Racing at the first 2008 National Selection Regatta (NSR #1) got underway Friday at the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.
After clocking the fastest time in the morning time trial of the men's single sculls, Ken Jurkowski came back to record the quickest time in the afternoon heats. With the top four scullers advancing to Saturday morning's semifinals, the New Fairfield, Conn. native crossed the finish line with a time of 7:16.06 to win the race by more than four seconds. Atlanta Rowing Club's Jordan Smith finished second in a 7:20.17, followed by Penn AC's David Coughlin in a 7:20.99. In the second heat, Penn AC's Andrew Liverman pulled away from Bantam Boat Club's Peter Graves in the final 500 meters to win the race with a time of 7:21.28. Graves finished 3.23 seconds behind in a 7:24.51, with Vesper Boat Club's Ben Churchill close behind in a 7:24.89. New York Athletic Club's James Dietz won the third heat in a 7:20.19, finishing 3.41 seconds ahead of Vesper's Joshua Brown. Patrick O'Hea finished third in a 7:23.95. Penn AC's Stephen Whelpley, Potomac Boat Club's Sean Gorman and Penn AC's Christopher DeFelice also advanced to the semifinals.
In the women's single sculls, two-time world championships bronze medalist Michelle Guerette easily won the morning time trial to earn the top seed in tomorrow morning's heats. The Bristol, Conn. native finished with a time of 8:09.04, more than 20 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Julie Nichols of Vesper Boat Club. Nichols finished with a time of 8:29.93. Pocock Rowing Center's Kathleen Bertko finished third in an 8:33.66, followed by Vesper's Carey Brezler in an 8:35.45.
In the lightweight men's double sculls, Vesper Boat Club's Andrew Grzybowski recorded the fastest time of the time trial, crossing the finish line with a time of 7:34.33. He will enter tomorrow's heats as the top seed. Penn AC's Ivan Baldychev, a finalist in the event at last year's world championships, finished second in a 7:25.82. Riverside Boat Club's Skip Dise finished third, followed by Undine Barge Club's Cody Lowry.
Vesper Boat Club's Rebecca Smith clocked the fastest time in the lightweight women's double sculls. Smith finished with a time of 8:25.96. Racing unaffiliated, Erin Burton finished second in an 8:26.75, followed by Vesper Boat Club's Nicole Nelson in an 8:26.93. Riverside Boat Club's Ashley Blake finished fourth. Smith will enter tomorrow's heats as the top seed.
USRowing Training Center's Chris Liwski and David Banks won the time trial in the men's pair, finishing in a 6:50.80. Teammates Micah Boyd and Dan Beery finished second in a 6:55.51, followed by USRowing TC's Sam Burns and Kyle Larson in a 7:00.32. Liwski and Banks earned the top seed in tomorrow's heats.
For the women's single sculls, NSR #1 serves as the first step towards making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. The winner of the event will earn the right to race at either the first or second world cup regatta in May. If the NSR winner finishes in the top six at her chosen world cup race, then she will be nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team. If not, the event will be opened up for trials in June. The event also plays an important role for the men's single sculls. The top 12 finishers earn the right to compete at the first set of U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Rowing scheduled for May 12-17. For the remaining three boat categories, the regatta serves as an opportunity for athletes to test their speed early in the season in preparation for future selection regattas and trials. For a complete explanation of USRowing's selection procedures, please visit the following link on USRowing's Web site: http://www.usrowing.org/News_Media/2008OlympicGames/08olselexp.aspx.
NSR #1 racing continues Saturday at 7:00 a.m. with the remaining heats and semifinals. Placement finals and additional semifinals will be held Saturday afternoon beginning at 5:00 p.m., with the top-level finals being held on Sunday morning starting at 7:00 a.m. Complete results can be viewed at www.powerhousetiming.com.
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