INDIANAPOLIS -- Athletes attempting to qualify for this year's Pan American Games will converge on Eagle Creek Reservoir June 20-25 to race in the 2003 Pan American Games Team Trials. Winners of the 12 events earn the right to represent the United States at the 2003 Pan American Games to be held August 4-10 on Rincon Lake outside of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The 12 events being contested at the team trials include the women's single sculls (seven entries), men's single sculls (17), lightweight women's single sculls (seven), lightweight women's double sculls (six), women's double sculls (nine), men's double sculls (four), lightweight men's double sculls (eight), lightweight women's quadruple sculls (three), lightweight men's quadruple sculls (five), men's pair (seven), men's four (three), and lightweight men's four (one).
In addition, the Pan American Games' crews in the men's quadruple sculls and men's eight will be selected during the trials. The winner of the men's double sculls and the top two finishers in the men's single sculls will make up the men's quad, while the winner of the men's four and the top two finishers in the men's pair will make up the men's eight.
The 17-person men's single sculls field kicks off racing with a time trial on Friday evening. The time trial will cut the field to 14 scullers in preparation for the start of Saturday afternoon's heats. Racing continues Saturday evening with repechages, or second-chance races, in events with more than eight entries. On Sunday afternoon, repechages in events with less than eight entries and semifinals will be contested, while the first finals in the best two-out-of-three finals' format begin on Monday morning. Second finals will be held on Tuesday morning, with third finals being held on Wednesday morning if necessary.
The field of participants represents a wide range of rowing abilities; many former junior national, senior national, and Olympic team competitors will be racing against each other in Indianapolis for spots on the team.
Among the 2002 National Team members competing will be the Augusta Training Center lightweight quad of Stephen Arthur-Wong, John Kennel, Tim Larson and Mike Aller. All four represented the U.S. at the 2002 FISA World Championships, with the latter three rowing in the lightweight quad. The Augusta crew will be challenged by a New York Athletic Club foursome that includes three 2002 National Team members - Gabe Winkler, John Cashman, and Tom Paradiso.
In the lightweight double sculls, three-time world championships' medalist Michelle Borkhuis will race with Maria Picone. Borkhuis will be competing against 2002 lightweight women's quad boatmate Wendy Campanella in the event. Multiple time national team members and 2000 Olympians Conal Groom and Carol Skricki will race in men's and women's doubles sculls, respectively. Other 2002 National Team members competing at the trials include Andy Liverman, Dana Schmunk, Anne Finke, Sloan DuRoss, and multiple-time worlds' medalist Abigail Cromwell.