Green Racing Project Success at Pan American Games Trials

Last Updated: 29.Aug.2018

Last week marked the final summer racing for our Green Racing Project rowers as they took to the waters of Lake Mercer for the fifth time this summer for a couple of them. Our athletes continued the progress that they’ve had over the course of the summer at the Pan American Games Trials Regatta last Monday to determine who will represent the United States and the Pan American Games Qualifying Regatta in Rio de Janeiro on November 29th. Last week’s racing had a different format than has been used in the past with a morning time trial leading to a straight final of four boats in the afternoon. Taking the new format in stride… or should we say stroke?… all of our five boats advanced to their respective finals with Lucas Bellows leading off the Greenies for the day by placing third in the Men’s Single Sculls. Jenifer Forbes and Alex Spaulding followed in short order, placing first and third, respectively, in the Women’s Single Sculls. Rounding out the GRP time trials were Nathan Lado and Wes Vear in the Men’s Double Sculls as well as Frank Horpel in a composite lineup of Craftsbury and Oklahoma City High Performance Team’s Kevin Cardno, finishing first and fourth. 

On to the afternoon’s finals seven hours later. It was Craftsbury’s bowballs across the line first in all three of their events. Lucas Bellows once again started the Greenies off in their headwind racing conditions by winning his final with a time of 7:47.98 and a margin of more than four seconds over second place. Jenifer Forbes proceeded to win her final in a time of 8:29.51 and a two second margin over second place with Alex Spaulding rounding out fourth place with a time of 8:46.51. Nathan Lado and Wes Vear won their final with a time of 7:00.23 and one of the highest percentages of the day over second place of Frank Horpel’s GRP/OKC composite boat with a time of 7:09.48.

The first place finishers have all accepted their bids which means that the GRP will be heading down to Rio de Janeiro on November 27th to race at the qualifying regatta. Qualifying crews from that regatta will then race at the Pan American Games next July in Lima, Peru.

Go GRP, go Green!

Full racing results can be found here!