LUCERNE, Switzerland – Eight United States crews will contend for medals at World Rowing Cup II Sunday in what may be their last shot at international competition before the 2016 Olympic Games begin in August.
The U.S. saw action in one final Saturday. Lightweight women’s single sculler Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif.) won her morning semifinal, but finished one spot out of the medals in fourth place. Sechser crossed in 7:44.15 behind Zoe McBride of New Zealand, who finished in 7:38.85. Anja Noske of Germany won gold in 7:34.60. Denmark’s Rungeaja Holmegaard took silver in 7:36.74.
Earlier in afternoon racing, the U.S. advanced five crews to the finals including the women’s single, women’s pairs, lightweight men's double sculls and women’s quadruple sculls. They will join the men’s four, which advanced to the final from the Friday heat, and the men’s and women’s eights that went directly to a final from preliminary races.
“I had a good race, executed it as planned against some fast women,” said U.S. women’s single sculler Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.), who finished second in the second semifinal to make the final of her event. “It’s always exciting to make an A final, and I’m psyched to race again tomorrow.”
Stone drew defending world champion Kim (Crow) Brennan of Australia and Canada’s Carling Zeeman. Starting the race in third, Stone pulled into second before the halfway point. Brennan was in control the length of the race and won in 7:31.58.
Stone was pressured by Zeeman, but rowed the fastest final 500 meters of the three and finished a length ahead of the Canadian in 7:33.34. Zeeman was third in 7:35.72. They will go to the final against Germany, Denmark and New Zealand, the top three crews from the preceding semifinal.
The U.S. advanced two women’s pairs. USA1, with Grace Luczak (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Felice Mueller (Cleveland, Ohio), finished second in the first of the two semifinals behind Helen Glover and Heather Stanning of Great Britain. Luczak and Mueller were in third in the first quarter behind both Great Britain and South Africa. The U.S. passed South Africa and trailed only the Brits through the last 1,500 meters. Great Britain won in 7:04.24. The U.S. was second in 7:06.88 and South Africa third in 7:10.22.
USA2, with two-time Olympic champion Eleanor Logan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) and 2012 Olympic champion Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y.) also fell into third early, but took the lead in the last 500 meters to win in 7:03.57. New Zealand finished second in 7:05.45, and Denmark was third in 7:06.99.
Andrew Campbell, Jr. (New Canaan, Conn.) and
Joshua Konieczny (Millbury, Ohio) advanced in the semifinals of the lightweight men's double sculls. Bucking an afternoon U.S. trend to race from behind early, Campbell and Konieczny led in the first 1,000-meters, but were passed going into the second half by France and then in the third quarter by South Africa.
France won in 6:19.16 and South Africa was second in 6:21.91. Campbell and Konieczny finished third in 6:22.15 and will row in the Sunday final. Joining them will be Norway, Great Britain and Ireland from the second semi.
“I thought it was just a good race,” said Konieczny. “We were internal the whole way, just stayed nice and high, nice and zippy. That’s the first time I’ve ever led the French, so not bad,” he said.
“That was a really strong piece,” added Campbell. “I think we figured out something that works.”
In the women’s quad event, the U.S. sent two crews to the line in the heats and both failed to advance. The last chance to make the final was in the Saturday repechage. USA2 with
Emily Huelskamp (Sainte Genevieve),
Olivia Coffey (Watkins Glen, N.Y.),
Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and
Grace Latz (Jackson, Mich.) made it through in the fourth and final spot of the five-boat race.
USA1, with
Kerry Simmonds (San Diego, Calif.), 2012 Olympic bronze medalist
Megan Kalmoe (St. Croix Falls, Wis.),
Tracy Eisser (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist
Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif.) finished fifth.
Poland won in 6:20.28. Australia was second in 6:22.57, and China was third in 6:23.46.
USA2 rowed in third through the first 100 meters, but fell into fourth in the third quarter and finished in 6:24.79. USA1 rowed from fifth to fourth and then back again, finishing in 6:26.52.
Rowing in the men’s four final will be
Seth Weil (Menlo Park, Calif.),
Henrik Rummel (Pittsford, N.Y.),
Matt Miller (Fairfax, Va.) and
Charlie Cole (New Canaan, Conn.). The U.S. finished second in its heat and will face Greece, Australia, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Russia.
The U.S.
Rio men’s eight crew of coxswain
Sam Ojserkis (Linwood, N.J.),
Austin Hack (Old Lyme, Conn.),
Rob Munn (Redmond, Wash.),
Mike DiSanto (Boston, Mass.),
Steve Kasprzyk (Cinnaminson, N.J.),
Glenn Ochal (Philadelphia, Pa.),
Alex Karwoski (Hollis, N.H.),
Hans Struzyna (Kirkland, Wash.) and
Sam Dommer (Folsom, Calif.) will row against Russia, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Germany and New Zealand. The U.S. finished sixth in the race for lanes.
Luczak, Mueller, Logan and Musnicki will join coxswain
Katelin Snyder (Detroit, Mich.),
Amanda Elmore (West Lafayette, Ind.),
Lauren Schmetterling (Moorestown, N.J.),
Tessa Gobbo (Chesterfield, N.H) and
Emily Regan (Buffalo, N.Y.) in the women's eight final against Russia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Canada. The U.S. won the race for lanes.
Craftsbury Sculling Center's
Willy Cowles (Farmington, Conn.) and
Stephen Whelpley (Moquon, Wis.) finished fourth in the men's double sculls repechage and will row in the B final Sunday for places seven through 12.
Other U.S. crews finished their competition schedule today including Craftsbury's men's quadruple sculls crew of
Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla.),
Ben Dann (Pound Ridge, N.Y.),
John Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio) and 2012 Olympian
Peter Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio), which finished fifth in the repechage.
Lightweight men's single scullers
Austin Meyer (Cohoes, N.Y.) and
Hugh McAdam (Hollis, N.H.) raced in the B final. Meyer finished eighth overall and McAdam finished ninth.
In the men's single sculls, two-time Olympian
Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) dominated the C final to win in 7:31.22. Craftsbury Sculling Center's
Thomas Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio) crossed in fifth in 7:38.33, edged out by Argentina and Lithuania.
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