WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Getting ready to race on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., is normally a familiar routine for London Olympian Gevvie Stone.
But Thursday morning, standing in the damp grass and chilly air in the boat area behind the Finn W. Caspersen Rowing Center, the Newton, Mass., native admitted to having “some butterflies.”
It’s been nearly two years since Stone showed up at Mercer Lake to challenge for a place on the U.S. National Team. After finishing seventh in the single sculls at the 2012 Olympic Games, Stone took time off from her rowing career to focus on finishing medical school at Tufts University. She accomplished that. “I had my last exam yesterday,” she said.
And now she is hoping to earn a spot on the U.S. team that will compete August 24-31 at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is currently sitting in a good spot after leading the field in the time trial.
Stone was one of 31 women who were among the 123 crews that opened racing in the first of two national selection regattas to be run this spring. National Selection Regatta 1 is the first step toward making the 2014 national team. The winners of the three selection events - the men’s and women’s single sculls and women’s pair - will earn the right to compete at one or both of the scheduled 2014 World Rowing Cup events.
For the singles, if he or she finishes in the top six at a 2014 World Cup, or top half if there are fewer than 12 entries in the event, they will earn a berth on the Amsterdam team.
For the women’s pair, the crew will need to finish in the top four at a 2014 World Rowing Cup, or top half if there are fewer than eight entries, to earn a national team berth. Top finishes in both the selection and speed order events will determine selection camp qualification spots for camp boats.
In addition to the women single scullers, 31 men’s single scullers took to the water along with 11 women’s pairs from the USRowing Training Center - Princeton.
Also scheduled to row Thursday morning were crews competing in four speed order events, the men’s pair, lightweight men’s pair, lightweight women’s single and lightweight men’s single. The men’s pair and lightweight men’s pair events were contested, but the remaining two speed order events were postponed due to high winds on the course. Thursday afternoon racing is cancelled, which will change the scheduled progression. An updated schedule will be posted Thursday afternoon at www.usrowing.org.
With over 120 crews scheduled to compete, the docks, boat areas and parking lot at Mercer Lake were overflowing. “This is a really big field,” Stone, who is racing for the Cambridge Boat Club, said. “And a lot of fast people. I’ve got a few butterflies in my stomach.”
Stone had good reason for having initial nerves. The field of women included two-time women’s eight Olympic gold medalist and 2013 single sculler Eleanor Logan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine), racing for Lake Samish Training Center.
Also competing are Beijing Olympians Ellen Tomek (Flushing, Mich.) from USRowing Training Center - Oklahoma City, Lindsay Meyer (Seattle, Wash.) of Seattle Rowing Center, 2013 silver medalist in the lightweight women’s double sculls Kate Bertko (Oakland, Calif.) of California Rowing Club, 2013 women’s double sculler Meghan O’Leary (Baton Rouge, La.) of USRowing Training Center - Oklahoma City, and seven-time national team member Stesha Carle (Long Beach, Calif.) from the Southern California Scullers Club.
Of the 31 women rowing in the opening time trial, the top 12 advanced to semifinals. Nerves aside, Stone finished first a time of 7:19.88, followed by Logan in 7:20.87 and Carle in 7:23.57.
The men’s single field was just as daunting, with 31 entries. Among the top contenders are two-time Olympian in the single, Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.), Craftsbury Sculling Center’s 2013 single sculler Stephen Whelpley (Mequon, Wis.), and John Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Benjamin Dann (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) of the 2013 men’s double sculls.
As with the women, the top 12 men advanced to the semifinal. John Graves finished with the fastest time in a 6:44.39. He was followed by Seattle Rowing Club’s Benjamin Davison (Inverness, Fla.) in 6:45.76 and Peter Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 6:47.28.
In the women’s pairs, 11 crews from the USRowing Training Center - Princeton are entered. All 11 crews automatically advanced to the semifinal.
Finishing first in a time of 6:49.52 was the crew of Kerry Simmonds (San Diego, Calif.) and Meghan Kalmoe (St. Croix Falls, Wis.). They were followed in the top three by the crew of Taylor Goetzinger (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) and Felice Mueller (Cleveland, Ohio) in 6:53.54, and Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.) and Olivia Coffey (Watkins Glenn, N.Y.) in 6:55.20.
In the men’s pair speed order event, six of the seven crews entered represent the USRowing Training Center - Princeton. Finishing first was the crew of Glenn Ochal (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Charlie Cole (New Canaan, Conn.) in a time of 6:15.69, followed by Seth Weil (Menlo Park, Calif.) and Henrik Rummel (Pittsford, N.Y.) in 6:18.82, and Mike Gennaro (Havertown, Pa.) and Grant James (DeKalb, Ill.).
In the lightweight men’s pair event, five crews were entered from the USRowing Training Center - Oklahoma City, Seattle Rowing Center and Craftsbury Sculling Center.
Finishing first was the pair of Will Daly (Vail, Colo.) and Anthony Fahden (Lafayette, Calif.) in 6:2093. They were followed in the top three by Robin Prendes (Miami, Fla.) and Ed King (Ironton, Mo.) and Phillip Grisdela (Great Falls, Va.) and Phillip Henson (Somerset, N.J.) in 6:43.40.
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