News

The young men were selected through a nation wide talent identification process which culminated in 42 athletes being invited to the USRowing Junior Men’s Selection Camp held on Mercer Lake in Mercer County Park, West Windsor, New Jersey. These athletes then competed for positions in the men’s eight person boat, four person boat and pair. Selected to represent the United States in the Junior Men’s eight will be Justin Jones (Belmawr, NJ), Connor Jones (Wilmette, IL), Whitney Blodgett (Stanfordville, NY), Pat McGlone (Newton Square, PA), Paul Popescu (Princeton, NJ), Austin Hack (Old Lyme, CT), Zach Hershberger (Los Gatos, CA), Zachary Johnson (Ross, CA), and coxswain Lou Lombardi (Huntington Valley, PA). The four will be composed of Michael Cox (Centreville, VA), Patrick Eble (Fort Washington, PA), Jacob Merrell (Ann Arbor, MI), John McGrorty (Ambler, PA) and coxswain Patrick O’Hara (Chicago, IL). Michael Evans (Portland, OR) and Valle Wilson (South Miami, FL) will row in the pair. The head coach of the US Junior Men’s Team is Peddie School’s Collin Campbell.  Mr. Campbell is assisted by Scott Belford (Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, NJ), Nick Haley (Rose City Rowing, Portland, OR) and Geoff Evans (Hun School, Princeton, NJ). 

 

Paul Popescu is a 2010 graduate of Montgomery High School and a four year rower with the Mercer Junior Rowing Club. He will be entering Princeton University in the fall and plans to continue his rowing career at Princeton. Whitney Blodgett is a Junior at the Lawrenceville School and a member of that school’s rowing Team. Mr. Blodgett’s hometown is Stanfordville, NY. This is the Mr. Blodgett’s second year on the U.S. Junior National team.

 

About the Princeton National Rowing Association
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. PNRA runs 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