Heats are now set at the 2018 National Selection Regatta 1/Spring Speed Order 1, following Tuesday morning's time trials at Mercer Lake on West Windsor, N.J.
With the top 16 finishers advancing to the heats in the men's singles sculls, Penn AC's Gregory Ansolabehere (Bakersfield, Calif.) recorded the fastest time in the 1,900-meter time trial, crossing the finish line with a time of 6:53.64. Ansolabehere finished just over three seconds ahead of Vesper Boat Club's Jonathan Kirkegaard (Philadelphia, Pa.), who clocked a 6:56.72. Kirkegaard represented the U.S. in the men's quadruple sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla. Penn AC's Justin Keen (Hatfield, Pa.) crossed the finish line in third with a time of 6:58.85, while Malta Boat Club's Lenny Futterman (New York, N.Y.), who raced with Kirkegaard at last year's world championships, finished fourth in a 7:01.15.
In the women's single sculls, USRowing Training Center - Princeton's Felice Mueller (Cleveland, Ohio) finished six seconds ahead of her nearest competitor in clocking the fastest time of the morning. Mueller, who placed seventh in the event at the 2017 World Rowing Championships, finished in a 7:22.67. In her return to national competition, Cambridge Boat Club's Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.), the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the event, finished second in a 7:28.68. New York Athletic Club's Ellen Tomek (Flushing, Mich.), a two-time Olympian and 2017 world silver medalist in the women's double sculls, finished third in a 7:30.00. Craftsbury Sculling Center's Jennifer Forbes (Baltimore, Md.) finished fourth.
Penn AC's Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Az.) finished three seconds ahead of Potomac Boat Club's Peter Schmidt (Providence, R.I.) to win the lightweight men's single sculls time trial. Liu finished with a time of 7:07.70, with Schmidt, who finished 16th in the lightweight men's double at the 2017 World Rowing Championships, clocking a 7:10.71. Hugh McAdam (Hollis, N.H.), a 2015 National Team member, finished third in a 7:11.99, followed by Penn AC's Michael Orzolek (New Milford, Conn.) in a 7:18.47.
In the lightweight women's single sculls, Cambridge Boat Club's Mary (Jones) Nabel (Huntsville, Ala.), who won bronze in the event at last year's world championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, brought home the fastest time, finishing with a 7:43.59. Potomac Boat Club's Emily Schmieg (Philadelphia, Pa.), who won bronze in the lightweight double sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships, finished second in a 7:44.74, followed by GMS Rowing Center's Michaela Copenhaver (New Milford, Conn.) in a 7:48.59. Riverside Boat Club's Jennifer Sager (Glenside, Pa.) finished fourth.
The winners of Friday's finals in the men's and women's single sculls - the NSR events - get the chance to race at any 2018 World Rowing Cup race, where a top-six finish (or a top 50 percent finish in events with less than 12 entries) will earn them a spot on the U.S. National Team. The speed order events - the two lightweight single sculls - offer athletes an opportunity to test their speed against other elites in American rowing early in the season.
This year's first NSR/Spring Speed Order also serves as the first event of the three-part U.S. Lotman Challenge. The top eight open weight scullers from the men's and women's single, alongside the top two men's and women's lightweight single scullers, will advance to the second round of the Herb Lotman Challenge at the 2018 Head of the Charles Regatta.
Racing continues with heats on Wednesday beginning at 8:00 a.m., while semifinals take place Thursday starting at 8:00 a.m. With results from all four events counting towards the 2018 U.S. Lotman Challenge, A and B finals will be raced Friday beginning at 8:00 a.m.