POZNAN, Poland – Seven U.S. crews will be looking to reach the podium on the final day of racing Sunday at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland. The lightweight women’s single sculls, lightweight men’s quadruple sculls, lightweight women’s quadruple sculls, women’s quadruple sculls, men’s pair with coxswain, lightweight men’s eight and women’s eight will race for medals.

In the women’s eight, coxswain Katelin Snyder (Winter Park, Fla.), Kady Glessner (Seattle, Wash.), Caroline Lind (Greensboro, N.C.), Lindsay Shoop (Charlottesville, Va.), Anna Goodale (Camden, Maine), Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.), Laura Larsen-Strecker (Brookline, Mass.), Mara Allen (San Francisco, Calif.) and Erin Cafaro (Modesto, Calif.) won its heat on the first day of competition to advance directly to Sunday’s final. The lineup includes five returning members of the 2008 Olympic eight in Lind, Francia, Goodale, Shoop and Cafaro and three members of the women’s eight that won gold at the 2008 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. The U.S. will race against Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, France and Canada.

The U.S. lightweight men’s eight will also look to defend its world champion status. The lineup of coxswain Kerry Quinn (Havertown, Pa.), Jimmy Sopko (Mathews, Va.), Andrew Diebold (North Wales, Pa.), Matt Muffelman (Mathews, Va.), Ryan Fox (Edgerton, Wis.), Kenny McMahon (Ladysmith, Wis.), Anthony Fahden (Lafayette, Calif.), Matt Kochem (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) and Skip Dise (Beverly Hills, Mich.) won the second of two heats on Sunday to advance directly to the final. With Muffelman returning as the lone member of last year’s lineup, the U.S. will race Japan, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and France.

The women’s quadruple sculls also won its heat on Monday to advance directly to Sunday’s final. The crew of Kate Bertko (Oakland, Calif.), Sarah Trowbridge (Guilford, Conn.), Stesha Carle (Long Beach, Calif.) and Megan Walsh (Charlotte, N.C.) will take on Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Great Britain and Russia in Sunday’s final. Carle and Trowbridge won silver in the four at the 2008 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships.

Competing in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls is the crew of Sam Cunningham (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Dan Scholtz (Springfield, Ore.), Jon Winter (New Haven, Conn.) and Brian Tryon (Indianapolis, Ind.). The U.S. advanced from its repechage on Wednesday and will now take on France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Mexico in the final. Cunningham was a member of last year’s under 23 national team, while Winter won silver in the event at the 2006 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.

After winning Friday’s semifinal of the lightweight women’s single sculls, Meghan Sarbanis (Hampstead, N.H.) will race Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Denmark and Belgium in Sunday’s final.

The men’s pair with coxswain lineup of coxswain Marcus McElhenney (Lansdowne, Pa.), Henrik Rummel (Pittsford, N.Y.) and Troy Kepper (Tallahassee, Fla.) will take on Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, France and Canada. The U.S. boat advanced directly to the final after winning its heat on the first day of competition. McElhenney coxed the men’s eight to bronze in Beijing, while Rummel was a member of the 2008 bronze-medal under 23 men’s eight and Kepper won silver in the men’s four with coxswain at the 2005 World Rowing Championships.

In the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls, the crew of Abby Broughton (Tetonia, Idaho), Stefanie Sydlik (Allentown, Pa.), Lindsey Hochman (Seattle, Wash.) and Hillary Saeger (Dedham, Mass.) finished fifth in its race for lanes and will now compete against Great Britain, Poland, Canada and Germany for medals. Three members of the boat are making their national team debut, while Broughton has raced in the event at the senior national team level.

The eight-day regatta features 973 athletes racing in 358 crews from 54 nations. Complete entry lists, heat sheets and results can be accessed throughout the regatta at www.worldrowing.com. Live coverage of racing August 27-30 will be streamed on the Web at www.universalsports.com.

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 are Hudson Boat Works and Boathouse Sports; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation.

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