USRowing District Championships Complete

May 23, 2012

106 More Crews Earning Bids to the 2012 USRowing Youth National Championships: Worcester Public School Crew Helped Out Along the Way

PRINCETON, N.J. – With the four USRowing youth district championships complete and only one more qualifying regatta to go, the bids for the 2012 USRowing Youth National Championships are just about filled up.

Between the USRowing Northwest Junior District Championships and the USRowing Northeast Junior District Championships, which were concluded this weekend in Vancouver, Wash., and in Worcester, Mass., 106 crews qualified to race June 8-10 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn., for national championships. Some 1,200 athletes will race in 18 boat classes.

“There’s just one qualifier left, the (New England Interscholastic Rowing Championships),” said USRowing Events Manager, A.J. Dominique. “So we’ve got 11 out of 12 qualifiers complete.”

Of the two USRowing district championships held over the weekend, Boston’s Community Rowing, Inc., captured the most bids overall with nine. CRI was followed in the northeast by Saugatuck Rowing Club of Westport, Conn., and the GMS Rowing Center of New Milford, Conn., which each took six bids.

In the northwest, Seattle Rowing Center earned the most bids with seven, followed by Everett Rowing Association and Seattle-based Lake Union Crew, which each won five bids.

“From all accounts, the regattas went remarkable well,” said Dominique. “I was really very impressed with the folks in Worcester this past weekend – great course and great racing. Everything went really well in the northwest too.”

In addition to the racing, the rowing community rose to an unusual challenge to help the Worcester Public School Crew recover from a trailer accident that resulted in the loss of two shells and damage to four others. The damage to the four boats not destroyed was enough to keep them from being used for the rest of the season.

When news that Worcester was in danger of not being able to finish its season because of the damage, crews from all over began contributing money and equipment. Dominique said that during racing in Worcester this past weekend, donations from participants and their families totaled $1,000.

New Canaan High School Crew topped all of that, donating two 2001 eight-oared shells, not only replacing the two that were destroyed, but upgrading them, Dominique said. “We were able to help them out, and the rowing community in their area really stepped up to help a team in need.”

So now it’s on to Oak Ridge.

“We’re going to have a lot of good racing in Oak Ridge, just from what I’ve seen,” said Dominique. “Youth Nationals is one of the best events that we put on and it’s going to be a good trip.”

For results from the USRowing Northeast Junior District Championships, visit http://www.usrowing.org/Events/RegionalRegattas/NEJuniors.aspx.

For results from the USRowing Northwest Junior Regional Championships, visit http://www.usrowing.org/Events/RegionalRegattas/NWJuniors.aspx.

About USRowing
USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing’s official suppliers include Boathouse Sports, Vespoli, WinTech, Filippi, Croker Oars, Rudy Project, Concept2, Nielsen Kellerman, PowerHTV and Ludus Tours. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation and its corporate sponsors and partners ANXeBusiness Corp, Voxer, EZ Dock, EMCVenues, The Perfect SNAQUE and INDi. For more information, visit www.usrowing.org. USRowing has created The Row to London to engage sponsors leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games, with proceeds going to help ensure the U.S. team’s success. Opportunities also exist to partner with America Rows – supporting diversity initiatives and adaptive programs. For more information, please contact Beth Kohl at beth@usrowing.org.

Ed Moran

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