The United States team begins competition at the 2017 World Rowing Junior Championships on Wednesday, August 2. Records have already been set at this year's event, as 2017 will see more entries than previous years in the men's single sculls and double sculls as well as the women's double sculls. More than 740 rowers in 258 boats from 59 countries are prepared to compete.
The five-day competition will feature U.S. crews in all 13 events. Events include the men's and women's single sculls, men's and women's double sculls, men's and women's quadruple sculls, men's and women's pair, men's and women's four, men's four with coxswain, and men's and women's eight.
The U.S. won six medals at the 2016 World Rowing Junior Championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Strong performances in the women's pair, women's double sculls, women's four, men's four with coxswain, men's quadruple sculls and men's eight all led to positions on the medal stands.
Four U.S. crews race Wednesday in heats, while the remaining nine U.S. crews race in heats on Thursday, August 3.
Racing begins for the U.S. at 8:42 a.m. EST with the men's double sculls, which has a record-breaking number of 27 entries for 2017.
Earning their positions on the U.S. Under 19 National Team by way of trials is the duo of Gregory Cain (Denver, Colo.) and Thomas Satterthwaite (Providence, R.I.). The men will race against Belarus, Ukraine, Ivory Coast and Austria, needing a top-four finish to advance to the quarterfinals.
Following them at 9:03 a.m. EST, will be the women's double sculls, which also will see a record number of 28 entries. Jenna Hardman (Seattle, Wash.) and Sarah Brunsberg (London, England) will both be making their first Under 19 National Team appearance, but are looking to repeat history. In 2016, the women's double sculls won gold, earning the first U.S. medal in the event. A top-four finish against Slovenia, Chile, South Africa, Austria and Estonia will earn them a spot in the quarterfinals.
Clark Dean (Sarasota, Fla.) will represent the U.S. against 38 other countries in the most subscribed event of the week, the men's single sculls. Doubling up in two events, Dean will race in the single at 9:36 a.m. EST, and the four with coxswain on Thursday morning. He needs to finish in the top two against Georgia, Germany, South Africa and Italy to advance to the quarterfinals.
Closing out the morning will be women's single sculler Claire Campbell (New Canaan, Conn.) at 10:39 a.m. EST. Following a win in the women's single at the 2017 USRowing Youth National Championships, Campbell faces Germany, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Lithuania and Macedonia. Finishing in the top four will earn Campbell a spot in the quarterfinals.
Racing on Thursday, August 3 are the men's and women's pair, men's and women's four, men's and women's quadruple sculls, men's four with coxswain, and men's and women's eight. Racing will begin at 2:36 a.m. EST.
With three returning U19 national team athletes, the women's four is aiming for their eighth-consecutive podium appearance. From the small island of Vashon, Wash., Riley Lynch (Vashon, Wash.) is the newcomer of an experienced crew. Returning to the bronze medal-winning lineup will be Kelsey McGinley (Westport, Conn.). Lynch and McGinley will be joined by Kaitlyn Kynast (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Rose Carr (Newark, Del.). The women will start the day off, racing against Germany, France, Romania, Italy and India, with the top two finishers advancing to the semifinals.
Looking to qualify directly for the A finals out of its heat will be the men's four with coxswain. The selection camp crew features coxswain Ryan Williams (Wakefield, Mass.), Oliver Babb (Atlanta, Ga.), Clay Watson (Palo Alto, Calif.), Peter Chatain (Winnetka, Ill.) and Dean. Following its 2016 bronze medal finish, the U.S. crew will face Turkey, Croatia and Germany at 2:54 a.m. EST.
Also a bronze-medal event in 2016, the women's pair will be represented by a lineup of Kate Burns (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Kaitlin Knifton (Austin, Texas). The U.S. will take on Belarus, Lithuania, Romania and South Africa at 3:15 a.m. EST, with the top two crews advancing directly to the A final.
Following the women will be the U.S. men's pair at 3:27 a.m., who qualified for their spot on the team through trials held on their home course of Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. Daniel Stoddard (West Windsor, N.J.) and Andrew Hickey (Yardley, Pa.) are first-time national team athletes and will be racing against Sweden, India, Moldova, New Zealand and Italy. Stoddard and Hickey must finish in the top two to continue to semifinals.
Just shy of the podium in 2016, the men's four will race against Denmark, India, Lithuania and Serbia at 3:54 a.m. EST. The crew features 2016 spare, Evan Krum (Orange, Calif.). He will be joined by three new faces to the U19 crew, Harrison Schofield (Sarasota, Fla.), David Slear (Dallas, Texas) and Leif Carlson (Larkspur, Calif.). A first-place finish in the heat guarantees a spot in the semifinals.
Anna Matthes (Cambridge, Mass.), Caroline Sharis (Bettendorf, Iowa), Taylor English (La Claire, Iowa) and Kate Miles (Oakland, Calif.) will race in the women's quadruple sculls against the Netherlands, India and Russia at 4:24 a.m. EST. In 2016, Sharis won gold in the double sculls. During the 2016 campaign, the U.S. finished 9th in this event. The women will need a top-three finish to advance to the semifinals.
Hoping to scull their way into the A final is the U.S. men's quadruple sculls crew of Emory Sammons (Fort Plain, N.Y.), James Wright (Philadelphia, Pa.), Liam Galloway (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Gus Rodriguez (Rye, N.Y.). Galloway returns to the U19 squad following a bronze medal performance in the men's four with coxswain. The crew will race at 4:42 a.m. EST against the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Norway and Denmark.
With the top two finishers advancing to the A final, the U.S. women's eight will need to bring the power to their heat at 5:00 a.m. EST. The women will race against the Czech Republic, Russia and Germany.
The crew is made up of coxswain Aparajita Chauhan (Seattle, Wash.), Julia Braz (Sarasota, Fla.), Azja Czajkowski (Chula Vista, Calif.), Katryna Niva (Davis, Calif.), Fran Raggi (Winter Park, Fla.), Christiana Congdon (Concord, N.H.), Teal Cohen (Dallas, Texas), Jenna Van De Grift (San Diego, Calif.) and Miranda Nykolyn (Huntington, N.Y.).
Narrowly missing gold in 2016 was the U.S. under 19 men's eight that fell short to Germany. Back and ready to fight for gold is the crew of coxswain Sydney Edwards (Sarasota, Fla.), Trey Holterman (Hillsborough, Calif.), Chase Barrows (Everett, Wash.), Nolan Parks (Seattle, Wash.), Harrison Burke (Westport, Conn.), Spencer Brennessel (San Francisco, Calif.), Nikita Lilichenko (Orinda, Calif.), Christian Tabash (Vienna, Va.) and Spencer Dettlinger (Alamo, Calif.).
The men will finish out the day at 12:06 p.m. EST against Belarus, Germany, Hungary and Russia, and will need to finish in the top two to advance to the A Final.