Finals are set in the men's pair, women's pair and women's double sculls after Thursday morning's semifinals at USRowing's 2020 National Selection Regatta on Otay Lake at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.
In the women's double sculls, New York Athletic Club's Meghan O'Leary (Baton Rouge, La.) and Ellen Tomek (Flushing, Mich.) finished nearly three seconds ahead of USRowing Training Center - Princeton's Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis.) and Emily Huelskamp (Sainte Genevieve, Mo.) to win the first semifinal. The 2016 Olympic finalists and two-time world championships medalists in the event won the race in a 6:59.41. Vitas and Huelskamp crossed 2.83 seconds behind in a 7:02.24. ARION's Maureen McAuliffe (Herndon, Va.) and Kristina Wagner (Weston, Mass.) finished third to advance to the final. In the second semifinal, USTC - Princeton's Michalina Fili (Sparks, Md.) and Taylor Goetzinger (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) won with a time of 7:06.48. Fili and Goetzinger finished 2.23 seconds ahead of Y Quad Cities' Elizabeth Sharis (Bettendorf, Iowa) and Alison Rusher (West Bend, Wis.), who crossed in a 7:08.71. USTC-Princeton's Kate Roach (North Oaks, Minn.) and Elizabeth Sonshine (Short Hills, N.J.) earned the last spot in the final.
The tight racing from the time trial in the men's pair continued Thursday in the semifinals. USRowing Training Center - Oakland's Austin Hack (Old Lyme, Conn.) and Alex Karwoski (Moultonborough, N.H.) won the second semifinal in a 6:29.40, finishing 1.54 seconds ahead of teammates Tom Dethlefs (Lawrenceville, N.J.) and Andrew Reed (Wayland, Mass.). USTC-Oakland's Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa.) and Tom Peszek (Farmington Hills, Mich.) finished third to qualify for the final. USTC-Oakland's Alex Miklasevich (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Patrick Eble (Fort Washington, Pa.) won the first semifinal in a 6:29.52, finishing 0.54 seconds ahead of Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn.) and Conor Harrity (Weston, Mass.). Alexander Richards (Watertown, Mass.) and Anders Weiss (Barrington, R.I.) finished third, also advancing to the final.
After winning the time trial in the women's pair, USTC-Princeton's Tracy Eisser (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and Kristine O'Brien (Brookfield, Conn) clocked the fastest time of the semifinals, winning the second race in a 7:11.80. Eisser and O'Brien finished four seconds ahead of Emily Regan (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis.), who clocked a 7:15.80. Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y.) and Grace Luczak (Ann Arbor, Mich.) finished third. In the first semifinal, Lauren Schmetterling (Moorestown, N.J.) and Felice Mueller (Cleveland, Ohio) won the race in a 7:15.86 ahead of the New York Athletic Club composite boat of Heidi Robbins (Hanover, N.H.) and Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn.). Gia Doonan (Rochester, Mass.) and Megan Kalmoe (St. Croix Falls, Wis.) finished third, crossing 0.06 seconds ahead of Olivia Coffey (Watkins Glen, N.Y. ) and Regina Salmons (Jamestown, R.I.) to take the last spot in the finals.
For complete results, please click here.
This week's regatta has Olympic selection ramifications in all three events. In the women's pair, the winner earns the right to compete at World Rowing Cup II or III later this spring. A top-two finish at one of those world cup races would give the crew the option of being named to the Olympic team in the event. In addition, a top-four finish at the NSR earns the athletes an automatic invitation to the Olympic selection camp for the women's four and eight. In the men's pair, a top-four finish at the NSR earns the athletes an automatic invitation to the Olympic selection camp for the men's four and eight, while the top two women's double sculls crews earn invitations to the quadruple sculls selection camp.
Finals begin Friday at 9:00 a.m. PST.
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02/28/2020 3:35:27 PM
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The W2x will be decided at Olympic Trials in April. This event for them is mostly just an opportunity to race before then so they can make adjustments as needed.
When they say a boat is qualified, it only means that the USA has secured an entry for that event at the Olympics, the rowers have yet to be determined.