PRINCETON, N.J. - The first set of 2003 World Championships Trials for Olympic-class boats kicked off Friday on Carnegie Lake in Princeton, N.J., with heats in four events - the men's single sculls, women's single sculls, men's pair, and men's double sculls. Winners of the trials earn the right to represent the United States at the 2003 FISA World Championships August 24-31 in Milan, Italy.
In the men's single sculls, Augusta Rowing Club's Jon Werner clocked a 7:22.3 to record the fastest time of the morning heats. Rowing in the second heat, Werner easily defeated Vesper Boat Club's Paul Falcigno by nearly seven seconds. In the first heat, Ann Arbor Rowing Club's Mike Perry finished with a time of 7:27.8 to defeat Vesper Boat Club's Jon Burns by 1.7 seconds. Saugatuck's Ken Jurkowski finished third. Werner and Perry advanced to Sunday's first final, while the remaining rowers head to Saturday's repechage, or second-chance race.
Steve Gillespie and Brett Wilkinson, last year's national team representatives in the men's double sculls, made their first step towards repeating that performance on Friday. Racing in the second heat, the Potomac Boat Club duo clocked a 6:31.6, the fastest time of the morning. Gillespie and Wilkinson finished 6.2 seconds ahead of Princeton Training Center's Henry Nuzum and Grant Nichols. PTC's Bill Martin-Doyle and Chris Grothkopp finished third. In the first heat, Pocock Rowing Center's J. Sloan DuRoss and Conal Groom finished in a 6:32.4, 16.4 seconds ahead of Penn AC's Dana Schmunk and Jack Nunn. Dave Gabel and Kent Smack finished third. The two heat winners advanced to Sunday's first final, while the remaining crews will race in a repechage on Saturday.
Harvard Boat Club's Artour Samsonov and Luke Walton clocked a 6:37.4 to win the second heat of the men's pair. Samsonov and Walton finished 7.5 seconds ahead of the Princeton Training Center duo of Adam Holland and Dave Friedericks. Two Penn AC crews finished third and fourth. In the first heat, Princeton Training Center's Mark Flickinger and Matt Rich stroked a 6:44.1 to defeat Riverside Boat Club's Sam Brooks and Nick Tripician by 2.8 seconds. Penn AC "A" finished third. The two heat winners advanced to the first final, while the remaining six crews will race in Saturday's repechages.
Augusta Rowing Club's Cindy Bishop recorded the fastest time in the heats of the women's single sculls. Bishop, racing in the second heat, clocked a 7:47.1 to finish 5.8 seconds ahead of Saugatuck's Sharon Kriz. Megan Cooke finished third in the heat, followed by Gorge Rowing Club's Michelle Africa. In the first heat, Saugatuck's Kristin Goodrich, last year's world championships' representative in the event, stroked a 7:52.9 to finish more than 11 seconds ahead of Riverside's Ann Holmes. Riverside's Lisa Johnson finished third, followed by Augusta's Beth Greene. The two heat winners advanced directly to Sunday's first final, while the remaining scullers will race in a repechage tomorrow.
Racing continues Saturday at 8 a.m. with repechages. The best two-out-of-three finals begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday with the first final in five events. The second finals will be held Monday beginning at 8 a.m., while the third final in any event, if necessary, will be held Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m.