WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - The Princeton Training Center men's four with coxswain and lightweight men's single sculler Tim Larson won their third and decisive finals on Monday at the 2005 World Championships Trials on Lake Mercer.
In total, 12 different boat classes were contested at the trials with athletes racing 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 were automatically named to the world championships' squad if they met the qualifying time standard. If a crew did not meet the standard during trials, it will have until Wednesday, July 20, to reach it.
Princeton Training Center's men's four with coxswain of Marcus McElhenney, Brett Newlin, Patrick Sullivan, Troy Kepper and Matt Hughes came back to win the third final over Penn AC after losing Saturday's second final. The two crews waged a close battle the entire way down the course, with Princeton finishing on top by 3.19 seconds. PTC stroked a 6:12.74 to Penn AC's 6:15.93. In the process, the crew met the time standard and qualified for the world championships.
Augusta Rowing Club's Tim Larson also came back to win the third final after dropping Saturday's second race. Larson clocked a 7:10.20 to defeat Penn AC's Evan Price by 1.50 seconds. Larson missed the time standard by three seconds and will have until Wednesday to qualify for the world championships.
In addition to the third finals, several crews who won trials on Sunday but did not meet the standard attempted to reach the time today. Penn AC's men's pair with coxswain, Riverside Boat Club's Marika Page in the lightweight women's single sculls, and Riverside Boat Club's lightweight men's quadruple sculls all met the standard and qualified for the world championships.