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Top 3 from each final advance to Final #2, to be held tomorrow morning.

See full story below.

Event: Open Women's 1x 1 San Diego - Leslie Rawley   07:38.5 2 Augusta - Laurel Korholz   07:41.6 3 Lake Wash - Jen Devine   07:43.5 4 San Diego - Jones   07:44.8 5 Augusta - Dore   07:53.5 6 Augusta - Skricki   07:54.3

Event: Open Men's 1x 1 Brown Alumni-Jamie Koven   06:50.2 2 Unaf - Cyrus Beasley   06:52.4 3 Augusta - Mike Ferry   07:00.7 4 Augusta - S. Gillespie   07:00.9 5 Thompson - Abdullah   07:02.2 6 Augusta - Duffy   07:10.1

Event: Lt. Women's 1x 1 Oregon - Lisa Schlenker   07:46.8 2 San Diego - Sherri Kiklas   07:47.1 3 Quinsi- Christine Collins   07:48.0 4 NW Scull- A. Cummins   07:48.5 5 Univ. of Cinn - Mowery   07:51.6 6 San Diego - DenBesten   07:51.8

Event: Lt. Men's 1x 1 Augusta - Greg Ruckman   06:58.6 2 New/Pot - James Martinez   06:59.1 3 Unaf.- Steve Tucker   07:00.0 4 San Diego - Cashman   07:02.8 5 Potomac - C. Groom   07:03.3 6 Potomac - S. Groom   07:07.6

Koven, Rawley, Ruckman and Schlenker Lead Way after First Day of Finals

AIKEN, S.C. – Jamie Koven, Leslie Rawley, Greg Ruckman and Lisa Schlenker are one step closer to making the 1998 U.S. National Rowing Team after winning their respective first finals Saturday at the 1998 USRowing National Team Singles Trials.

The finals, which are raced in a best two-out-of-three format, resume with the second round Sunday at 8 a.m. If necessary, the third round will be held Monday at 8 a.m.

In the men's open weight single sculls competition, Koven (Green Village, N.J.), the defending world champion in the men's single, led the entire race and finished with a time of 6:50.2. Cyrus Beasley (Newburyport, Mass.), a 1996 Olympian, pushed Koven for much of the race but could never mount a serious challenge. Beasley finished with a time of 6:52.4.

"It was a good, solid piece," Koven said. "Cyrus raced well and pushed me the whole time. I look forward to tomorrow's race."

Mike Ferry (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished third with a time of 7:00.7, also advancing to Sunday's second final.

In the women's open weight single, San Diego Training Center's Sarah Jones (Stanwood, Wash.) led the race for the first 1,600 meters before Leslie Burns Rawley (Rumson, N.J.) rowed past Jones to earn the victory with a time of 7:38.5. Laurel Korholz (La Jolla, Calif.) and Jennifer Devine (Portland, Ore.) also passed Jones in the final 400 meters to advance to tomorrow's second final. Korholz recorded a time of 7:41.6, while Devine recorded a time of 7:43.5.

In the men's lightweight single, James Martinez (Santa Fe, N.M.) led for much of the race before Greg Ruckman (Wyoming, Ohio) made a late charge to overtake him. Ruckman, a member of the 1997 National Team in the lightweight quadruple sculls, finished with a time of 6:58.6. Martinez finished second with a time of 6:59.1. Steve Tucker (Mooresville, Ind.), the 1997 U.S. National Team lightweight single sculler, finished third with a time of 7:00.0 and advanced to tomorrow's second final.

In the women's lightweight single, Lisa Schlenker (Lake Oswego, Ore.) passed the field in the final 300 meters to take the first final with a time of 7:46.8.

"It was a tough race," Schlenker said. "I was behind the whole way and really had to sprint through at the end. I just moved. I'm not sure how I did it."

Sherri Kiklas (Lake Forest, Calif.) and Christine Collins (Dearborn, Mich.) finished second and third, respectively, to advance to tomorrow's second final.

Trials winners will represent the United States at the 1998 FISA World Rowing Championships in September in Cologne, Germany.

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