SEATTLE, WA - World indoor record holder Luanne Mills of Seattle once again qualified for the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championships with a win recently on Saturday, January 31 at Ergomania - the Pacific Northwest Indoor Rowing Championships.
The 27th annual Ergomania, held at Seattle University's Connelly Gym, featured over 250 competitors, ages 13-80, including current or former U.S. national team members.
Mills, 70, won the women's lightweight veteran division (ages 70-79) with a time of 8:14.8 over 2,000 meters. Mills rows for Seattle's Pocock Rowing Center and will be making her seventh trip to the world indoor rowing championships.
Other area winners/qualifiers included Jock McLaughlin from the Pocock Rowing Center Ancient Mariner team, and past National team member Michelle Trannel from the Pocock Rowing Center's High Performance program. Coming up from Portland, Oregon was past National and Olympic team member Lisa Schlenker.
All the athletes were rowing Concept 2's "Model D" ergometers. Ergomania! Is one of 20 satellite indoor rowing regattas in North America that serve as qualifiers for the 2009 CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championships held in Boston on February 22. www.crash-b.org
Summary of Ergomania 2009 Crash-B qualifiers
1. William "Jock" McLaughlin 65-69 Hvywt. men 6:53.
2. Michelle Trannel Open Ltwt. Women 7:07.3
3. Luanne Mills 70-79 Ltwt. Women 8:14.8
4. Lisa Schlenker 40-49 Ltwt. women 7:20.8
Ergomania! is organized by Seattle's Pocock Rowing Center (www.pocockrowingcenter.org) and the George Pocock Rowing Foundation (www.pocockrowing.org). Proceeds from Ergomania! help support the Pocock Rowing Center's rowing programs.