WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Penn AC's men's pair earned a spot on the 2005 National Team, while 11 other crews moved one step closer to making the squad during Saturday's first set of finals at the 2005 World Championships Trials on Lake Mercer.
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. The winners of each boat class will be named to the world championships' squad if they meet the qualifying time standard. If a crew does not meet the standard during trials, it will have a final opportunity on Wednesday, July 20, to make it and qualify for the team.
Three crews - the men's pair, lightweight men's eight and lightweight men's pair - raced unchallenged on Saturday and only had to row down the course in order to be declared the trials winners in their categories. In the men's pair, Penn AC's Matthew Schnobrich and Patrick O'Dunne crossed the finish line in a 7:12.20 to win the race. The duo had already met the time standard for the event at the second National Selection Regatta in mid June, so the victory at the trials gave them a spot on the world championships' squad.
The Riverside Boat Club lightweight men's eight entry of coxswain John Clark, Tom Stephens, Jeff Forrester, Cameron Booth, John Nichols, Alex Rothmeier, Erme Catino, Shawn Ahmad and Peter Morelli came home in a 6:00.95. The crew did not meet the time standard to automatically qualify for the world championships, however. Now, the boat will have until Wednesday to meet the requirement. Likewise, the lightweight men's pair of Tyler Resch and Scott Wallen from Camp Randall Rowing Club will have to meet the time standard by Wednesday after failing to reach it today. The duo finished with a time of 7:21.17.
The remaining nine events all had multiple entries with the best two-out-of-three finals starting on Saturday. In the women's pair, the Princeton Training Center duo of Caroline Lind and Lindsay Shoop won the first final with a time of 7:33.69. The duo finished more than 13 seconds ahead of PTC teammates Ala Piotrowski and Anne Browning. The two crews will face off in a second final on Sunday morning.
In the first final of the men's single sculls, New York Athletic Club's Wyatt Allen finished 2.55 seconds ahead of Ann Arbor Rowing Club's Mike Perry. Allen stroked a 7:10.61 to Perry's 7:13.16. Union Boat Club's Steve Tucker finished third in a 7:23.60, followed by Princeton Training Center's Jamie Schroeder in a 7:26.57. The top three finishers advanced to Sunday's second final.
Princeton Training Center's men's four with coxswain of Marcus McElhenney, Brett Newlin, Patrick Sullivan, Sam Burns and Matt Hughes won the first final by 2.69 seconds over the boat from Penn AC. PTC finished with a time of 6:24.14. The second PTC entry finished in third place, clocking a 6:34.09. Vesper Boat Club finished fourth. The top three finishers advanced to the second final.
Penn AC had all three entries in the first final of the men's pair with coxswain with the crew of Micah Boyd, Jordan Smith and coxswain Leigh Heyman taking home the victory. The trio finished with a time of 7:26.78, 4.06 seconds ahead of the second-place crew and 4.27 seconds ahead of the third-place crew. All three boats will race again tomorrow.
Vesper Boat Club's Wendy Campanella, Sarah Hirst, Melissa Rice and Heather Moon won the first final of the lightweight women's quadruple sculls by 2.18 seconds over Undine Barge Club. Vesper stroked a 7:02.81 to Undine's 7:05.99. The two crews will race the second final on Sunday.
In the first final of the lightweight men's quadruple sculls, Riverside Boat Club defeated Undine Barge Club by a little less than four seconds. The crew of Greg Ruckman, Rob Zechmann, Matt Muffleman and Sean Wolf recorded a time of 6:18.35 to Undine's 6:22.13. The two crews will race again on Sunday in the second final.
Augusta Rowing Club's Tim Larson won the first final of the lightweight men's single sculls, defeating Penn AC's Evans Price by less than two seconds. Larson clocked a 7:38.75 to Price's 7:40.60. Narragansett Boat Club's Ben Hutz finished third in a 7:47.07, followed by Union Boat Club's Aleks Zosuls in a 7:51.49. The top three finishers moved on to Sunday's second final.
In the lightweight women's single sculls, Riverside Boat Club's Marika Page continued to be the fastest sculler on the water. Page stroked an 8:20.48 to finish more than 12 seconds ahead of Union Boat Club's Claudia Wagner. Pocock Elite Sculling Team's Samantha Twardowski finished third in an 8:34.28, followed by Penn AC's Maria Picone in a 9:05.44. The top three finishers moved on to the second final.
Racing continues on Sunday morning with the second set of finals. Third finals will be held Monday morning, if necessary.
For complete race results, please visit http://secure.powerhousetiming.com/powerhouse/webpages/raceResults.jsp?raceId=40.