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Rowers Aim For National Berths

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

TAMPA - A year ago, Plant High's Molly Hamrick was one of two rowers from Florida to be named to the U.S. Junior National team. Hamrick competed at the Junior World Championships in Beijing in the women's 8 as the United States won a bronze medal.

This year, as the Junior National Team Selection Camp begins in New London, Conn., on Monday, Hamrick will have company as she tries to make the team again. Plant teammate Elisabeth Murray and Hillsborough High's Katie Burke are also in the group of 51 athletes brought into camp by United States coach Steve Hargis.

As one of six returning rowers, Hamrick expects her experience at this year's camp to be different.

"It's really nerve-wracking," Hamrick said. "Last year, I went to camp, there was no pressure, there was nothing to lose. It's like there are expectations this year, but it's really exciting to go with people I know."

While Hamrick might be nervous this year, when she made the national team a year ago it planted the idea in the minds of rowers like Murray and Burke that a place on the national team wasn't reserved for those on elite teams.

"A lot of times you always think of the good rowers from California, Washington and the West Coast," Burke said. "Once I heard about Molly and saw her success I thought, 'That's really cool.' She serves as a model, and I think a lot of people who are into the sport and have a passion for it want to get better and want to compete at the highest level possible."

Hamrick's experience last year has helped Murray. The teammates rowed together on the Panthers' varsity 8 that was the first Plant boat to reach a national final at the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championships. But before that, Murray had leaned on Hamrick as they went through the process of identification camps.

"I went to an ID camp in Boston earlier in the year," Murray said. "Molly said it would be a good idea if we went, so we went to that one and I was introduced to Steve Hargis, and that was just where it started.

"Molly helped me know what to expect, what pieces we would be doing out on the water. I've been asking her a lot of questions about what camp is like, how it's going to affect me physically and mentally. It's been really helpful, because it helps me mentally prepare for what's going to happen."

Burke had been told by her coaches that she should take a shot at the national camp, and she got an indication she would have a chance when U.S. assistant coach Bill Zack pulled her and some other rowers aside in January at the Junior Women's Sculling camp in Arizona.

"Coach Bill Zack, who is going to be coaching the quad, was there, and he pulled me and a couple people aside and talked to us and said, 'You're going to have a pretty good chance of possibly making selection camp, or going to development camp,'" Burke said. "I obviously wanted to go to selection camp and try to earn a spot in the boat."

The camp still has a major West Coast presence - the Marin Rowing Association from California alone has six rowers attending. But Burke's performances, winning the state and Southeast District single sculls titles in her first season in the event, combined with those of Plant's boats at Scholastic Nationals, have started to give the Tampa area a reputation as a growth area for U.S. Rowing. Such progress excites Hamrick.

"It's exciting, because it's really putting Florida rowing on the map," Hamrick said. "It's really showing that we're a growing community and that there's some potential here."

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243 or nmurray@tampatrib.com.

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