WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Six crews earned junior national team berths on Wednesday at the 2008 World Championships Trials at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. The winning crews in the men's single sculls, women's single sculls, men's pair, men's double sculls, women's double sculls and men's quadruple sculls will represent the United States at this year's world rowing championships.
Trials being contested this week include competition in junior, under 23 and senior categories. Winners of the senior and junior races will compete at the 2008 FISA World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships July 22-27 in Linz/Ottensheim, Austria, while winners in the under 23 races will attend the 2008 FISA World Rowing Under 23 Championships July 17-20 in Brandenburg, Germany.
After a come-from-behind victory in the first final, Miami Beach Rowing Club won the second final of the junior men's quadruple sculls in a 6:13.47. The Miami crew of Gabriel Fort, Harold Fort, Mathew Sobotka and Ian Stewart qualified for the national team by sweeping the best two-out-of-three finals format and defeating Maritime Rowing Club's Ben Dann, Carter Aronson, Sam Freegood and Jordan Mastera by 6.2 seconds. The Fort brothers won the lightweight double sculls event at the 2008 Youth National Championships. Maritime posted a 6:19.65, with New Canaan High School Crew Club following in a 6:46.67 for third place.
In the second final of the junior men's single sculls, GMS Rowing Center's Kynan Reelick (Morris, Conn.) dominated the field, clocking a 7:18.69. Reelick, who took silver earlier this month at the USRowing Youth National Championships, finished more than 41 seconds ahead of New Canaan High School Crew Club's Patrick Cleveland.
After finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of the competition in yesterday's time trial, Cara Linnenkohl (Redmond, Wash.) of Lake Union Crew bagged a pair of wins in the first and second finals of the junior women's single sculls to qualify for the team. Linnenkohl clocked a 7:47.72 in the second final, with GMS Rowing Center's Kim Hopewell, finishing in an 8:21.67.
Shaker Rowing Association's Austin Meyer and Tom Nesel won the second final of the junior men's double sculls to earn a spot on the team, finishing in a 6:40.18. Saugatuck Rowing Club's Graham Anderson and Alex Vogt finished second in a 6:58.74, while Steel City Rowing Club's Matt Maddamma and Scott Helfrich took third in a 7:02.59.
Mairi McKellop and Emily Eiffert won the second final of the junior women's double sculls by 2.1 seconds. The GMS Rowing Center duo clocked a 7:21.09 to qualify for the team. After rowing neck-and-neck with Tempe Junior Crew's Chris Erhart and Alex Cours at the halfway mark, McKellop and Eiffert charged to a first-place finish. The Tempe crew finished in a 7:23.27, with Fairmount Rowing Association's Kelly Burke and Meagan Berry in third with a time of 7:51.22.
Racing unopposed in the final of the junior men's pair, Newport Aquatic Center rowed down the course to qualify. The duo of A.J. Brooks and J.P. Hogan clocked a 6:54.54. Brooks and Hogan rowed stern pair of the eight that placed first at the 2008 Youth National Championships.
In the senior events, heats and repechages, or second-chance races were contested in the men's and women's lightweight single sculls. In the lightweight singles, the winners of the morning heats and evening repechages advanced to Thursday's finals. In the pair with coxswain repechage, the top two finishers moved on to the final.
Penn A.C. Rowing Association's Ivan Baldytchev (Newark, Del.) posted a 7:14.33 on the way to winning the first heat of the lightweight men's single sculls. Riverside Boat Club's Rob Zechmann won the second heat, clocking a 7:11.79. Undine Barge Club's Greg Kaplan and Bantam Boat Club's Brian Tryon also advanced from the evening repechages.
Vesper Boat Club's Julie Nichols (Livermore, Calif.) won the first heat of the lightweight women's single sculls, finishing in a 7:47.28. Heather Moon (Windsor, Vt.) clocked a 7:49.36 to win the second heat. Undine Barge Club's Meghan Sarbanis (Hampstead, N.H.) and Vesper Boat Club's Carey Brezler (Waynesboro, Pa.) won the evening repechages to advance to tomorrow's final.
Penn A.C. Rowing Association's crew of coxswain Adam McDonald, Stephen Whelpley and Steve Kaspryzyk (Cinnaminson, N.J.) won the repechage of the men's pair with coxswain, with a 7:18.84. Vesper Boat Club's pair of coxswain David Florio (Marlton, N.J.), Patrick Godfrey (Gorham, Maine) and Jaime Velez finished second, posting a 7:20.09.
In the under 23 events, GMS Rowing Center's Dave Smith clocked a 7:24.93 to win the repechage of the lightweight men's single sculls. Detroit Boat Club's George Sleator finished second in a 7:35.70 to also advance to the final. Racing concludes Thursday with finals in fifteen under 23 events and eight senior-level events. For complete results and race schedule, visit www.powerhousetiming.com.