WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Racing at the 2005 World Championships Trials got underway Thursday morning on Lake Mercer with heats in the men's single sculls, lightweight men's single sculls, and lightweight women's single sculls.
Ann Arbor Rowing Club's Mike Perry, a member of the 2003 National Team, recorded the morning's fastest time in the men's single sculls. Racing in the third and final heat, Perry finished with a time of 7:35.22, defeating New York Athletic Club's Gabe Winkler by more than six seconds. Princeton Training Center's Jamie Schroeder finished third. In the first heat, New York Athletic Club's Wyatt Allen easily defeated Providence Training Center's Erik Winters and Penn Athletic Club's Tolsun Waddle. Allen, a member of the Olympic men's eight that won the gold medal in Athens, clocked a 7:27.46 to finish more than 17 seconds ahead of Winters. Undine Boat Club's Steve Tucker, a two-time Olympian in the lightweight double sculls, won the second heat with a 7:31.36. He finished more than five seconds ahead of 1996 Olympian Adam Holland from Harvard University Boat Club. Saugatuck Rowing Club's Rickey Visinski finished third. The top two finishers form each heat advanced to Friday's semifinals, while the remaining three scullers moved on to Thursday afternoon's repechage, or second-chance race.
In the lightweight men's single sculls, Penn AC's Evan Price stroked the fastest time of the morning. Price finished with a time of 7:38.23, more than nine seconds ahead of Ann Arbor Rowing Club's Brian Tryon. Undine Barge Club's Dan Urevick-Ackelsb finished third. In the other heat, Augusta Rowing Club's Tim Larson, a three-time national team member, clocked a 7:39.21 to finish nearly nine seconds ahead of Narragansett Boat Club's Ben Hutz's 7:48.17. Union Boat Club's Aleks Zosuls finished third in an 8:06.05. Price and Larson advanced directly to Saturday's first final, while the remaining scullers moved on to Friday's repechage.
Racing in the third of three heats, Riverside Boat Club's Marika Page finished with the fastest time in the lightweight women's single sculls. Page came home in an 8:15.21, finishing more than 23 seconds ahead of Amy Scott. Penn AC's Lissa Krawczyk finished third. Two-time national team member Maria Picone from Penn AC won the first heat in an 8:27.32. She finished 2.1 seconds ahead of Union Boat Club's Claudia Wagner. Union Boat Club's Catherine Infantino and Riverside Boat Club's Kristen Taschereau rounded out the race. In the second heat, Pocock Elite Sculling Team's Samantha Twardowski won with a time of 8:34.65. Oak Ridge Rowing Association's Erin Burton finished second in an 8:40.39, followed by GMS Rowing Center's Pam Raila. The top two finishers form each heat advanced to Friday's semifinals, while the remaining three scullers moved on to Thursday afternoon's repechage.
In total, the trials will select 12 different crews to represent the United States at the 2005 FISA World Rowing Championships August 28-September 4 in Gifu, Japan. In addition to the three events that began today, the regatta includes racing in the lightweight men's quadruple sculls, lightweight women's quadruple sculls, men's pair, women's pair, lightweight men's pair, men's pair with coxswain, women's four, men's four with coxswain, and lightweight men's eight. The winners of each event will be named to the world championships squad if they meet the qualifying time standard. If a crew does not meet the time, it will have a final opportunity on Wednesday, July 20, to reach the standard and qualify for the world championships.
Trials' racing continues with Thursday afternoon's repechages. The remaining repechages and semifinals for events with more than eight entries will take place Friday morning. Finals, which are run in a best two-out-of-three format similar to an NBA playoff series, begin Saturday morning. The second set of finals will be held Sunday morning, with the third finals taking place on Monday morning if necessary.
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