Four boat classes - the men's single sculls, women's single sculls, men's double sculls, and women's double sculls - will be contested at the trials with the winners earning the right to represent the United States at the 2004 FISA World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships July 27-August 1 in Banyoles, Spain. The U.S. also will enter crews in the women's pair, women's four, women's eight, men's four, and men's eight in Banyoles. These boats will be selected out of the men's and women's junior national team selection camps currently underway.
At the trials, the men's single sculls leads the way in terms of entries with eight. Several of the scullers raced in different events at the 2004 USRowing National Youth Invitational in Cincinnati in early June including Blood Street Sculls' Peter van Vliet, who won the men's single sculls title, and Norwalk River Rowing Association's Christopher Wyant, who finished fifth in the event.
The women's single sculls has six entries, five of whom raced in the 2004 USRowing National Youth Invitational. Sagamore Rowing Association's Ashleigh Tate finished second in the single sculls at the Youth Invitational, while Detroit Boat Club's Katherine Bucien finished fourth, Saugatuck Rowing Club's Christina Laternser finished fifth, and Stanford Rowing Club's Catherine Chuter finished sixth.
The men's double sculls also has six entries. Lake Stevens Rowing Club's Erik Farrar and Mark Jelsing finished second in the double sculls at the Youth Invitational, while Malta Boat Club's Pat Ryan and Justin Teti were members of the Malvern Preparatory School crew that won the men's quadruple sculls. The Steel City duo of Demetrio Gagnon and Dane Wetschler also rowed in Cincinnati. Gagnon won the men's double sculls with Otto Stegmaier, while Wetschler finished second in the single sculls behind Peter van Vliet.
In the women's double sculls, four crews will race for a berth on the junior national team. The Saugatuck Rowing Club crew of Jacquelyn Burmeister and Loren Massimino won the double sculls at the Youth Invitational, while the Steel City Rowing Club duo of Cara Dermody and Emily Schofield finished second. Dermody and Schofield won the trials last year and finished 12th at the 2003 Junior World Championships.
The trials begin Friday at 7 p.m. with time trials. The first finals of the best two-out-of-three finals begin Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The second finals will be held Sunday beginning at 8:10 a.m., while the third finals will be held Monday beginning at 8:20 a.m. if necessary.