Mobjack Alumna Rower Michelle Sechser Wins US Olympic Trials
After a delay of eleven months, the first 2020 U.S. Olympic Rowing Team Trials took place at Nathan Benderson Park, in Sarasota, Florida. Olympic rowing events contested were the women's single, men's single, men's double, lightweight women's double and lightweight men's double sculls. Of the five boat classes contested during the five-day event, only the winner of the women's single will earn her ticket to Tokyo, pendingUnited States Olympic & Paralympic Committee approval. The other four event winners will need to race at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta May 15-17 in Lucerne, Switzerland, to claim their spots on the US Olympic rowing team.
In the lightweight women's double sculls, the Cambridge Boat Club/Sarasota Crew composite entry of 2007 Mobjack alumna Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa) and Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College) recorded the fastest time of the nine entry time trial, finishing in a 6:30.06, 17.23 seconds ahead of second place. Sechser, an eight-time national team member, raced in the lightweight double at the 2019 World Rowing Championships and won a bronze medal in the lightweight single sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships held in Sarasota. Reckford made her first national team in 2019, racing in the lightweight quadruple sculls.
Sechser, who rowed at Tulsa with another highly decorated Mobjack and MHS alumna Allie Bridge Robins, was happy with her performance at trials. “It was a really fun week of racing and I'm happy Molly and I succeeded in qualifying to make the next step together at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne and keep our Olympic Dream alive. There was actually a lot of Mobjack support that went into this result. Mobjack alum Matt Muffleman was our Hudson boat supplier and on site for every race to make sure our equipment was in top shape. Lessons I learned from Mobjack Coach Tim Ulsaker while rowing for his summer program still run deep. Hard work, aggressive training, and a no-nonsense attitude will get you pretty far in this sport. I'm grateful for the experience I had rowing in Mathews and the people I met. There was a lot to be learned from an erg room that was aptly referred to as "The House of Pain." I can't wait to get back to see the progress on the planned boathouse facility at Williams Wharf”, said Sechser.
