National champions in 31 events were crowned Sunday on the final day of racing at the 2009 USRowing Club National Championships on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In total, 68 crews achieved national-champion status in junior, intermediate and senior events at the five-day regatta.
The overall point trophy went to Penn A.C. Rowing Association, with a total of 299.25 points. For the third consecutive year, Penn A.C. also won the Sulgar-Barnes trophy for overall men's points with a total of 206.25 points. The Marion D. Ventura trophy for women's points went to Community Rowing, Inc., which finished with 191.5 points.
"It's really a testament to the kids that worked so hard to earn this," said Penn A.C. coach Malcolm Doldron. "There's a large community of Penn A.C. supporters that are behind us all the way."
"People brought their A game and showed up to play this week," said Penn A.C. assistant coach Amy Wiesenfeld. "It's really exciting to see all the hard training and dedication pay off."
Penn A.C. won national titles in six events including the men's intermediate eight, women's intermediate four with coxswain, women's intermediate lightweight pair, men's senior four, men's intermediate lightweight eight and men's intermediate four with coxswain.
In the men's intermediate four with coxswain, Penn A.C. won gold and silver. The lineup of coxswain Giles Moon, Seth Well, Peter Carlson, Chris Silva and Taylor Brown crossed 6.57 seconds ahead of second place Penn A.C. B in the final. After posting the fastest time in the heats Wednesday, Penn A.C. A clocked a 6:30.32 in the final, with the B boat in a 6:36.89. The bronze medal came down to 0.6 seconds separating Thompson Boat Club USRowing Development Camp and Vesper Boat Club, with TBC finishing third in a 6:37.27.
Vesper had an impressive showing, claiming seven national titles Saturday and Sunday including the women's intermediate lightweight quadruple sculls, women's senior single sculls, women's senior four with coxswain, women's intermediate lightweight single sculls, women's intermediate single sculls, women's senior lightweight single sculls and women's senior eight.
One of the closest finishes of the day came in the final of the women's intermediate eight. Wisconsin Women's USRowing Development Camp held off the charge of Community Rowing, Inc. to win gold by just 0.55 seconds. The crew of coxswain Molly Evjen, Vicky Opitz, Grace Latz, Rachel Buchholtz, Vanessa Kleiss, Haylie Miller, Kate Mansfield, Kirsten Morelli and Lisa Godhardt clocked a 6:43.40 for the national title. CRI took silver crossing in a 6:43.95, with New York Athletic Club third in a 6:46.59.
Steel City Rowing Club's Matt Maddamma and Scott Helfrich swept the men's junior A double sculls en route to Sunday's gold-medal finish. The duo crossed over eight seconds ahead of Canada - CanAmMex's Dan Corso and Russell McKean to win in a 6:57.60. For Maddamma, who will represent the U.S. in the men's single at the 2009 FISA World Rowing Junior Championships in August, it was his second gold medal of the weekend. The 17-year-old won the men's junior A single sculls yesterday by nearly 13 seconds.
Comments | Log in to comment |
07/20/2009 10:54:28 AM