Racing got underway Friday at the 2010 USRowing National Selection Regatta #1 and Speed Order at the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.
In the men's single sculls, USRowing Training Center's Warren Anderson (Paso Robles, Calif.) recorded the fastest time of the heats, clocking a 7:11.766 to finish just over five seconds ahead of New York Athletic Club's Matt Hughes (Ludington, Mich.). Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) won the second heat with a time of 7:12.358, finishing two seconds ahead of Craftsbury Sculling Center's Thomas Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio). USRowing TC's Glenn Ochal (Philadelphia, Pa.) won the third heat, finishing with a time of 7:11.979. Penn A.C.'s Stephen Whelpley (Moquon, Wis.) came out on top of a tight race for second place, clocking a 7:13.605.
USRowing Training Center's Stesha Carle (Long Beach, Calif.) won the first heat of the women's single sculls, crossing the finish line with a time of 7:49.295. Ursula Grobler (Pretoria, South Africa), who also raced in the lightweight women's single sculls, finished second with a time of 7:50.669. USRowing TC's Kate Bertko (Oakland, Calif.) clocked a 7:48.106 to win the second heat. Bertko finished more than four seconds ahead of teammate Megan Walsh (Charlotte, N.C.), who stroked a 7:52.752. Cambridge Boat Club's Genevra Stone (Newton, Mass.) won the third heat in a 7:55.438. She finished nearly five seconds ahead of USRowing TC's Jessica Reel (Atlanta, Ga.).
Prior to racing in the women's single sculls, Grobler recorded the fastest time of the heats in the lightweight women's single sculls. Racing in the third and final heat, Grobler clocked a 7:47.849 to finish just over one second ahead of Pocock RC's Abby Broughton (Tetonia, Idaho), who crossed in a 7:48.928. Undine Barge Club's Meghan Sarbanis (Hampstead, N.H.), who finished fourth in the event at last year's world championships, crossed the line in a 7:52.950 to win the second heat. Vesper Boat Club's Jeannette Daley (Cohasset, Mass.) finished second in a 7:55.843. Kristin Hedstrom (Concord, Mass.) of the University of Wisconsin Lightweight Women's Crew won the first heat in a 7:55.945, finishing more than four seconds ahead of Riverside Boat Club's Hilary Saeger (Deadham, Mass.).
In the lightweight men's single sculls, GMS Rowing Center's Jon Winter (New Haven, Conn.) won the first heat with a time of 7:08.603, with teammate Brian De Regt (Rowayton, Conn.) finishing second in a 7:10.349. Undine Barge Club's Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg (Philadelphia, Pa.) won the second heat in a 7:16.605, while Pocock RC's Kenny McMahon (Ladysmith, Wis.) won the third heat in a 7:17.399.
In the first heat of the men's pair, USRowing Training Center's Jake Cornelius (Brooktondale, N.Y.) and Charlie Cole (New Canaan, Conn.) clocked a 6:42.171 to earn the victory, with teammates Steven Coppola (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Silas Stafford (Santa Rosa, Calif.) finishing second in a 6:43.793. In the second heat, USRowing TC's Grant James (DeKalb, Ill.) and Ross James (DeKalb, Ill.) edged out teammates Brett Newlin (Riverton, Wyo.) and Giuseppe Lanzone (Annandale, Va.) by less than one second. The James twins crossed in a 6:44.414, with Newlin and Lanzone finishing in a 6:44.989.
Semifinals in the two single sculls, as well as finals in the remaining events, will be held Saturday starting at 7 a.m. Finals in the single sculls events will be held Sunday starting at 7 a.m. For complete results, visit www.powerhousetiming.com.
For the men's and women's single sculls, the regatta serves as the first step towards making the 2010 Senior National Team that will represent the United States at the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Lake Karapiro, New Zealand. The winner of each event will earn the right to compete at a world cup race of their choosing. If the NSR #1 winner finishes in the top four (or top half if there are fewer than eight entries), then he or she will be nominated to the team. For the remaining boat categories, the speed order serves as an opportunity for athletes to test their speed early in the season in preparation for future selection regattas and trials.