Aug. 20, 2007
PHILADELPHIA- The 2007 U.S. National Rowing team roster was announced Monday, August 6, 2007. Included in the roster are two former Owls, Marcus McElhenney and Jason Read. Twenty-six (26) crew teams will represent the United States this year at the 2007 FISA World Rowing Championships. The ninety-four (94) person roster is comprised of seventy-five (75) past national team members. Sixty-two (62) athletes return from last year's crew that raced at the 2006 FISA World Championships in Eton, England. The 2007 championship is being held August 26 thru September 2 in Munich, Germany.
"Marcus McElhenney's high school coach told me `you're gonna love this kid' and boy was he right," said Temple Men's Crew coach Gavin White. "What a motivator! Another multiple gold medal winner representing Temple University at the World Rowing Championships. A winner from the word go. I'm proud to call him one of my boys."
McElhenney, a coxswain, was named to the Men's Eight 8+Coxswain. This is not the first time McElhenney has been in the international spotlight. He is a three-time world champion coxswain (2003, 2005, 2006). During his time at Temple, McElhenney was named to the Junior National team that competed in Austria. The Lansdowne, Pa. native helped lead the cherry and white to three (3) Dad Vail Championships in 2000, 2001 and 2003 and the 18th consecutive Murphy Cup victory.
"Olympic Gold Medalist and a four time Dad Vail gold medalist," said Gavin White about Jason Read. "Stroked our 2000 Varsity Heavyweight 8 to its best finish ever (5th place) at the IRA Regatta. One of the most driven athletes ever to attend Temple University. A finalist for prestigious Sullivan Award in 2002, he is a credit to both his family and the cherry and white."
Read, who is no stranger to the U.S. Rowing Team, was named to the Men's Pair 2. In 2004, Read won gold for the U.S. competing in the Heavyweight 8 Premier Boat in the Olympics held in Athens, Greece. Read has continued to earn success on the water. He placed second in the pairs Silver Goblet Challenge Cup at the Royal Henley Regatta in 2003. In 2001, Read stroked the men's 8 to a fourth-place finish at the FISA World Rowing Championships. A key member of four (4) Dad Vail Regatta Heavyweight 8 championship crews at Temple from 1997-2000.
The events will be shown live on WCSN.com from August 30 to September 2.
