Apr 30, 2021
General
USRowing Central Youth Championships Gets Underway Tomorrow
After going virtual last year due to COVID-19, USRowing's Youth Series returns to the water on Saturday as the 2021 USRowing Central Youth Championships gets underway in Oklahoma City's Boathouse District.
More than 800 athletes and 360 boats from 26 clubs are scheduled to race across 43 events on the Oklahoma River. Racing begins Saturday at 8:30 a.m. local time. Complete results will be available here.
"We are thrilled to be back on the water in Oklahoma with the USRowing Central Youth Championships," said Sarah McAuliffe, USRowing Events Associate and the Central Youth Championships' Regatta Director. "We look forward to everyone getting in some great on-the-water racing this weekend, and we are committed to providing as safe a competition environment as possible. We'd like to thank all of the teams, rowers, coaches, parents, referees, volunteers and the local organizing committee for their diligence in following the COVID protocols in place for this event."
While last year's event had to be held virtually, OKC Riversport won the overall points trophy, as well as the women's points trophy and efficiency trophy, at the 2019 regatta. Texas Rowing Center won the men's point trophy in 2019.
Unlike previous years, this year's regional youth championships will not serve as automatic qualifiers for the 2021 USRowing Youth National Regatta due to COVID. But, they do serve as a perfect opportunity for crews to race for regional titles, lay down some fast times and start their final preparations for the upcoming national regatta in Sarasota.
The 2021 USRowing Youth National Regatta will be held in partnership with Visit Sarasota County and the Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates (SANCA) on June 10-13 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
The USRowing Youth Series continues next weekend with the USRowing Southeast Youth Championships and USRowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships. The USRowing Northeast Youth Championships are scheduled to take place the weekend of May 15-16, while the USRowing Northwest Youth Championships is scheduled for the weekend of May 21-23. Unfortunately, this year's USRowing Southwest Youth Championships had to be cancelled due to COVID.
As always, USRowing's number one priority is to run a safe regatta. USRowing has a robust COVID risk mitigation plan in place for all of its Youth Series Regattas in order to try to provide as safe of a competition environment as possible for our athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers, staff, supporters, and other attendees.
