WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Fifteen crews earned under 23 national team berths on Friday at the 2010 Under 23 World Championships Trials on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. The selected crews earned the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2010 World Rowing Under 23 Championships July 22-25 in Brest, Belarus.
Potomac Boat Club's Brendan McEwan won the men's single sculls final by 3.41 seconds, crossing the line in a 6:59.294. McEwan, a member of the men's double sculls crew that finished 25th at the 2006 World Rowing Junior Championships, won each of the preliminary races en route to Friday's final. University of Virginia's Matthew Miller finished second in a 7:02.704, with Craftsbury Sculling Center's John Hood in a 7:04.759.
In the women's single sculls, Lake Union Crew's Lindsay Meyer defeated the competition, winning the final by more than 46 seconds. Meyer recorded a time of 7:36.354, followed by Undine Barge Club's Katherine McFetridge in an 8:22.974. University Barge Club's Gabrielle Cutler crossed third in an 8:23.699, with All-American Rowing Camp's Alexandra DiMatteo fourth in an 8:25.645.
"It was a solid race," said Meyer, a member of the women's quadruple sculls that finished fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. "It's good to be back in a small boat."
In the men's double sculls, USRowing Development Camp - University of Wisconsin's Andrew Gallagher and Eric Hanxleden posted a 6:47.665 for the win. Gallagher and Hanxleden crossed nearly 15 seconds ahead of the Newport Aquatic Center/Long Beach Rowing Association duo of Alex Burjakowsky and Nick Trojan that finished in a 7:02.107. Sarasota/USRowing Development Camp - Atlanta's Peter Smith and Brandon Taaffe crossed third in a 7:23.652.
Craftsbury Sculling Center's Elizabeth Donald and Rebecca Donald won the final of the women's double sculls. The Donald twins crossed with a time of 7:16.729, followed by USRowing U23 Selection Camp's Victoria Opitz and Hilary Andrus in a 7:24.086. Penn A.C. Rowing Association's Annie Couwenhoven and Samantha Warren crossed third in a 7:37.994, with Palm Beach Rowing Association's Kelley Woodacre and Mina Aiken in a 7:49.400.
Craftsbury Sculling Center also took the top spot in the men's pair event. The duo of Henry Moore and Ben Johnson clocked a 6:56.099 for the win, with Riverside Boat Club's Joey Mallen and John Hogan in a 7:03.820. Vesper Boat Club's James Barr and Scott Waters crossed third in a 7:09.907, with Craftsbury Sculling Center's Elliott Skopin and Terrence Word in a 7:23.245.
In the women's pair, USRowing U23 Selection Camp's Felice Mueller and Ashley Kroll easily won the final. Mueller, a member of the women's eight that won bronze at the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships, and Kroll clocked a 7:05.029 for the win. USRowing Development Camp - University of Wisconsin's Briana Pittman and Katie Hurtis finished second in a 7:41.119, followed by Craftsbury Sculling Center's Jessica Novack and Katy Kroll in a 7:46.000.
After winning Wednesday's heat en route to the Friday's final, Craftsbury Sculling Center's John Graves won the final of the lightweight men's single sculls in a 7:06.589. Graves was a member of the men's pair that raced at the 2009 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. It was a close race for second place, with Lake Union Crew's Michael Wales edging out GMS Rowing Center's Mike Orzolek by just 0.06 seconds. Wales clocked a 7:11.139, with Orzolek in a 7:11.191. USRowing Development Camp - Atlanta Rowing Club's Sean Gibel finished fourth in a 7:28.057.
In the women's lightweight single sculls, Durham Boat Club's Emily Boucher won the final to secure her spot on the team. Boucher, who won gold in the event at the USRowing Collegiate National Championships, recorded a time of 7:57.691, with Vesper Boat Club's Julia Darnton second in an 8:04.736. USRowing Development Camp - University of Wisconsin's Helen Beckner crossed third in an 8:23.841.
Vesper Boat Club's Elizabeth Bates and Sarah Keller won the final of the lightweight women's double sculls by nearly 13 seconds. Bates and Keller posted a 7:21.042, followed by All-American Rowing Camp's Elizabeth Euiler and Megan Donovan in a 7:33.615. GMS Rowing Center's Anna Kobayashi and Chelsea Smith finished third in a 7:44.793.
USRowing Training Center - Oklahoma City's Christian Klein and Michael Kerrigan won the final of the lightweight men's pair in a 6:48.386. Teammates Michael Nucci and Tyler Nase crossed second in a 6:52.597, while USRowing U23 Lightweight Camp MIT's Chandler Mahaney and Cameron McAlpine finished third in a 6:53.738.
In the men's four with coxswain, the Penn A.C. Rowing Association's crew of coxswain Kereeti Pisapati, Joe Ledvina, Michael Grose, Patrick Kenny and Benjamin Dann won the final by 1.24 seconds, crossing the finish line in a 6:13.749. Pisapati coxed the crew that placed fifth in the event at the 2008 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. USRowing Development Camp - University of Washington finished second in a 6:15.186, followed by USR Development Camp - University of Wisconsin in a 6:22.809.
The USRowing U23 Selection Camp crew of Sarah Hendershot, Michaela Strand, Hannah Malvin and Julianne Smith won the final of the women's four in a 6:45.651. Penn A.C. crossed second in a 7:04.053, followed by Penn A.C.'s B boat in a 7:20.641. Strand was a member of the women's pair that finished eighth at the 2006 World Rowing Junior Championships.
In the final of the lightweight men's quadruple sculls, USRowing U23 Lightweight Camp/Vesper won the two-boat race in a 5:59.054. The crew of Tobin McGee, John Redos, Erich Schultze and Steven Cutler crossed more than 18 seconds ahead of the Penn A.C. boat that finished second.
The lightweight women's quadruple sculls final was won by GMS Rowing Center's Kim Hopewell, Elizabeth Robinson, Lauren Nelson and Devery Karz in a 6:47.382. Hopewell was a member of the women's quad that competed in the 2009 World Rowing Junior Championships, while Robinson, Nelson and Karz raced in the lightweight quad that took silver at the 2009 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. USRowing Development Camp - University of Wisconsin crossed second in a 6:52.730, followed by Penn A.C. in a 7:00.724.
Rowing unopposed, the lightweight men's double sculls duo of Alex Burjakowsky and Nick Trojan of Newport Athletic Club/Long Beach Rowing Association rowed down the course in a 7:06.230. Trojan was a member of the 2009 U.S. Junior National Team in the lightweight men's four with coxswain.
Heat sheets and complete results are available at www.powerhousetiming.com.