WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Three crews including the men's single sculls, lightweight men's single sculls, and lightweight women's quadruple sculls swept their best two-out-of-three finals on Friday morning at the 2006 World Championships Trials at Mercer Lake.
In the men's single sculls, Potomac Boat Club's Jamie Schroeder narrowly defeated Ann Arbor Rowing Club's Michael Perry to earn a berth on the U.S. National Team. Schroeder finished with a time of 7:01.18, only 0.47 seconds ahead of Perry, who clocked a 7:01.65. Vesper Boat Club's Jonathan Burns finished third with a 7:04.29.
Despite a delay to the second final on Thursday due to broken equipment and injury in another crew, the Potomac Boat Club/Pocock Elite Sculling Team-composite boat of Michelle Trannel, Katherine Sweet, Abby Broughton, and Anne Finke swept the finals and earned its spot on the U.S. National Team. With a time of 6:35.96, the crew defeated the Riverside/Penn AC/Undine/Union-composite boat by 2.5 seconds. Pocock Elite Sculling Team finished third.
Mike Altman of New York Athletic Club won the lightweight men's single sculls with a time of 7:06.75. Second place went to Rob Zechmann of Riverside Boat Club, who finished with a time of 7:12.11. Augusta Rowing Club's Tim Larson took third with a 7:12.71. Altman, however, declined his spot on the national team, so the U.S. will not be sending a lightweight men's single sculler to the world championships.
In the lightweight women's single sculls, Undine Barge Club's Meghan Sarbanis won the second final with a time of 7:52.94 to stay alive in the competition. Catherine Infantino of Union Boat Club came in second with a time of 8:00.44, while first final winner Lisa Schlenker of New York Athletic Club came in third. Schlenker and Sarbanis will now raced head-to-head in the third final on Saturday.
Today's trials winners make up part of the team that will represent the United States at the 2006 FISA World Rowing Championships August 20-27 in Eton, England. In total, the U.S. will send 22 crews to the world championships.