Finals Set at 2022 USRowing Youth Summer National Championships in Oak Ridge

Finals are set following Saturday's semifinals at the 2022 USRowing Youth Summer National Championships on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In total, semifinals were raced in 22 boat classes on Saturday. Tomorrow's racing will feature finals in 29 boat classes.

The closest race of the day came in the second semifinal of the women's U17 quadruple sculls, where the crew from Oak Neck Academy finished a bow-ball in front of Potomac Boat Club. Oak Neck finished with a time of 7:31.29, with Potomac finishing 0.06 seconds back in a 7:31.35. Both crews advanced to tomorrow's final. In the first semifinal of the U17 quad, RowAmerica Rye finished first and second, with the A boat clocking a 7:21.88.

In the first semifinal of the men's under 17 single sculls, Miami Rowing and Watersports Center's Andres Hernandez-Ibanez edged out Lake Leelanau Rowing Club's Leo Lombardi by 0.08 seconds, crossing the line in an 8:04.64. Sammamish Rowing Association's Paul Rabel clocked the fastest time of the afternoon, winning the third semifinal in a 7:57.10.

Just 0.3 seconds separated the top two boats in the second semifinal of the men's youth pair. TBC Racing's Alexander Cafritz and Erik Lindholm finished with a time of 7:40.01, with Oak Neck Academy's Nicholas Cesario and Christopher Hom crossing the line in a 7:40.32. Both boats moved on to tomorrow's final. RowAmerica Rye's Toma Sellar and Rahil Dundon won the first semifinal in a 7:31.19.

The women's youth double sculls final is shaping up to be a close race. After finishing second in yesterday's time trial, Miami Beach Watersports Center's Grace Matos and Alexa Matos came back to clock the fastest time of the three semifinals, finishing less than 0.1 seconds ahead of the Oak Neck Academy composite boat of Catherine Barry and Hannah Peters, who are preparing to represent the U.S. in the event later this month at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships. Matos and Matos won the second semifinal in a time of 7:52.26, while Barry and Peters won the first semifinal in a 7:52.35. Both were well ahead of the second-place crews in their semis.

The men's youth single sculls final also has the potential to be a tight race. Oak Neck Academy's Brandon Fernandez won the second semifinal in a 7:34.36, with the other two heat winners finishing about two seconds off Fernandez's pace. South Eugene Rowing Club's Eliott Swinney won the first semifinal in a 7:36.68, with Oak Neck's Ethan Seidner taking the third semi in a 7:36.51.

Racing concludes Sunday with finals starting at 8 a.m. Click here for today's complete results and here for the event coverage page.

With the size of the regatta continuing to grow, USRowing split its summer championships into two events in 2022. This week's regatta features racing in the youth, U17, and U16 categories, with nearly 1,200 athletes and 717 boats from 56 programs scheduled to compete.

While the two summer national championships will take place separately, clubs will still be able to race for the combined all-points trophies across both regattas. The Colgan Cup Overall Team Points Trophy, Sulgar-Barnes Men's Points Trophy, and Marion D. Ventura Women's Points Trophy will be up for grabs, with opportunities to score points at both events. Separate points trophies are also being awarded at the individual regattas.

At last week's USRowing Summer National Championships, Vesper Boat Club earned the overall points trophy with 109 points, finishing six points ahead of Penn AC. Vesper also won the women's points trophy with 77 points, finishing ahead of Greenwich Crew. Miami Rowing Club defeated New York Athletic Club by two points for the men's points trophy, finishing with 79 points.