CAMDEN, N.J. - Sixty crews won national titles Saturday at the 2009 USRowing Masters National Championships as temperatures soared on the third day of racing at the Cooper River in Camden, N.J.
Cambridge Boat Club's Ellen Kennelly won her fourth national title of the regatta on Saturday. In the women's C single sculls, Kennelly defeated Viking Rowing Foundation's Patty Perryjones by 6.36 seconds to finish in a 4:05.31. Perryjones clocked a 4:11.67 in second for the silver medal, while White Rock Boathouse's Laura Zucek won bronze in a 4:19.04. Kennelly won gold in the mixed C double sculls on Thursday and in the mixed D double sculls and women's C quadruple sculls yesterday.
In one of the tightest races of the day, Greenwich Crew's Mike Tebay and Chris Ives won gold in the men's E double sculls by just 0.07 seconds. Tebay and Ives clocked a 3:24.45, while Narragansett Boat Club's Andrew Washburn and Scott Roop took silver in a 3:24.52. Rockford Crew's Richard Anderson and Michail Raisky edged out Cygnet Rowing Club's John Saxelby and Mike Van Beuren by 1.64 seconds for the bronze medal.
In another close race, Skidmore Community Rowing won gold in the women's club C eight by a margin of 0.1 seconds. The crew of coxswain Angela DeCarlis, Jeannette Liebers, Erica Swab, Cory Reid, Janit Stahl, Mary Rose Burnham, Emily Mastrianni, Regina Belsky and Tracy Barlock crossed first in a 3:31.06. Saratoga Rowing Association took silver in a 3:31.16. Three crews battled in out for the bronze medal, with Minneapolis Rowing Club clocking a 3:36.76 to finish 0.04 seconds ahead of Boulder Community Rowing (3:36.80) and 0.2 seconds ahead of Narragansett Boat Club (3:36.96).
Minneapolis Rowing Club clocked the fastest time of the day in the final of the men's B eight. The crew of coxswain Lucy Gamble, Pat Johnson, Jeff Pfaendtner, Eric Reitinger, Craig Dotson, Jon D'Alba, John Jablonic, James Dundon and Finbarr McCarthy won gold in a 2:59.75. Riverfront Recapture won silver in a 3:05.82, followed by Potomac Boat Club in third with a time of 3:07.39. Less than an hour later, Jablonic and Dundon returned to win a second national title in the men's C pair.
In the men's F four with coxswain final, Occoquan International held off Syracuse Chargers Rowing Club to win gold by 0.35 seconds. The crew of coxswain Dan Gilbert, Christian Tesarik, Norbert Hlobil, Roger Borggaard and Paul Knight crossed the line first in a 3:39.43. Syracuse's Joseph Peter, John Bernfield, Denny Wojdyla, Mike Thibault and Allen Baur took silver in a 3:39.78, followed by Cambridge Boat Club third in a 3:44.42.
Co-hosted by USRowing, Rutgers Alumni Crew at Camden, Cooper River Rowing Association and the Camden County Parks, the regatta features more than 1,800 entries from 147 clubs competing for national titles in 195 events. The regatta is the largest masters national championships in history.
Racing continues Sunday at 8 a.m. Heat sheets and results are available online at www.racetrak.com.