row2k news Second 2006 National Selection Regatta Begins Friday
April 27, 2006 USRowing
The second 2006 National Selection Regatta (NSR) will be held April 28-30 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. The national selection regattas are one step towards making the 2006 National Team, which will compete at the 2006 FISA World Rowing Championships August 20-27 in Eton, England.
NSR 2 will include races in seven boat classes - the men's and women's double sculls, men's and women's lightweight double sculls, men's and women's pair, and lightweight men's pair. The winners of the three women's events will automatically make the national team without further selection if they meet the time standard during the NSR or at a subsequent event held before July 12. If they do not meet the time standard or do not accept the berth on the team, the boat category will be opened up to all competitors at the 2006 World Championships Team Trials scheduled for July 31-August 5. In the remaining four boat classes, NSR 2 serves as an opportunity for athletes to test their speed early in the season in preparation for future selection regattas, selection camps, and trials.
The men's double sculls event leads the way in numbers of entries with 16. J. Sloan DuRoss and Sam Stitt, who placed 10th in the event at the 2005 World Championships, will race together again this weekend. Ken Jurkowski and Dan Walsh, who made up half of the men's quadruple sculls crew at last year's world championships, will race as a tandem at NSR 2, as will their 2005 men's quad boatmates Jonathan Burns and Shane O'Mara. Steve Tucker and Greg Ruckman, who finished seventh in the lightweight double sculls at the 2004 Olympic Games, are also entered in the event. Other 2005 National Team members scheduled to compete include Matt Hughes, Wyatt Allen, Sean Wolf, and Rob Zechmann.
Fifteen women's double sculls crews are scheduled to compete at NSR 2. Lia Pernell, who raced in the double at last year's world championships, is back with a new partner, three-time senior national team member Liane Malcos. Brett Sickler, who finished third in the single sculls at NSR 1 earlier this month, will team up with 2005 National Team member Susan Francia. Caryn Davies, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the eight and a member of last year's women's quadruple sculls crew, will race with Anne Browning, while her 2005 boatmate, Margot Shumway, will race with Nicole Sylvester. Other 2005 National Team members competing in the event include Marika Page, Jennifer Kaido, and Heather Moon.
The lightweight women's double sculls event has nine entries including the duo of Julie Nichols and Renee Hykel. That tandem won a silver medal in the event at the 2005 World Championships in Gifu, Japan. The field includes only one other 2005 National Team member, Melissa Rice. The duo's top challenge may come from the crew of Abelyn Broughton and Britton Nixon. The two rowers finished second and third, respectively, in the lightweight single sculls at the first NSR earlier this month.
Nine crews also are entered in the men's pair. The field includes 11 past national team members. Men's eight Olympic gold medalists Beau Hoopman and Matt Deakin will be racing together. Fellow Olympic gold medalist Dan Beery will be racing with Sam Burns, while world champions Josh Inman and Mike Blomquist will be teaming up with national team veterans Brett Newlin and Chris Liwski, respectively. Other 2005 National Team members scheduled to race include Matt Schnobrich and Patrick O'Dunne.
The lightweight men's double sculls event has six entries. Bjorn Larsen, who raced in the event at last year's world championships, will be racing with past national team member Andrew Liverman. As of press time, the duo of Steve Tucker and Greg Ruckman was entered in both the open and lightweight men's double sculls events.
The lightweight men's pair field includes three boats. Five of the six competitors - Andrew Bolton, Tom Paradiso, Simon Carcagno, Richard Montgomery, and Matt Muffelman - have past national team experience.
Two crews are entered in the women's pair. All four women competing in the event - Anna Mickelson, Megan Cooke, Anna Goodale, and Lindsay Shoop - were members of last year's national team squad.
NSR 2 racing begins on Friday with morning time trials and afternoon heats. The remaining heats and semifinals will be held on Saturday, with the finals being held on Sunday morning.
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