Virginia Rowers Well Represented At World Championships

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CHARLOTTESVILLE – Seven members of the 2009 Virginia rowing team, including head coach Kevin Sauer, will participate at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic, from July 23-26.

Class of 2009 graduate, captain and All-American Amanda Chase (Woodbridge, Va.) will row in the open quad, along with rising senior and fellow All-American Desiree Burns (Poughkeepside, N.Y.) Sauer is the coach of that boat representing the United States. Both Burns and Chase were members of Virginia’s Varsity Eight that finished as the silver medalist at the 2009 NCAA Rowing Championships.

Helen Tompkins (Friendswood, Texas), who rowed in the Varsity Eight in 2009 and will be a senior next season, will compete in the open single at the regatta. Tompkins won the race at the trials held earlier this month in West Windsor, N.J., with a time of 8:31.259.

Also rowing for the United States will be Victoria Burke (Redding, Conn.) and Summers Nelson (Kansas City, Mo.) in the lightweight quad. Burke, a senior in 2009, rowed with UVa’s Varsity Eight, while Nelson, a junior, rowed with the Varsity Four.

Lauren Hutchins, a captain and member of the 2009 Varsity Eight, will represent Canada in the open eight at the championships. Hutchins is a native of North Vancouver, Canada.

In addition to those rowers competing at the Under 23 Championships, two incoming UVa freshmen, Kristine O’Brien (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) and Betsy Nilan (Milford, Conn.), will be in action at the Junior World Rowing Championships. That regatta is being held in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, from August 5-8.