Katelin Guregian Joins Princeton National Rowing Association Staff

For Immediate Release

April 21, 2016

West Windsor, NJ – The Princeton National Rowing Association (“PNRA”) is pleased to welcome Katelin Guregian to our team as the Manager of Community Development.    In this position, Ms. Guregian will work to develop a philanthropic base for PNRA, especially to support the expansion of the Caspersen Rowing Center.  Slated to break ground in March 2018, the expansion will more than double the size of the facility ensuring PNRA’s continued role as a premiere rowing center in country.

“I’m thrilled to be joining PNRA in the Boathouse Expansion campaign,” stated Ms. Guregian. “The Caspersen Rowing Center is a central part of my life, in regards to my Olympic training as well as my role coaching the Junior Girls. I’m passionate about all of the rowing opportunities at PNRA for masters, juniors, and elite athletes, and am so excited to be part of the future of Mercer.”

As the coxswain of the Winter Park High School Men’s 8+, Ms. Guregian won the 2005 Scholastic Rowing Association National Championship on Mercer Lake.  While at the University of Washington, Katelin steered their men’s team to multiple Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships.  Since 2009, she has been a member of USRowing’s Princeton Training Center.  Katelin has coxed the USA women’s 8+ to two Under-23 World Championships, four Senior World Championship Gold medals and an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.  She has also served coach for PNRA’s Mercer Junior Rowing Program.

“We are pleased to welcome Katelin to our organization,” said Kristopher Grudt, Executive Director of PNRA.  “She brings a wealth of knowledge about our sport and a drive which will make her successful directing our development activities.  I look forward to her contributions to not only PNRA but our community.”

 

The Princeton National Rowing Association, a 501c3 organization, operates the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center located on the shores of Mercer Lake in West Windsor, New Jersey.  The Princeton National Rowing Association is dedicated operating a world-class training site for our nation’s elite athletes, providing opportunities for area youth to excel in the sport of rowing and to expand rowing in the greater Mercer County area through community based programs.  The Mercer Junior Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for the youth from over 25 Mercer County area high schools. The center is a home to the USRowing National and Olympic Teams, as well as rowing clubs and schools, including the Hun School, Lawrenceville School and Peddie School. www.rowPNRA.org

For more information contact Kristopher Grudt, 609-799-7100 x100, krisgrudt@rowpnra.org

Mercer Junior Rowers Finish In Top 10 at C.R.A.S.H.-B. World Indoor Rowing Championships

February 15, 2017

West Windsor, NJ – Three Mercer Junior Rowers finished in the top ten of their divisions of the C.R.A.S.H.-B. World Indoor Rowing Championship on February 13, 2017.  Andrew Hickey led the Mercer Rowers by finishing 3rd with Jack Gallagher finishing 7th in the Lightweight Men’s Division.  Sara Hansen finished 5th in the Lightweight Women’s division to lead the Mercer women competing in the event.  The C.R.A.S.H.-B. Championships bring athletes from around the world to Boston, MA, to compete by rowing 2,000 meters on indoor rowing machines.  2017 marked the 38th year of the C.R.A.S.H.-B. event. 

Mercer Junior Andrew Hickey at 2017 C.R.A.S.H.-B.

Andrew Hickey finished the 2000 meter race in 6:23.9, just under three seconds behind the winner in a Lightweight Junior Men’s field that featured 190 rowers.  Mr. Hickey who is a senior at Notre Dame High School has committed to row for Cornell University next fall. Jack Gallagher (Council Rock North) finished in 6:32.2 to finish in 7th place.  Also representing Mercer in the Lightweight Junior Men’s division was Pavel Zhelnin (Princeton HS) and Evan Kinter (Steinert).  Representing Mercer in the open Junior Men’s Division was Brian Radvany (Princeton Academy) who finished in 41st and Andrew Moss (Princeton HS) 44th.

Sara Hansen finished the race in 7:28.6 to earn a third place finish in Lightweight Junior Women’s field of 107 athletes.  Ms. Hansen is a junior at West Windsor Plainsboro South.  Emmanuelle Adamson (Princeton HS) and Mia Barkenbush (West Windsor Plainsboro South) led the Mercer Juniors in the open Junior Women’s division contingent finishing 23rd and 36th out of almost 200 rowers.  Sarah Closser (Princeton HS), Taylor Vierling (Northern Burlington), Kieran Wild (Council Rock North) and Morgan Linsley (Princeton HS) also competed in the open Junior Women’s division.

“We are very proud of the strong performance by our rowers,” stated Director of Mercer Rowing Justin Ochal. “Most of them set personal records at the event.  It is a good sign as we prepare for our spring racing season.”  The Mercer Juniors open their spring season at the San Diego Crew Classic on April 1-2 in San Diego, CA.  They return home the following weekend to take on Boston’s Community Rowing and Gonzaga High School.

The Mercer Rowing Program is operated by the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA) located Caspersen Rowing Center in West Windsor, NJ.  The Mercer program is open to all student-athletes from 8th-12 grades.  PNRA also conducts the Mercer Masters Rowing Program and holds summer learn to row camps for 7th-12th grades. For more information on PNRA’s programs go to www.rowpnra.org.

The Princeton National Rowing Association will host its own indoor rowing event, the Mercer Indoor Row for the Cure, on February 26, 2017 at the Peddie School. All proceeds for this event will go to support breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Central and South Jersey.

About the Princeton National Rowing Association

The Princeton National Rowing Association, a 501(c)3 organization, operates the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center located on the shores of Mercer Lake, Mercer County Park in West Windsor, New Jersey.  The Princeton National Rowing Association is dedicated to operating a world-class training site for our nation’s elite athletes, providing opportunities for area youth to excel in the sport of rowing and to expand rowing in the area through community-based programs.  PNRA runs the Mercer Junior Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for youth from over 30 area schools and the Mercer Masters Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for adults.  The center is a home to the USRowing National and Olympic Teams, as well as rowing clubs and schools. PNRA received generous support from Killarney’s Publick House, JLRacing, Bai, Holiday Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott.

 

For more information, contact Kristopher Grudt, tel: 609-977-1094, krisgrudt@rowpnra.org or visit www.rowpnra.org.

PNRA/Mercer Rowers Win Henley Gold

August 8, 2016

West Windsor, NJ – The lightweight pair of Kyle James and Jack Gleim of Princeton National Rowing Association’s Mercer Rowing Club won a gold medal in the Under 23 category at the 134th Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, the premier summer event for rowers in North America. The victory at Henley marked the pair’s first international win. James and Gleim will represent the United States in the lightweight pair event at the 2016 Under 23 World Championships, August 21-28 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.1DSP6288_pm 200 - U23 Men Ltw 2- Final

“We wanted to compete at Henley to work out the kinks before the World Championships, race more crews, have fun, and win Henley gold,” said James, who will be a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Gleim will be a senior at Marietta College in the fall. The pair won by more than three boat lengths with a time of 6:48.28 in the 2,000 meter race.

Gleim appreciated the learning opportunities provided by the progression from the heat to the semifinal to the final at Henley. “In our heat, we went against the plan we had set with our coach and switched our oar clams at the starting line. This made our oars heavier than needed and as a result, we didn’t get a rhythm going in the headwind. In the final, we stuck with our plan and our coach’s advice and had a much better race. At Worlds, I’ll be sure to have complete confidence in our plan and preparation,” said Gleim.

James and Gleim rowed together at PNRA/Mercer during their years at Princeton High School and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South respectively but hadn’t rowed together for three years before reuniting to train with Coach Skip Kielt as part of PNRA/Mercer’s Under 23 Summer Rowing program. Gleim was the catalyst for the creation of the pair. Determined to find a pair partner to make a long-shot run at qualifying for the World Championships, he had his former PNRA/Mercer teammate high on his list. The two had rowed together in a varsity 8 with coxswain in the Grand Final of the 2012 USRowing Youth National Championship Regatta.

“Jack called me in February and suggested that we try to qualify for the World Championships as a lightweight pair, and I turned him down!” said James. Gleim did not give up on James, though. By May, James had recovered from an injury and was preparing to compete at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association’s National Championship Regatta in Wisconsin’s lightweight 4 with coxswain boat. “I changed my mind and committed to row with Jack. In college, you train so much and race just a little. There are more opportunities for racing in the summer.” One of those racing opportunities was the 2016 Under 23 World Championship Trials on July 18 -22 at their home course in West Windsor, NJ where the pair’s enthusiasm for racing resulted in victory and the opportunity to race again as representatives of the United States.

James and Gleim are in the process of fundraising to help cover the costs associated with competing at a world championship. More information is available at nrf.ralleyme.com.

About the Princeton National Rowing Association 

The Princeton National Rowing Association, a 501(c)3 organization, operates the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center located on the shores of Mercer Lake, Mercer County Park in West Windsor, New Jersey.  The Princeton National Rowing Association is dedicated to operating a world-class training site for our nation’s elite athletes, providing opportunities for area youth to excel in the sport of rowing and to expand rowing in the area through community-based programs.  PNRA runs the Mercer Junior Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for youth from over 30 area schools and the Mercer Masters Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for adults.  The center is a home to the USRowing National and Olympic Teams, as well as rowing clubs and schools. PNRA received generous support from Killarney’s Publick House, JLRacing, Bai, Holiday Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott.

 

For more information, contact Kristopher Grudt, tel: 609-977-1094, krisgrudt@rowpnra.org or visit www.rowpnra.org.