Finals Set at 2022 USRowing National Selection Regatta 2

Finals are now set at the 2022 USRowing National Selection Regatta 2 at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J., following Thursday's semifinals in the men's and women's pairs and double sculls.

World cup spots in six boat classes are on the line this week, with the winners of each event earning the right to race at World Rowing Cup 2 in Poznan, Poland. A top six finish in Poznan, or top 50 percent finish if there are fewer than 12 entries, will 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 women's pair, USRowing Training Center – Princeton's Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University) and Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin) recorded the fastest time of the day, winning the first semifinal in a 7:15.58. Collins and Wanamaker had built an open-water lead over USTC-Princeton teammates Alina Hagstrom (Seattle, Wash./Oregon State University) and Regina Salmons (Methuen, Mass./University of Pennsylvania) during the first 1,500 meters and won by over nine seconds. Hagstrom and Salmons finished with a time of 7:24.59. The USTC-Princeton/Green Racing Project composite boat of Mary Mazzio-Manson (Wellesley, Mass./Yale University) and Emily Froehlich (Fishers, Ind./University of Texas) finished third to also advance to Friday's final.

The second semifinal was a much tighter race with USTC-Princeton's Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University) and Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington) edging out teammates Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University) and Allyson Baker (North Royalton, Ohio/The Ohio State University) by just over one second. Buck and Thoennes crossed the line in a 7:20.23, with Reelick and Baker finishing in a 7:21.46. USTC-Princeton's Isa Darvin (Madison, Wis./University of Wisconsin) and Brooke Wolford (San Rafael, Calif./University of Central Oklahoma) finished third to earn the last spot in tomorrow's final.

After finishing third in Tuesday's time trial of the men's pair, California Rowing Club's Andrew LeRoux (Venice, Fla./Princeton University) and Michael Knippen (Germantown, Wis./University of Wisconsin) clocked the fastest time in the semifinals, winning the first semi by just under five seconds in a time of 6:42.05. Craftsbury Green Racing Project's Alexander Hedge (Morristown, N.J./Columbia University) and Ezra Carlson (Eureka, Calif./University of Washington) crossed in second position with a time of 6:47.04, with Riverside Boat Club's Brendon Stoner (Sudbury, Mass./Dartmouth College) and Kevin Meador (Berkeley, Calif./Northeastern University) finishing third.

CRC's Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University) and Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University), who posted the best time of the time trials, won the second semifinal ahead of teammates Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University) and Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College). Best and Grady clocked a 6:43.52, with Quinton and Bub finishing in a 6:49.05. The Craftsbury Green Racing Project/San Diego Rowing Club composite boat of Webster Thompson (New York, N.Y./University of Virginia) and Tom Peszek (Farmington Hills, Mich./University of Michigan) finished third to earn the last spot in tomorrow's final.

In the women's double sculls, Texas Rowing Center's Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley) and Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis./University of Wisconsin) recorded the fastest time of the morning in winning the second semifinal. Kohler and Vitas crossed the finish line in a 7:05.25, a little under four seconds ahead of Cambridge Boat Club's Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University) and Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee). The Craftsbury Green Racing Project/Boston Rowing Federation crew of Maggie Fellows (Warwick, Mass./St. Lawrence University) and Grace Joyce (Northfield, Ill./University of Wisconsin) finished third.

The crew of Sophia Luwis (The College of William and Mary) and Audrianna Boersen (Grand Valley State University), who recorded the fastest time of the time trials, won the first semifinal in a 7:06.13, finishing 2.8 seconds ahead of ARION's Hannah Paynter (Lyme, Conn./Princeton University) and Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University). ARION's Lauren O'Connor (Belleville, Wis./University of Wisconsin) and Savannah Brija (Lemont, Ill./Ithaca College) finished third to complete the field for tomorrow's final.

In the men's double sculls, California Rowing Club's Andrew Gaard (Madison, Wis./University of Washington) and Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University) posted the fastest time of the semifinals. Racing in the first of two semis, Gaard and Koszyk held off the Vesper Boat Club/Craftsbury Green Racing Project composite crew of Dominique Williams (Madison, Conn./University of Pennsylvania) and Jacob Plihal (Vashon Island, Wash./Northeastern University) by 1.32 seconds to earn the victory in a 6:24.29. Williams and Plihal clocked a 6:25.61. CRC's Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington) and Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington) finished third to advance to the finals.

In the second semifinal, Texas Rowing Center's Kevin Cardno (Huntsville, Ala./University of Alabama, Huntsville) and Jonathan Kirkegaard (Philadelphia, Pa./Purdue University) beat TRC teammates Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia) and Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania) by 1.41 seconds to win the race. Cardno and Kirkegaard finished with a time of 6:31.87, with Heese and Liu, who won the lightweight men's double sculls event earlier this week, crossing in a 6:33.28. The Penn AC/Vesper Boat Club composite boat of Michael Clougher (Canton, Mass./Connecticut College) and Christopher Shirley (Olivette, Mo./University of Minnesota) finished third.

Racing concludes Friday with finals. Click here for today's results. Click here for tomorrow's heat sheet.

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