PRINCETON, N.J. -- The second day of the 2003 World Championships Trials for Olympic-class boats included six repechages, or second-chance races, beginning with the men's singles sculls competition.
Finishing first in a field of three athletes was Vesper A's Jon Burns, clocking a 7:07.3, nearly two seconds ahead of teammate Paul Falcigno's 7:09.8. Both athletes will advance to Sunday's first final to face heat winners Mike Perry and Jon Werner. Saugatuck's Ken Jurkowski was eliminated.
The first of many close races came in the men's double sculls competition. Riverside's Dave Gabel and Kent Smack inched across the line in 6:24.3; the second-place Princeton Training Center boat of Henry Nuzum and Grant Nichols clocked a 6:24.7. The third place Penn AC duo of Dana Schmunk and Jack Nunn finished in 6:25.2, only 0.5 seconds behind. The top two crews advanced to tomorrow's first final to face heat winners Steve Gillespie and Brett Wilkinson, as well as J. Sloan DuRoss and Conal Groom.
All trials events consist of top competitors in top racing condition, and the men's pair delivered nothing less. In yet another close finish, the day's third race saw Riverside's Sam Brooks and Nick Tripician finish only 0.5 seconds ahead of the Penn AC duo. Brooks and Tripician's 6:40.1 time was good enough to qualify them for tomorrow's final, along with the winner of today's fourth race and second repechage of the men's pair.
The second repechage saw the PTC B duo of Adam Holland and Dave Friedericks blazing across the line nearly four seconds ahead of second-place Penn AC A, which finished in 6:40.7. Holland and Friedericks, who clocked a 6:36.8, will join Brooks and Tripician, as well as heat winners Mark Flickinger and Matt Rich and Artour Samsonov and Luke Walton in tomorrow's first final.
Not to be outdone, the women's events also saw another tight race in repechage competition. In the women's single sculls, Riverside B's Ann Holmes finished in 7:48.5, narrowly eliminating Augusta B's Beth Greene, who clocked a 7:52. Megan Cooke finished third in a 7:53.3.
The last race of the day and second for the women's single sculls saw Saugatuck B's Sharon Kriz winning with the time of 7:48.27. Kriz beat Lisa Johnson of Riverside and Gorge's Michelle Africa to qualify for tomorrow's final. Holmes and Kriz join heat winners Kristin Goodrich and Cindy Bishop in the final.
In addition, the women's double sculls event will kick off tomorrow with its first final. The four crews include Princeton Training Center's Laura Rauchfuss and Kelly Salchow, Potomac Boat Club's Katie Madigan and Catherine Humblet, Pocock's Carol Skricki and Anne Browning, and PTC's Frederique Garnier and Lia Pernell.
Sunday's racing begins at 8 a.m. with the women's double sculls, followed by the men's single sculls, men's double sculls, men's pair, and the women's single sculls. Each race consists of four competitors. The best two-out-of-three finals format continues Monday at 8 a.m. with the second finals, while the third finals, if necessary, will be held Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m.