Rowing Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Julio Sanchez hired as head coach of Atomic Rowing

Posted at 11:27 am October 23, 2018
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Julio Sanchez

Coach Julio Sanchez has been hired by the Oak Ridge Rowing Association as head coach of Atomic Rowing.

Sanchez is experienced as both a rower and a coach, a press release said. He has rowed on elite national teams for Argentina and Spain, and he continues to compete at the national level as a master sculler, the release said.

Sanchez recently came back from Sarasota, Florida, after competing at the FISA Masters Worlds Regatta. He also had much success as the coach of the Spanish Junior National team, as well as U.S. teams such as Miami, Sarasota Scullers, and Westerville, the press release said.

“With Oak Ridge Rowing Association having the best rowing venue in the country, I am incredibly excited to get started and work with this team,” the press release said. “The club is filled with amazing and hardworking rowers that have welcomed me with open arms.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridger, teammate advance to world rowing championship quarterfinals

Posted at 1:52 pm August 9, 2018
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Kristopher Fisher of Oak Ridge (bow) and Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana (stroke), cross the finish line in the white boat at center in a 2,000-meter race in the second heat of the Junior Men’s Double Sculls event at the World Rowing Junior Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Racice, Czech Republic. (Photo by Kimberly Bell)

Representing the United States, an Oak Ridge rower and his teammate advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Rowing Junior Championships this week in the Czech Republic.

Kristopher Fisher and his teammate Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana, are racing in the Junior Men’s Double Sculls in Racice, which is outside of Prague.

They finished fourth among six teams in the second of five heats, Heat 2, on Wednesday.

The top four teams in each heat advanced to the quarterfinals, meaning 20 of the 30 teams advanced from the five heats.

The quarterfinals are Friday. Fisher and Tuckerman, the U.S. junior men’s double team, will compete in Lane 1 at 6:06 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (12:06 p.m. in the Czech Republic). [Read more…]

Fisher, an ORHS graduate, competes in world rowing championships this week

Posted at 3:59 pm August 7, 2018
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Local rower Kristopher Fisher participates in a signing ceremony with Temple University at Oak Ridge High School on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Local rower Kristopher Fisher, who attended Oak Ridge High School last year and signed with Temple University in February, will compete in world rowing championships in the Czech Republic this week.

Fisher and Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana, will race in the Junior Men’s Double Sculls event at the World Rowing Junior Championships, which are scheduled from August 8-12 in Racice, outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. (You can see the start list here and the Heat 2 start list for Wednesday here.) More than 750 athletes from 57 nations are competing.

Fisher and Tuckerman swept the Men’s U19 2x at the USRowing National Team Trials in July, winning the best-of-three format handily with victories in both the first and second event, according to the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

On July 5, Fisher and Tuckerman were tightly matched by Jeremy Wolpert of San Juan Capistrano, California, and Michael Fairley of Saratoga Springs, New York, through the first 500 meters before pulling away in the middle 1,000, finishing in 6:56.41. The second place pair finished well back in 7:08.03. [Read more…]

State grant will help with national park signs, waterfront improvements

Posted at 7:08 pm August 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above during a state grant announcement at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building for national park signs and waterfront improvements on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, are, from left, Dave Jones, East Tennessee division manager of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; Amy New, assistant commissioner of community and rural development for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch; Jody Sliger, community development director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; and Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A state grant of more than $50,000 that was announced Tuesday will help create interpretive signs for historic sites in Oak Ridge that are related to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and improve the waterfront for events such as rowing, cycling, and festivals, officials said.

The $56,250 Tourism Enhancement Grant, part of the third round of grants, was announced Tuesday at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building. A few Oak Ridge officials attended, and so did representatives of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

“Through this grant, the City of Oak Ridge, in partnership with Explore Oak Ridge, will receive funds to support projects that improve some of the city’s key tourist attractions,” a press release said.

Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge, said there are two parts to the grant. One is to enhance the city’s component of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The grant funding could be used to create interpretive signs at historic places like the Guest House and Chapel on the Hill. The interpretive signs will be accessible and include pictures and content, DeRose said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Oak Ridge will try to set world record in ‘knockout’ basketball today

Posted at 9:40 am June 9, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A reminder: Oak Ridge will try to set a Guinness World Record on Saturday in a basketball game known as “knockout” today (Saturday, June 9).

The attempt to break the previous world record is part of the Secret City Festival this weekend. The game will start at noon in the parking lot of Dick’s Sporting Goods at Main Street Oak Ridge. The first 702 people will get a free T-shirt, organizers said. Then, every 30 minutes, prizes will be awarded from Electronic Express and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Once you have taken your shot (and missed…), you get to register for a Jeep awarded at no cost from Secret City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Every 30 minutes, one of those registrations will be pulled as a finalist for the drawing for the Jeep on June 27, organizers said. (You must be present to win and 18 and over with a valid driver’s license).

The Dallas Mavericks set the record for the largest game of basketball knockout with 701 participants in Dallas, Texas, on October 4, 2015. The game lasted 27 rounds and more than three hours, according to Guinness World Records. Team owner Mark Cuban was there before the record-setting attempt to check out the court and the turnout, and he also motivated the basketball shooters.

Organizers of this year’s Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge want to do better than Cuban and the Mavericks. They need at least 702 shooters to set the new world record. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Rowing Association hosting USRowing Masters National Championships this week

Posted at 4:10 pm August 16, 2017
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The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held in Oak Ridge in August. The championships are scheduled for August 17-20 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy USRowing)

Oak Ridge Rowing Association will host the 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships from Thursday, August 17, to Sunday, August 20.

“With 3,000 rowers coming to town to compete in the highest masters level race and a peninsula filled with food and shopping, come experience the event!” the Oak Ridge Rowing Association said in a press release distributed by the City of Oak Ridge.

This regatta will take place down at the Oak Ridge Rowing Association Boathouse and on the waterfront. Rowers will arrive on site to practice on Wednesday, August 16, and will compete August 17-20, the press release said.

The parking lot in front of the boathouse will remain closed from August 17-20 for the championship regatta, the press release said. The public boat ramp next to the boathouse will be closed for the duration of the regatta also. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will close the waterway that is affected by the regatta until Sunday, August 20, the press release said. [Read more…]

USRowing Masters National Championships is in Oak Ridge this week

Posted at 12:11 pm August 14, 2017
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The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held on the Oak Ridge rowing course from August 17-20. (Photo courtesy USRowing)

The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships are in Oak Ridge this week.

The rowing races are scheduled from Thursday, August 17, to Sunday, August 20, on the Oak Ridge rowing course on Melton Hill Lake.

The 2016 regatta had more than 2,000 entries as 165 clubs converged on the waterways of Lake Quinsigamond for the largest USRowing event ever. For Oak Ridge Rowing Association Regatta Director Sarah McAuliffe, it set the bar even higher for this year, and she is looking forward to the challenge, a press release said.

“Oak Ridge Rowing Association is extremely excited to provide an excellent athlete experience for rowers at Masters Nationals 2017,” McAuliffe said. “With our race course recognized as one of the best in the country, and an organization that has decades of experience hosting high-caliber events, rowers will have the ability to connect with other athletes socially and competitively.” [Read more…]

Big 12 Rowing Championship in Oak Ridge this weekend

Posted at 9:47 am May 11, 2017
By John Huotari 2 Comments

The Big 12 Rowing Championship is in Oak Ridge this weekend, Saturday, May 13-Sunday, May 14, 2017. Pictured above is a race during the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Big 12 Rowing Championship is in Oak Ridge this weekend.

It’s the third-straight season the Big 12 Rowing Championship will be at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge, according to big12sports.com.

“Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia, along with affiliate members Alabama, Old Dominion, and Tennessee will meet May 13-14 to battle for the conference crown,” the website said. [Read more…]

Current too strong for regatta on Oak Ridge rowing course, forcing cancellation

Posted at 10:28 pm April 27, 2017
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The destruction of the Oak Ridge rowing course is pictured above after heavy rains in the past week led to flooding and now strong currents on the Clinch River, causing the cancellation of the Dogwood Regatta on April 29-30, 2017. (Photo courtesy Explore Oak Ridge)

The strong current on the Oak Ridge rowing course forced the cancellation of the Dogwood Regatta this weekend, April 29-30, a press release said.

“The rain over the last several days has caused major flooding in the area,” said Sarah McAuliffe, Oak Ridge Rowing Association regatta director. “The current is about 10 times the norm and has done damage to our race course and other infrastructure, but the larger issue is athlete safety. “

The Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard have confirmed that the water flow rate will remain too high for safe rowing regatta operations over the weekend, the press release said. [Read more…]

Dogwood Jr. Regatta canceled due to increased water flow, unsafe rowing conditions

Posted at 1:08 am April 27, 2017
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This story was updated at 9:55 a.m.

The Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta scheduled for this weekend has been canceled due to increased water flow on Melton Hill Lake and unsafe rowing conditions, the Oak Ridge Rowing Association said on Twitter.

All coaches received a cancellation notice by email through Regatta Central.

“We regretfully announce this cancellation,” the Rowing Association said. “Thank you for all support and understanding that our main goal is to keep rowers safe.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge will celebrate new eighth rowing lane on Friday, April 28

Posted at 11:02 am April 19, 2017
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Rowers are pictured above on the Oak Ridge rowing course in the spring of 2017. The area that needed work to recently add the eighth lane is pictured at center-right along Melton Lake Drive. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge will celebrate the new eighth rowing lane with a special dedication ceremony on Friday, April 28, the city said in a press release.

The dedication, announced by the City of Oak Ridge, will be at 3 p.m. Friday, April 28. It is expected to include state and local leaders, and it will help kick off one of the biggest rowing weekends of the season, the press release said.

The eighth rowing lane, which is now complete, has been on the city’s wish list for many years. Officials have said that it could help attract even more and larger regattas (rowing races) and help maintain the Oak Ridge course as one of the top-ranked rowing venues in the United States.

Those who attend Friday’s dedication ceremony will gather in Melton Lake Park at the pavilion across from the Oak Ridge Rowing Association and then take a short walk on Melton Lake Greenway to the new overlook for the eighth rowing lane, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge will host NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships in 2020

Posted at 4:14 pm April 18, 2017
By John Huotari 4 Comments

The Oak Ridge rowing course is pictured above during the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The 2020 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships will be in Oak Ridge.

The selection was announced by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) on Tuesday, April 18. The NCAA said it has selected more than 600 host sites for preliminary rounds and finals of predetermined championships in Divisions I, II, and III to be held from 2017-18 through 2021-22. The selections for Division I are posted online at the NCAA website.

The hosts for the 2020 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships at the Oak Ridge rowing course are the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

The championships will be in Indianapolis in 2019 and in Sarasota, Florida, in 2021 and 2022.

More information will be added as it becomes available.