Congratulations to former IRC rower Pat Close for competing this past weekend in the 2010 USRowing National Selection Regatta #1. Racing began Friday at the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ and continued through finals on Sunday. Pat competing in the Men’s 1x and made it all the way to the Sunday finals.
For the men’s and women’s 1x, this regatta serves as the first step towards making the 2010 Senior National Team that will represent the US at the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Lake Karapiro, New Zealand, and the winner of each event earns the right to compete at a world cup race of their choosing. If the NSR #1 winner finishes in the top four (or top half if there are fewer than eight entries), then he or she is nominated to the team. For the remaining boat categories, the speed order serves as an opportunity for athletes to test their speed early in the season in preparation for future selection regattas and trials.
Congratulations again to Pat; IRC is very proud of his performance and will be following this promising athlete’s career as the season progresses.