Four Athletes Earn Spots on 2023 Beach Sprint National Team on Thursday in Long Beach

Four scullers earned spots on the 2023 U.S. Beach Sprint National Team Thursday as racing was held in the four solo events at the 2023 USRowing Beach Sprint National Team Trials at Belmont Veteran's Memorial Pier in Long Beach, Calif.

The winners earned the right to race at the 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals scheduled for September 29 - October 1 in Barletta, Italy.

In the open men's solo event, Next Level Rowing's Christopher Bak, defending world champion in the event, had no problems earning his third trip to the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, winning the final race by 16 seconds over Palm Beach Rowing Association's Douglas Davis. Bak opened the day with an easy victory in the time trial. He followed that up with a minute-and-a-half victory over Potomac Boat Club's Maurice Scott, who ran into trouble just off the start. Bak won the final race over Davis in a 2:50.4.

"It was awesome racing," Bak said. "Different conditions than we are used to – a bit more chop, not as much swell. There's not a ton of wave riding or anything like that, but it's definitely makes for an interesting race, and hopefully, we'll be back here doing it in 2028 in LA."

The victory gave Bak a spot in Italy, as well as qualified him for the 2023 World Beach Games scheduled for August in Bali, Indonesia.

"I think Bali is the big ticket for this year," Bak said. "It's the new event – the new, exciting thing going on, an Olympic-sponsored event. Really looking forward to that. It's going to be a great group going over there. Looking forward to spending more time with the team. And then, everybody coming over to Italy. Extremely excited about that. It's been one of my bucket list countries that I've never been to, so looking forward to it."

Next Level Rowing's Christine Cavallo earned her spot on the Beach Sprint National Team with a 4.2-second victory over Next Level teammate Jeni Sorli in the final of the women's solo event. Sorli posted the fastest time in the time trial over Cavallo by less than one second to earn the top seed in the knock-out round. Cavallo won her quarterfinal by nearly 15 seconds over Alyssa Treblicock to set up a semifinal race with Next Level Rowing's Elizabeth Hinley. Cavallo then defeated Hinley by more than 21 seconds to earn a spot in the final. Meanwhile, Sorli, who had a bye through the quarterfinals, had the closest race of the day in her semifinal as she out-stretched San Diego Rowing Club's Alexandra Vallencey-Martinson in a dive for the finish line to claim the race by a hand. A few minutes later, Cavallo bested Sorli to earn her second Beach Sprint National Team berth, winning with a time of 2:51.1. Cavallo won a bronze medal in the open quadruple sculls with coxswain in 2021 in Portugal.

"To be totally candid, it's not like I've been training totally fantastic over the last year," Cavallo said. "There have been a lot of non-rowing things taking over this last month, so I came here definitely aware of where my preparation could have been and where it was not. I was willing to accept whatever happened today under those circumstances. Having trained closely with so many of the Next Level athletes – we're super close; it's a good training environment. Coming here, I was motivated internally for myself but also excited for anyone coming into the sport, Next Level or not, to come out and have a fantastic race. If you earn it, you earn it. I kind of put that mindset in my head before coming out here and then something about getting out and racing – I'm a much better racer than trainer. Every time at a regatta I am reminded of that."

Next Level Rowing's Annelise Hahl defeated Palm River Training Center's Britt Wotovich in the final of the junior women's solo event to earn her spot on the Beach Sprint National Team. Hahl won bronze with partner Annalie Duncomb in the junior women's double sculls at last year's World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals after replacing Wotovich in the event so she could concentrate on her two other events. Today, Hahl won the time trial by 22 seconds before taking the final by 6.1 seconds, posting a time of 2:51.8. Wotovich represented the U.S. in the event at the last two World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, finishing fourth in 2021.

"This was my second time out on the ocean, really," Hahl said. "I didn't make trials last year. I was put into the double with Annalie and went to worlds and that was my first time out on the ocean. This being my second time, there was a whole lot of wind and the waves were definitely pushing and moving you around, but I felt like it was a really good race for my first time racing in the single. I felt pretty good. I had a strong start, and I think I kept a pretty tight course. Pretty happy with what I did."

In addition to making the Beach Sprint National Team today, Hahl won the women's single sculls at the 2023 Under 19 National Team Trials last week, qualifying to race at the 2023 World Rowing Under 19 Championships this August in Paris.

"I've done flat-water for five years, so I've been training really hard for that," Hahl said. "I'm very, very happy and honored to be in the single and to have qualified that. It was definitely a very long week in Florida, but some great racing out there."

Next Level Rowing's Malachi Anderson, who won a silver medal in the junior men's double sculls at last year's World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, earned a spot on this year's team with a victory in the junior men's solo event. Anderson set the standard in the time trial finishing 14 seconds ahead of Palm River Training Center's Noah Rodger. Anderson then dispatched of Unity Boat Club's Isaiah Brooks in the semifinal by more than 38 seconds before taking out Rodgers in the final by just over 30 seconds.

"Really, I just wanted to get used to racing in a single again," Anderson said. "I hadn't done it since I was training in Ireland last year. My first race, I just went out there to see what I could do. I knew that my turn was not that great and I kind of went a little wide, so in the semifinal, I was trying to tighten up the turns, keep some control, and then go for time in the final. Once I had those turns down, the final was pretty good.

"I was really excited to do it again this year. It feels really good to be able to be on the team again. It's really a pleasure to be with these people. I trained with them for a month-and-a-half last year, and really, I do it for the community."

Beach Sprint racing is contested in a run, row, run combination over a 250-meter, out-and-back buoyed course and uses a time trial and knock-out progression system.

Racing concludes on Friday with competition in the junior women's double sculls, junior men's double sculls, junior mixed double sculls, open mixed double sculls, and open mixed quadruple sculls with coxswain. Click here for more event information. Results are available on HereNow.com. Click here for photos throughout the event.