ROWING: Guerette Wins Women's Single at National Selection Regatta #1

WEST WINDSOR, N.J.-Michelle Guerette took her first step towards making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team on Sunday by winning the women's single sculls event at the first 2008 National Selection Regatta (NSR #1) at the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. Racing into a screaming headwind, the two-time world championships bronze medalist dominated the final, clocking an 8:48.79 to finish more than 13 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. Vesper Boat Club's Julie Nichols finished second in the race, clocking a 9:01.83, while teammate Carey Brezler finished third in a 9:08.45."The conditions were pretty rough,"Guerette said."It was a strong headwind, pushing me a little to the starboard side. I had to really relax and focus to push through the first 500 (meters) and then I felt like I could come down to a base rate and lock in."With the victory, Guerette, a Bristol, Conn. native, earned the right to race at either the first or second world cup regatta in May. If she finishes in the top six at her chosen world cup race, then Guerette will be nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team. If not, the event will be opened up for trials in June."The next focus is going to be (at the world cup) in Munich, hoping to qualify for the Olympics, coming in top six,"Guerette said. In the men's single sculls, Ken Jurkowski had no trouble winning the final. The New Fairfield, Conn. native crossed the finish line with a time of 8:02.01 to finish more than 11 seconds ahead of Penn AC's Andrew Liverman, who clocked an 8:13.17. Bantam Boat Club's Peter Graves finished third in an 8:14.94. NSR #1 also played an important role for the men's single sculls as the top 12 finishers earned the right to compete at the first set of U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Rowing scheduled for May 12-17. For the remaining three boat categories, the regatta served as an opportunity for athletes to test their speed early in the season in preparation for future selection regattas and trials. In the final of the men's pair, USRowing Training Center's Micah Boyd and Dan Beery defeated teammates Chris Liwski and David Banks by 3.62 seconds to win the race. Boyd and Beery clocked a 7:26.93, with Liwski and Banks finishing in a 7:30.55. USRowing TC's Sam Burns and Kyle Larson finished third in a 7:31.36. Penn AC's Ivan Baldychev finished first in the lightweight men's single sculls. Baldychev clocked a 7:53.96 to finish 2.34 seconds ahead of USRowing Training Center's Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg. Undine Barge Club's Cody Lowry finished third in a 7:58.35. Vesper Boat Club's Rebecca Smith easily defeated her teammate Libby Peters to win the final of the lightweight women's single sculls. Smith crossed the finish line with a time of 8:54.76, with Peters finishing in a 9:03.59. Vesper's Nicole Nelson edged out Erin Burton by 0.01 seconds to finish third in a 9:07.76. For complete results, please visit www.powerhousetiming.com. USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing's Official Sponsor is Johnson and Johnson; its Official Suppliers are Hudson Boat Works, NIKE, Inc., and Rosetta Stone; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; its Official Registrar is RegattaCentral; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation. -30-