PRINCETON, N.J. – The 2010 USRowing Collegiate Championship will take place May 22-23 at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.

The first of its kind in North America, the event will be open to all undergraduate rowers, varsity or club, from all divisions and will offer racing in a wide range of both sculling and sweep events geared toward many of the same boat classes raced at the World Rowing Championships. 

Men’s events will include the single sculls, double sculls, quadruple sculls, pair, four, four with coxswain, eight, lightweight single sculls, lightweight double sculls, lightweight four and lightweight eight. Women’s events will include the single sculls, double sculls, quadruple sculls, pair, four, four with coxswain, eight, lightweight single sculls, lightweight double sculls and lightweight eight.

In creating the regatta, USRowing’s goal is to provide an additional, championship-caliber racing opportunity for collegiate rowers, a chance for varsity and club programs to compete head-to-head on a 2,000-meter course, and an opportunity for collegiate athletes to compete in small boats and sculling events to help develop their racing skills.

“The USRowing Collegiate Championship will provide another exciting racing opportunity for both teams and individuals,” said USRowing Director of Events and Sponsorship Ned Flint. “The format will allow rowers to double-up and race in more than one boat class, while the focus on small-boat rowing and sculling will make the championship fun and challenging for all who enter. I invite rowers and coaches across North America to come to the regatta and show their speed.”

Co-hosted by the Princeton National Rowing Association, the event will be held at the site of USRowing’s National Training Center. Lake Mercer has played host to a variety of elite-level events, including numerous U.S. national selection regattas and world championship trials, as well as the USRowing National Championships. The course also has hosted several top national and international regattas including four United States Olympic Trials, the 2006 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships, the 2006 FISA World Masters Regatta and the Princeton stop on the 2001 FISA World Cup circuit.

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.

The Princeton National Rowing Association is a 501c3 organization dedicated to operating the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center – a world-class training site for our nation’s elite athletes, providing opportunities for area youth to excel in the sport of rowing, and expanding rowing in the greater Mercer County area through community-based programs. Located on the shores of Lake Mercer, the Caspersen Rowing Center is an official U.S. Olympic Training Site.

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