2022 National Selection Regatta 1 and Speed Order Underway in Sarasota

Finals in three PR3 events and time trials in four singles events highlighted Tuesday morning's racing as the 2022 National Selection Regatta 1 and Senior/Para Speed Order got underway at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla.

In the final of the PR3 mixed double sculls, Pearl Outlaw (Charlottesville, Va./Ithaca College), a two-time national team member and 2019 bronze medalist in the event, and her partner Todd Vogt (Rochester, N.Y./University of Buffalo), a one-time national team member, easily won the final over seven-time national team member Jaclyn Smith (Williston Park, N.Y./Sacred Heart University) and her partner Andrew Wigren (Providence, R.I./Hobart College), a one-time national team member.

Outlaw and Vogt crossed the finish line in a 7:58.26, finishing more than 19 seconds ahead of Smith and Wigren. With the PR3 mixed double sculls being added to the Paralympic program for Paris 2024, the speed order race was a chance for the four athletes to test their early-season speed as they prepare for that new opportunity.

Vogt came back an hour later to best Wigren in the final of the PR3 men's single sculls event. Vogt crossed the finish line in an 8:17.70 to finish nearly 33 seconds ahead of Wigren.

In the final of the PR3 women's pair, Smith raced with Molly Moore (Indianapolis, Ind./Harvard College) uncontested, crossing the finish line in an 8:48.88. The duo, who won the gold medal in the event at the 2019 World Rowing Championships, earned an automatic berth to the PR3 mixed four with coxswain selection camp with today's race.

World cup berths are on the line this week in the two NSR events – the men's and women's single sculls. While the regatta features racing across seven boat classes, the men's and women's singles are the only two with world cup implications. The winners of those two events will earn the right to race at World Rowing Cup 2 in Poznan, Poland, where a top-six finish, or top 50 percent finish if there are fewer than 12 entries, would earn the athletes the opportunity to represent the U.S. in the event at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.

In the time trial of the women's single, Texas Rowing Center's Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis./University of Wisconsin) clocked the fastest time of the day, finishing the race in a 7:19.99. Vitas, a two-time national team member, finished less than one second ahead of TRC teammate Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley), a two-time Olympian who placed ninth in the event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. ARION's Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University), who finished fifth in the double sculls in Tokyo, crossed in third position, finishing with a time of 7:24.29. Craftsbury Green Racing Project's Emily Delleman (Davenport, Iowa/Stanford University) and Boston Rowing Federation's Maggie Fellows (Warwick, Mass./St. Lawrence University) rounded out the top five.

In the men's single sculls, California Rowing Club's Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington), who finished fourth as part of the men's eight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, jumped back into the single and posted the best time of the time trial by nearly five seconds. Davison, who raced the single at four World Rowing Under 23 Championships, finished with a time of 6:39.79. Texas Rowing Center's Kevin Cardno (Huntsville, Ala./ University of Alabama, Huntsville), who raced the double at last year's World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta (FOQR), finished second with a time of 6:44.63, followed closely by Craftsbury Green Racing Project's Jacob Plihal (Vashon Island, Wash./Northeastern University). California Rowing Club's Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University) and Penn AC's Eliot Putnam (Littleton, Mass./Cornell University) rounded out the top five.

While world cup selection is taking place in the two NSR events, the speed order events provide rowers the opportunity to test their speed early in the season.

In the lightweight women's single sculls time trial, Sophia Luwis (The College of William and Mary) clocked the fastest time of the morning, crossing the finish line in a 7:22.94. Lewis finished 1.38 seconds ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympian Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College). Reckford, who finished fifth in the lightweight women's double sculls in Japan, finished with a time of 7:24.32. Potomac Boat Club's Audrianna Boersen (Grand Valley State University) finished third in a 7:30.11, followed by Vesper Boat Club's Solveig Imsdahl (Scheelholz 15, Germany/Cornell University) and Riverside Boat Club's Elizabeth Martin (Lexington, Mass./Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

In the time trial of the lightweight men's single sculls, Texas Rowing Center's Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia) and Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania) finished first and second, respectively. The two teamed up to win the lightweight men's double sculls at last year's U.S. Olympic Team Trials before racing at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. On Tuesday, Heese finished with a time of 6:47.85, with Liu finishing 2.5 seconds back in a 6:50.35. Riverside's Alex Twist (Boston, Mass./University of Puget Sound) finished third in a 6:57.43, followed by New York Athletic Club's Sam Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif./Columbia University) and Hugh McAdam (Hollis, N.H./Washington College).

Racing continues Wednesday with the repechages in the men's and women's single sculls. Thursday's schedule features semifinals in the four singles events and C, D, E, and F-level placement finals in the open weight singles. Friday's schedule includes A and B finals in the men's and women's open and lightweight single sculls.

Click here for Tuesday's results. Click here for today's photo gallery.

The 2022 World Rowing Championships are scheduled for September 18-25 in Racice, Czech Republic.