U.S. Wins Three Medals in Munich

May 29, 2011

MUNICH, Germany – Three United States crews reached the medal podium Sunday, taking two silvers and one bronze at the 2011 Samsung World Rowing Cup stop in Munich, Germany.

Because the three crews also won their events at the 2011 National Selection Regatta #2, they have earned nominations to the national team that will compete in the world championships this summer in Bled, Slovenia. To earn a nomination, NSR winning crews had to place in the top four of their events.

At a regatta that featured a dominating performance by Great Britain, which took a total of 11 medals including five gold, U.S. crews finished third in the lightweight women’s double sculls and second in the women’s double sculls and the women’s pair.

“The racing went well,” said U.S. head women’s coach Tom Terhaar. “All three boats put out a good effort and were competitive. We still have some work to do, but we are optimistic about the results.”

First to the medals in the morning racing was the NSR #2 winning pair of Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y.) and Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.). After starting in fourth in the first 500, Francia and Musnicki drove through the pack, gaining a better position in every quarter.

They could not close on the 2010 world silver medal team of Great Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who took the lead from the start and held on to win in 7:07.05 to the U.S. silver-medal finish of 7:09.77.

The pair of Erin Cafaro (Modesto, Calif.) and Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.) also raced in the final and finished fourth with a time of 7:13.43.

In the women’s double sculls, Kate Bertko (Oakland, Calif.) and Sarah Trowbridge (Guilford, Conn.) rowed in second place the length of their race finishing in 7:00.26 behind the Great Britain’s Katherine Granger and Melanie Wilson, who won the event in 6:57.52.

Next to row to a medal and nomination to the national team was the lightweight women’s double of Julie Nichols (Livermore, Calif.) and Kristin Hedstrom (Concord, Mass.). The duo exchanged positions throughout the 2000-meter race and led halfway before finishing in third for the bronze medal in a 7:02.42.

Great Britain’s entries of Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking (6:59.36) and Kathryn Twyman and Andrea Dennis (7:00.71) finished first and second, respectively.

The U.S. men’s double sculls team of Glenn Ochal (Philadelphia, Pa) and Will Miller (Duxbury, Mass.) had a strong performance at the regatta, but missed a national team birth, finishing fifth in a time of 6:22.32.

The 2009 world champion German crew of Eric Knittel and Stephan Krueger won the event in 6:15.38.

The lightweight men’s double sculls team of Brian de Regt (Rowayton, Conn.) and Jon Winter (New Haven, Conn.) also missed a chance to qualify for the national team in this regatta, finishing sixth in the final with a time of 6:27.11. Winning the event in a time of 6:18.25 was the German crew of Linus Lichtschlag and Lars Hartig. The pair won gold in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls at the 2010 World Rowing Championships.

Rowing in their respective B finals were the men’s and women’s single sculls entries of Beijing Olympian Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) and Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.).

Jurkowski finished third in his race with a time of 6:57.41, while Stone finished second with a time of 7:36.62.

Reigning world champion Ondrej Synek from the Czech Republic won the men’s event in a time of 6:46.92. Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Ekaterina Karsten from Belarus won the women’s event in 7:24.93.

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Ed Moran

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