INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - With more than 1,100 entries to sort through at the 2011 USRowing Club National Championships, the first day of racing saw a parade of heats from morning to evening to sort out which crews would begin to challenge for a national title this weekend.
A total of 69 heats were run at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis on Wednesday and racing will resume in the morning with another round of heats for the 71 championships being contested at the junior, intermediate and senior levels.
After morning racing in some of the eight and four events, most of the afternoon was reserved for smaller boats including pairs and single sculls.
Semifinal racing will begin Friday and continue into Saturday morning before finals get underway Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
In addition to providing the highest level of competition for developing rowers at the three competing levels, the regatta also serves as the qualifying event for the 2011 CamAmMex Regatta. Crews winning the junior eight and junior quadruple sculls for men and women will earn the right to represent the U.S. August 8-12 at the Welland International Flatwater Centre in Welland, Ontario.
At the conclusion of the regatta, USRowing will host its eighth-annual College Fair to provide an opportunity for rising high school seniors to meet and speak with representatives from more than 40 college and university rowing programs after having the chance to showcase their talents to coaches and recruiters throughout the week of rowing.
The college fair will take place at the conclusion of racing on Sunday, July 17, at approximately 1:00 p.m. and will end promptly at 2:30 p.m. Athletes wishing to participate in the College Fair must be rising seniors for the 2011-2012 school year and must register at the USRowing tent no later than the end of racing on Saturday, July 16.