Racing got underway Friday evening with four time trials at the first 2007 National Selection Regatta (NSR) at the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. Frigid temperatures caused morning racing to be postponed until 6 p.m. Heats will now take place on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m.
Michelle Guerette clocked a 7:44.14 to win the time trial of the women's single sculls. Guerette defeated Pocock Rowing Center/Princeton Training Center's Lia Pernell by 1.19 seconds. Pernell finished with a time of 7:45.33. Saugatuck Rowing Club's Ala Piotrowski finished third in a 7:49.29, followed by Potomac Boat Club's Margot Shumway in a 7:57.04.
In the lightweight men's single sculls, Penn AC Rowing Association's Ivan Baldytchev clocked the fastest time. Baldytchev crossed the finish line with a time of 7:15.63. Malta Boat Club's Shane Madden finished second in a 7:19.78, followed by Malta's Rich Montgomery in a 7:20.75. Riverside Boat Club's Rob Zechmann stroked a 7:21.02 to edge out Penn AC's Evan Price by 0.24 seconds for fourth place.
Princeton Training Center's Renee Hykel won the time trial of the lightweight women's single sculls by clocking a 7:56.36. Vesper Boat Club's Jana Heere finished second in a 7:58.08, followed by New York Athletic Club's Lisa Schlenker in an 8:00.28. Penn AC's Rebecca Smith finished in fourth, just behind in an 8:00.38.
The national selection regattas are the first step towards making the 2007 National Team, which will compete at the 2007 FISA World Rowing Championships August 26-September 2 in Munich, Germany. NSR I include races in five boat classes - the men's and women's single sculls, the men's and women's lightweight single sculls, and the men's pair. The winner of the men's and women's open weight single sculls will automatically make the national team without further selection if they meet a minimum performance standard during the NSR or at a subsequent event held before July 17. If they do not meet the standard or do not accept the berth on the team, the boat category will be opened up to all competitors at the 2007 World Championships Team Trials scheduled for July 20-August 3. In the remaining boat classes, NSR I serves as an opportunity for athletes to test their speed early in the season in preparation for future selection regattas and trials.
Racing continues on Saturday with heats in the morning and semifinals in the afternoon. Finals will be held on Sunday morning.