on Sunday.
In the men's quadruple sculls final, the US crew of Mark Flickinger (Big Flats, N.Y.), Deaglan McEachern (Portsmouth, N.H.), Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) and J. Sloan DuRoss (South Portland, Maine) won in a 6:28.83. Canada finished second in a 6:32.59. Stitt and DuRoss won the men's double sculls final earlier in the day. The duo crossed the line in a 6:52.12, with teammates Flickinger and McEachern in second with a time of 6:56.07. The US quad will also compete in Sunday's Head of the Oklahoma regatta.
Liane Malcos (Carlisle, Mass.) and Stesha Carle (Long Beach, Calif.) won the women's double sculls final in a 7:30.57. Teammates Ellen Tomek (Flint, Mich.) and Christen Brown (Tecumseh, Mich.) clocked a 7:39.19 for second place, followed by Canada and Switzerland. Tomek, Brown, Malcos and Carle finished second in the women's quadruple sculls final earlier in the day. Canada won the event in a 7:23.29, with the US crew clocking a 7:28.49.
In the final of the men's single sculls, Jamie Schroeder (Wilmette, Ill.) finished in fourth with a time of 7:24.28. Three-time world champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand won the event in a 7:10.47, followed by teammate Nathan Cohen. Australia's Peter Hardcastle finished third in a 7:18.09.
Brett Sickler (Los Gatos, Calif.) finished fourth in the women's single sculls final with a time of 8:22.62. New Zealand's Emma Dtwigg won the event in an 8:01.49, with Canada in second and Australia in third.
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.
Major sponsors include Chesapeake Energy, OG&E, Coppermark Bank, Dobson Communications, St. Anthony Hospital, Integris Heart Hospital, the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.