RINCON, Dominican Republic - Lightweight women's single sculler Melissa Rice (Virginia Beach, Va.) won her opening heat and advanced directly to Friday's final to highlight the first day of rowing competition at the 2003 Pan American Games Monday on Rincon Lake. In addition, three more U.S. crews advanced out of Monday afternoon's repechages, or second-chance races.
Rice had no trouble defeating scullers from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic in her race. Rice, who raced in the second of two heats, clocked an 8:20.68 to finish more than 13 seconds ahead of the sculler from El Salvador. The Dominican Republic sculler did not finish the race and was disqualified from the competition. In the first heat, Cuba finished with a time of 8:17.07, followed by Canada, Chile, and Paraguay. With the Dominican Republic failing to finish the race, all six scullers who crossed the finish line advanced to Friday's final.
Men's single sculler Andrew Liverman (Oakton, Va.) finished second in his heat behind Argentina's Santiago Fernandez. Rowing in the first of two heats, Fernandez clocked a 7:13.18 to Liverman's 7:53.92. The Dominican Republic finished third, followed by Honduras. In the second heat, Cuba stroked a 7:15.77 to finish 22.33 seconds ahead of Mexico. Guatemala and Columbia rounded out the field. In the afternoon repechage, Liverman finished third behind Mexico's Romulo Bouzas and Guatemala's Edgar Nanne to advance to Friday's final. Bouzas clocked a 7:33.04, while Liverman finished in a 7:42.20.
In the men's pair, John Cranston (San Francisco, Calif.) and Chris Liwski (Sarasota, Fla.) finished second in its heat to the crew from Argentina. Cranston and Liwski finished with a time of 7:18.18, 6.26 seconds behind Argentina's 7:11.92. Paraguay finished third, followed by the Dominican Republic. In the second heat, Brazil withstood a furious charge by Cuba in the third quarter of the race. Brazil clocked a 6:57.89 to defeat Cuba by 2.12 seconds. Canada finished third. Monday afternoon, Cranston and Liwski finished third in their repechage and advanced to the final. Cuba won the repechage in a 6:48.45, followed by Canada in a 6:54.71 and the U.S. in a 7:09.39.
The women's double sculls tandem of Katie Madigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Catherine Humblet (Cambridge, Mass.) finished second behind Canada in its heat before coming back to win the repechage. In the heat, the U.S. duo stroked a 7:33.49 to finish 4.58 seconds behind Canada, which earned the automatic berth in the final. Chile finished third, followed by Brazil. In the second heat, Cuba defeated Venezuela and the Dominican Republic to advance to the finals. In the repechage, Madigan and Humblet clocked a 7:20.69 to finish 11.62 seconds ahead of Chile.
The U.S. will have three boats racing in Tuesday's heats - the lightweight women's double sculls, lightweight men's double sculls, and the lightweight men's four. The lightweight women's double sculls tandem of Sarah Hirst (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) and Anne Finke (North Palm Beach, Fla.) will race in the first of two heats. The duo drew a tough challenge, as it faces the crews from Cuba, Mexico, and Canada. The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Paraguay will square off in the second heat.
In the lightweight men's double sculls, Tyler Peterson (San Gabriel, Calif.) and Evan Jacobs (Palm Springs, Calif.) will take on Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba in the second of two heats, while Honduras, Argentina, Guatemala, Brazil, and Mexico face off in the first heat.
The lightweight men's four of Rob Milam (New York, N.Y.), Paul Bonwich (New Rochelle, N.Y.), Michael Siedband (Indian Head, Md.), and Ryan Ficorilli (Grand Island, N.Y.) drew Paraguay, Canada, and El Salvador in its heat. Guatemala, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico will race in the second heat.
In total, 14 events will be contested at the 2003 Pan American Games including the men and women's single sculls, men and women's double sculls, men and women's lightweight double sculls, men and women's lightweight quadruple sculls, lightweight women's single sculls, men's quadruple sculls, men's pair, men's four, men's lightweight four and men's eight. Racing continues Tuesday with morning heats and afternoon repechages. Finals will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning at 8:15 a.m.
Lightweight Women's Single Sculls Heat One: 1. Cuba (Marrero), 8:17.07; 2. Canada (Meredith), 8:23.28; 3. Chile (Godoy), 8:41.24; 4. Paraguay (Correa), 8:49.49. Heat Two: 1. United States (Rice), 8:20.68; 2. El Salvador (Turcios), 8:34.30; 3. Dominican Republic (Pena), DNF.
Men's Single Sculls Heat One: 1. Argentina (Fernandez), 7:13.18; 2. United States (Liverman), 7:53.92; 3. Dominican Republic (Rodriguez), 8:02.37; 4. Honduras (Spencer), 8:59.15. Heat Two: 1. Cuba (Hernandez), 7:15.77; 2. Mexico (Bouzas), 7:38.10; 3. Guatemala (Nanne), 8:08.20; 4. Columbia (Mora), 8:15.09. Repechage: 1. Mexico (Bouzas), 7:33.04; 2. Guatemala (Nanne), 7:37.51; 3. United States (Liverman), 7:42.20; 4. Dominican Republic (Rodriguez), 8:11.08; 5. Columbia (Mora), 8:29.07; 6. Honduras (Spencer), 9:34.50.
Men's Pair Heat One: 1. Argentina (Naneder, Morales), 7:11.92; 2. United States (Liwski, Cranston), 7:18.18; 3. Paraguay (Gomez, Paats), 7:35.59; 4. Dominican Republic (Franco, Diaz), 7:45.70. Heat Two: 1. Brazil (Soares, Cunha), 6:57.89; 2. Cuba (Cascaret, Cruz), 7:00.01; 3. Canada (Brambell, Davidson), 7:15.30. Repechage: 1. Cuba (Cascaret, Cruz), 6:48.45; 2. Canada (Brambell, Davidson), 6:54.71; 3. United States (Liwski, Cranston), 7:09.39; 4. Paraguay (Gomez, Paats), 7:15.02; 5. Dominican Republic Franco, Diaz), 7:38.55.
Women's Double Sculls Heat One: 1. Canada (Taylor, Norwood), 7:28.91; 2. United States (Humblet, Madigan), 7:33.49 3. Chile (Orellana, Jadue), 7:40.25; 4. Brazil (Beloni, Beltrame), 7:48.04. Heat Two: 1. Cuba (Alonso,Gonzalez), 7:33.79; 2. Venezuela (Vina, Charris), 7:55.91; 3. Dominican Republic (Kemllen, Arnod), 9:15.10. Repechage: 1. United States (Humblet, Madigan), 7:20.69; 2. Chile (Orellana, Jadue), 7:32.31; 3. Venezuela (Vina, Charris), 7:37.96; 4. Brazil, 7:45.50; 5. Dominican Republic (Kemllen, Arnod), 9:04.18.