WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Trials for the chance to represent the United States at this year's world rowing championships will begin Tuesday at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. World Championship Trials will be contested in the junior, under 23 and senior categories.
Winners of the senior and junior races will compete at the 2008 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships July 22-27 in Linz/Ottensheim, Austria, while winners in the under 23 races will attend the 2008 World Rowing Under 23 Championships July 17-20 in Brandenburg, Germany.
At the senior level, racing will be held in the lightweight men's single sculls, lightweight women's single sculls, lightweight men's pair, men's pair with coxswain, women's four, lightweight women's quadruple sculls, lightweight men's quadruple sculls and lightweight men's eight. Three boat categories have more than four entries, requiring the running of heats.
With 12 scullers scheduled to race, the lightweight men's single leads the way in the number of entries. The field features three members of the 2007 World Championships squad including Ivan Baldychev (Newark, Del.), who finished sixth in the event at last year's world championships, as well as Andrew Diebold (North Wales, Pa.) and Tim Larson (North Augusta, S.C.), who both raced in the lightweight eight.
The 11-person lightweight women's single sculls field features six past senior national team members including Lisa Schlenker (Lake Oswego, Ore.), a two-time world championships' medalist in the event and a 2004 Olympian in the lightweight double sculls. Other past team members scheduled to compete include Heather Moon (Windsor, Vt.), Marika Page (San Rafael, Calif.), Meghan Sarbanis (Hampstead, N.H.), Carey Brezler (Waynesboro, Pa.) and Julie Nichols (Livermore, Calif.).
Five boats have entered the men's pair with coxswain. Rowing for Vesper Boat Club, coxswain Dave Florio (Marlton, N.J.) and Pat Godfrey (Gorham, Maine), who raced in the event at last year's world championships, will race with Jaime Velez (San Jose Calif.). Penn AC's Steve Kasprzyk (Cinnaminson, N.J.), who rowed with Florio and Godfrey last year, will race with Stephen Whelpley (Moquon, Wis.) with Brian McDonald in the coxswain's seat. The USRowing Training Center has two entries. Coxswain Dan Gilbert (Rochester, N.Y.), Jake Cornelius (Brooktondale, N.Y.) and Chris Callaghan (Tualatin, Ore.) will pair up in one boat, while coxswain Vince Puma (Irvington, N.Y.), Ben Harrison (Dedham, Mass.) and Ted Farwell (Madison, Wis.) will race in the other.
At the junior level, competition will be held in the men's single sculls, women's single sculls, men's pair, men's double sculls, women's double sculls and men's quadruple sculls. The women's single sculls event leads the way with eight entries, while the men's double sculls has seven entries.
Under 23 racing will be held in the men's single sculls, women's single sculls, lightweight men's single sculls, lightweight women's single sculls, men's pair, women's pair, lightweight men's pair, men's double sculls, women's double sculls, lightweight men's double sculls, lightweight women's double sculls, men's four, women's four, men's quadruple sculls and men's four with coxswain. The lightweight men's single sculls has seven entries to lead the way.