PLOVDIV, Bulgaria - The women's pair and men's four won their heats, while the women's quad returned to win its repechage on Thursday in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. All three crews will have the opportunity to race for a medal in the finals of the 2015 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
The U.S. men's four started off its heat in fourth place before laying down a rhythm and overtaking Ukraine, Austria and then Lithuania for the lead. The crew of Kyle Flagg (Newport Beach, Calif.), Tim Tracey (Omaha, Neb.), Julian Hagberg (Minneapolis, Minn.) and John Carroll (Bronxville, N.Y.) crossed the 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter markers in first place, and held off a late charge by Austria to win the race in a 6:03.42 to Austria's 6:03.80. Romania advanced to the final from the first heat.
"There are a few loose ends to tie up in terms of starting and finishing the race, but overall, we are happy with the piece and advancing to final A," said Flagg, a junior at the University of California. "The strength of our crew lies in the base speed. We want to maintain boat speed throughout the piece and not drop off. We knew everyone would be fast the first 700 meters, and as long as we stayed in the rhythm, we would end up alright.
"We knew Austria was within a length at 1,200 meters in, and if we could hold our speed, they would not walk through. I did not realize how close they were until I heard the two beeps at the end. Fortunately, we came out in front, but we know we have way more in the tank."
The U.S. women's pair of Jessica Eiffert (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) and Georgia Ratcliff (Falls Church, Va.) led from the start and had the fastest time of both heats, clocking a 7:11.69 at the line over Great Britain's 7:15.71. Eiffert, a 2015 University of Michigan graduate, returns from the crew that won silver in the event at last year's under 23 world championships. Australia and Germany also advanced to the final from the first heat. New Zealand, the defending under 23 champion, did not enter the event.
Coming off of a fourth-place finish in its heat, the U.S. women's quadruple sculls of Kendall Brewer (Austin, Texas), Meghan Wheeler (McLean, Va.), Erin Briggs (Orono, Minn.) and Sam Casto (Dallas, Pa.) won its repechage to advance to the final. The U.S. posted a time of 6:56.52 to Greece's 6:56.88. Both crews advanced, along with Poland and France from the second rep.
Fourteen U.S. crews did not advance from their heats, and will race in repechages Friday for an opportunity to race in semifinals or finals. In addition, the lightweight men's pair of Alexander Bonorris (Corte Madera, Calif.) and Jordan Tewksbury-Volpe (Naples, Italy) takes on Germany, Italy, Turkey, Austria and France in the first semifinal. Tewksbury-Volpe and Bonorris finished seventh in the lightweight four at the 2014 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
U.S. crews to watch in the repechages tomorrow include the women's four, men's four with coxswain, men's pair, men's and women's double sculls, men's and women's single sculls, lightweight men's and women's quadruple sculls, lightweight men's and women's single sculls, lightweight women's double sculls, lightweight men's four and men's eight.