United States-based athletes named for U23 World Rowing Championships
Rowing New Zealand has announced two Under 23 crews to be selected from its first ever United States-based selection trials, held in California at the weekend. A Women's and Men's Coxed Four will be added to the Men’s Quad and Pair previously selected at New Zealand-based trials at Lake Karāpiro in February. The crews will contest the U23 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, next month. Eight female and six male athletes plus coxswains were invited to the ground breaking US trials at Briones Reservoir near San Francisco. The Women’s Coxed Four includes Lucy Burrell, who rowed in the Stanford University First Eight (1V) that won the NCAA title last month. Burrell rowed at Baradene College in Auckland and is just finishing her second year at Stanford. Beckie Leigh (Stanford) and Shakira Mirfin (University of Washington) have also been included. They were part of the New Zealand Women's Quad that won a gold medal at the U19 World Championships in 2019. The coxswain is Ella Greenslade (ex-Onslow College) who steered the Men's Four at last year's Under 23 World Championships. Ella is at Washington State University. Alice Fahey, from University of Tennessee, will make her first appearance at a world championship after representing the New Zealand U21 team. Olivia Hay, who represented New Zealand at last year's U23 World Champs is the team's travelling reserve. A Men’s Coxed Four will also race in Plovdiv. It features three former students from St Peter’s College in Auckland. Harry Fitzpatrick was in the University of Washington’s Third Varsity Eight (3V) which won a bronze medal at the recent Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships in New Jersey. Sean McHugh was part of the Syracuse University crew that finished third in the B final of the 2V at the IRAs. Coxswain Harry Molloy is the third of the St Peter’s boys. Harry was selected in February after his successful season with North Shore Rowing Club, where they won the Men's Club Eight. He was in California for the trials. Former St Paul's Collegiate student Matt Waddell, who was in Cal Berkeley's winning 3V boat at the IRAs, has also been named. Harry Fitzpatrick’s current 3V teammate at the University of Washington, Ben Shortt (ex-Auckland Grammar), completes the crew. The two crews will remain in the US until they fly to Europe for the world championships, which begin on July 19. Oscar Ruston, who was selected into the U21 squad to row against Australia in July, has been added to the U23s for Bulgaria as a travelling reserve. The full 2023 Rowing NZ Under 23 Team to contest 2023 World Rowing Under 23 Championships,19-23 July, Plovdiv, Bulgaria is: U23 Men’s 2- Josh Vodanovich - Waikato Rowing Club Oliver Welch - Avon Rowing Club Tom Stannard and Mark Stallard (Coaches) U23 Men’s 4X Evan Williams - Waikato Rowing Club Ben Olifiers - Waikato Rowing Club Kobe Miller - Wairau Rowing Club Edward Lopas - Waikato Rowing Club Malcolm McIntyre (Coach) U23 USA Based Men’s Coxed 4+ Harry Fitzpatrick - West End Rowing Club/University of Washington Ben Shortt - West End Rowing Club/University of Washington Sean McHugh - West End Rowing Club/Syracuse University Matthew Waddell - Waikato Rowing Club/University of California, Berkeley Harry Molloy (cox) - North Shore Rowing Club Nick Barton (Coach) Women’s Coxed Four Rebecca Leigh - Cambridge Rowing Club/Stanford University Lucy Burrell - West End Rowing Club/Stanford University Alice Fahey - Star Boating Club/University of Tennessee Shakira Mirfin - Invercargill Rowing Club/University of Washington Ella Greenslade (cox) - Wellington Rowing Club/Washington State University Fiona Bourke (Coach) Women’s Travelling Reserve Olivia Hay - North Shore Rowing Club Fiona Bourke (Coach) Men’s Travelling Reserve Oscar Ruston - Waikato Rowing Club Mark Stallard (Coach) Jared Cummings (Team Manager) Rowing NZ would like to acknowledge the amazing support of the Men's and Women's rowing programmes at the University of California, who have enabled the NZ US-based camp and trial to be delivered. |