PRINCETON, NJ (November 12, 2008) - Twenty top collegiate rowers from the East Coast will participate in the first "Under 23" talent identification camp to be held as part of USRowing's new National High Performance Center in Oklahoma City. The camp will be held November 13-16 at the Chesapeake Boathouse. Dan Roock will serve as head coach for the camp.
Oklahoma City was named as the site for the new National High Performance Center in October. It is the first of its kind in the country and will focus on training world-class rowers with an emphasis on Under 23 athletes.
"We originally thought we'd have eight to ten rowers at the camp," Roock said, "but there was so much interest among the rowers in coming to Oklahoma City, we expanded it to 20. We're looking forward to this first training session on the Oklahoma River."
USRowing is partnering with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation and Oklahoma City University to launch the new center on the Oklahoma River in downtown Oklahoma City. During the upcoming camp, OCU will provide meals and housing for the rowers who will train daily on the Oklahoma River.
"We will be watching these young athletes closely to identify those we believe have potential to compete at a world-class level," Roock said. "This is just one in several steps toward identifying the athletes who may end up training long-term in Oklahoma City."
Oklahoma City University President Tom McDaniel said the camp will help showcase all the local community has to offer to the sport of rowing.
"We have been very pleased to partner with an outstanding group of leaders to continue the growth and development that has made Oklahoma City a first-class rowing destination," McDaniel said. "We are looking forward to having these top-notch athletes on our campus and helping them discover all that Oklahoma City has to offer."
The new Oklahoma City National High Performance Center will have additional camps and training activities over the next few months and expects to have 8-12 athletes in residence by August, 2009, with projected growth to more than 20 athletes over the next two years.
The High Performance Center will be permanently headquartered in the new Devon Boathouse, future home of OCU rowing, scheduled to open in May, 2010. High Performance Center programming will be incorporated throughout all of the new boathouses slated for construction on the Oklahoma River.
Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy and OG&E are among the companies providing funding for the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation and its development of the High Performance Center.
U23 ID Camp Attendees
Coaches: Dan Roock, Topher Bordeau, Peter Steenstra
Coxswains: Flip Luisi - Trinity, Jimmy Germano - Cornell
Rowers:
Andrew Collard, Derek Johnson, Parker Mitchell, Pieter Morgan - Yale
Brad Werntz, Jack Lindeman, Mike Gilson - Princeton
Greg Yurkow - Rutgers
Dan Brock, Eric Dryer - Michigan
Drew Baustian, Mike Rossidis - Cornell
Evan Cassidy - Columbia
Martin Etern, Mike Gennaro - Syracuse
Neil McPeak - Penn
Quincy Darbyshire - Dartmouth
Derek Rasmussen - Wisconsin