PRINCETON, N.J. - Racing got underway Saturday with heats and repechages in four events at the 2010 USRowing Collegiate Championships at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. Over 190 athletes will compete for medals in 18 boat categories on Sunday.
In the women's collegiate single sculls, University of Tulsa Women's Rowing's Carla Horne posted the fastest time of the heats, winning the second race by 9.25 seconds. Horne clocked an 8:57.490, with Oklahoma City University's Kathryn Schiro second in a 9:06.750. University of Massachusetts Crew's Emily Boucher won the first heat by more than ten seconds. Boucher crossed the line in an 8:57.670, followed by University of Tulsa Women's Rowing's Kathryn Holtvogt in a 9:10.886. Jean Sack and Grace Doepker, both rowing unaffiliated, finished top two in the afternoon repechage and will join Horne, Schiro, Boucher and Holtvogt in tomorrow's final.
Potomac Boat Club's Brendan McEwan easily won the first heat of the men's collegiate single sculls. McEwan clocked a 7:43.590 to finish more than 15 seconds ahead of Mercyhurst College Rowing's Mike Orzolek. Orzolek, who raced the lightweight single at the 2009 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, crossed the line in a 7:59.291. In one of the tightest races of the morning, Oklahoma City University's Edgars Boitmanis won the second heat by 1.4 seconds. Boitmanis, who finished second in the double sculls at NSR #1, clocked a 7:45.287. Rollins College Crew's Johnny Hood crossed the line in second with a time of 7:46.682. Oklahoma City University's John Riesenberg and Brandon Taaffe, rowing unaffiliated, will join the field from the repechages.
Duke University swept the heats of the women's collegiate four with coxswain, taking the top spots and securing places in tomorrow's final. In the first race, the Blue Devil crew of coxswain Sarah Baker, Emily Theys, Caroline Fox, Kathy Smithwick and Rory Erickson-Kulas crossed the finish line 10.3 seconds ahead of Fordham University in a 7:39.474. Fordham clocked a 7:51.789, followed by University of Tulsa in an 8:10.217. In the second heat, the Duke crew of Emilie Marchetti, Kathryn Lowry, Stephanie Rosser, Breanna Briede and Laura Sciarrino won in a 7:48.837. Loyola University crossed second in a 7:52.091, followed by Villanova University Crew in a 7:53.272. In the afternoon repechages, Fordham University and Villanova University Crew A qualified from the first race, while Villanova University Crew C and Loyola University B finished top two in the second repechage.
In the women's collegiate double sculls, Duke University's Alex Japhet and Laurel Sisler won by 11.4 seconds. Japhet, who finished sixth in the pair at the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships, and Sisler clocked an 8:19.948 for the win. University of Massachusetts Crew's Ali Dimatteo and Amanda Doolin finished second in an 8:31.377 to advance. In the second heat, Colgate University Women's Crew's Vicky Hulit and Lauren Schmetterling won with a time of 8:11.139. The University of Tulsa Women's Rowing's Holtvogt and Horne returned to the water for their second race of the day, crossing the line second in an 8:19.024. Duke University's Katie Burke and Laura Guth, and Tulsa's Allyson Brooks and Meredith Papps advanced from the repechages.
Racing continues Sunday at 8 a.m. with finals in all 18 events. For complete results, visit www.powerhousetimeing.com. Finals races with commentary will be streamed live on the Team USA Rowing Channel at http://rowing.teamusa.org/live.
Co-hosted by the Princeton National Rowing Association, the event is being held at the site of USRowing's National Training Center. Lake Mercer has played host to a variety of elite-level events, including numerous U.S. national selection regattas and world championship trials, as well as the USRowing National Championships. The course also has hosted several top national and international regattas including four United States Olympic Trials, the 2006 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships, the 2006 FISA World Masters Regatta and the Princeton stop on the 2001 FISA World Cup circuit.